Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 22 Sep 2010 7:39 am

So, as I get ready to start playing with my Stringmaster D8, I thought it would be fun to listen to the finest console steel players. I have a few on my list and I'm hoping to get some suggestions from all of you.

Don Helms
Joaquin Murphey
Cindy Cashdollar
Junior Brown
Jerry Byrd

As for some of the other common names, I'm just not sure who's playing pedal or non pedal, or when they made the change from non pedal to pedal. For example, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Hank Thompson, Bob Wills, etc, I'm just not sure which of those records feature non steel pedals. Not that I don't like pedal steel... I love it! Those Ray Price albums with Buddy Emmons are amazing, and the Texas Troubadors stuff with Bud Charleton and Leon Rhodes are awesome for sure. I'm just approaching this from more of an educational angle, as I want to hear what others do with this instrument.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 22 Sep 2010 8:22 am

I'd look into:

Noel Boggs
Leon McAuliff
Howard White
Roy Wiggins

Great stylists............good players
They were the trend setters of their day.

Most have albums out there on eBay

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 22 Sep 2010 9:54 am

Herb Remington
Tom Morrell

A. J. Martinez · Post by **A. J. Martinez** » 22 Sep 2010 10:27 am

DOUG BEAUMIER

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 22 Sep 2010 12:34 pm

Are we talking great or just famous. There is a lot of difference in the two.

Bobbe

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 22 Sep 2010 1:14 pm

For a great collection of current players I'd recommend the "Legends Of The Incredible Lap Steel Guitar" compilation, I can't think of any other album that presents such a broad range of music and playing styles, both electric and acoustic.
It's available on Amazon.

Here's the list of players:
Gary Brandin, Harry Manx, Bobbe Seymour, Orville Johnson, Bob Brozman, Greg Leisz, Tom Morrell, Stacy Phillips, Herb Remington, Cindy Cashdollar, Ken Emerson, Kayton Roberts and Jeff Lang.

You can't go wrong with this one!

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 22 Sep 2010 1:31 pm

Hi Bobbe,

I guess famous is good in terms of historical significance, but great players is really what I'm after, for inspiration and also to get a sense of what's possible.

Thanks you all for your input by the way, I look forward to listening to all these guys.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 22 Sep 2010 2:22 pm

Eddie Rivers and Jeremy Wakefield are well worth checking out.

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 22 Sep 2010 2:31 pm

Is this the Wakefield that played with Wayne Hancock? I have some of those recordings, they're great indeed!

Wayne Hancock said this about him:

"Jeremy is a genius. He's incorporated the Hawaiian sound, very much like Jerry Byrd, but he's younger. Jerry Byrd was really cool, but he was more laid back. Jeremy Wakefield is more like Speedy West fused with Jerry Byrd. And a little bit of Noel Boggs."

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 22 Sep 2010 2:34 pm

I forgot to mention Kayton Roberts... the stuff is played on those Hank III records is wonderful.

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 22 Sep 2010 4:29 pm

Vance Terry

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 22 Sep 2010 4:35 pm

Great Hawaiian Steel Guitar Players:

Jules AhSee
Sol Ho'opi'i
David Keli'i
Billy HewLen
Freddie Taveras
Barney Isaacs

Newer Versions:
Alan Akaka
Casey Olsen
Greg Sardinha
Paul Kim
Jeff AuHoy

Aloha,

Don

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 22 Sep 2010 5:12 pm

Basil Henriques.
Ray Montee.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Sep 2010 5:24 pm

Billy Robinson, David Feet Rogers, Early Curly Chalker, Barney Isaacs. Steel Guitar Caviar is THE Wakefield record to get. Gary Brandin with The Vanduras and Blue Hawaiians. Speedy West's Steel Guitar Spectacular. Jerry Byrd with Atkins & Homer & Jethro and On The Shores of Waikiki. And OffShore, my favorite, long OOP, Santo & Johnny record ....

http://easylistening.blogspot.com/2007/ ... -1963.html

Peter Lindelauf · Post by **Peter Lindelauf** » 22 Sep 2010 5:26 pm

David Lindley.

Ric Nelson · Post by **Ric Nelson** » 23 Sep 2010 4:34 am

Shot Jackson
Johnny Sibert

Don McGregor · Post by **Don McGregor** » 23 Sep 2010 5:36 am

I'm surprised it took so long for someone to mention Billy Robinson. He's on 10 string non pedal these days (check him out on youtube, but spent a lot of his years on 8 string, as well.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 23 Sep 2010 5:55 am

Andy Volk wrote:Billy Robinson, David Feet Rogers, Early Curly Chalker, Barney Isaacs. Steel Guitar Caviar is THE Wakefield record to get. Gary Brandin with The Vanduras and Blue Hawaiians. Speedy West's Steel Guitar Spectacular. Jerry Byrd with Atkins & Homer & Jethro and On The Shores of Waikiki. And OffShore, my favorite, long OOP, Santo & Johnny record ....

http://easylistening.blogspot.com/2007/ ... -1963.html

Andy, I agree that Speedy's Guitar Spectacular is one of the great steel albums of all-time (in fact, it is my favorite), but he plays a Fender pedal steel on it. There's only one tune with no pedals on it that my ears could determine. Still, it is a masterpiece.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 23 Sep 2010 9:07 am

From You Tube:

Johnny Sibert __ best "Fender tone" I've heard, has his own style.
Buddy Merrill __ Fender, even in his teens he was great, from what I've seen on the B&W Lawrence Welk videos.
Buddy Emmons __ on the Fender Custom.
Jerry Byrd __ on the Rickenbacher
Don Helms __ on the Gibson

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 23 Sep 2010 3:10 pm

Jody Carver, one of the truly Greats.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 23 Sep 2010 5:30 pm

Mike, I realize Speedy was always a pedal player but somehow I can't leave him out of this list. SGS is indeed a brilliant record. Somehow, the Speedy's and Joaquin's didn't need tablature, YouTube, Lydian chromatic theory, Abersold play-along records,etc. they just DID it. Speedy and Joaquin had that capacity to pull out the amazing performance time after time off the top of their heads. Musicians like that are wired differently. And Mozart could do it at five!

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 24 Sep 2010 7:58 am

Let's not forget Ron Ely

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 24 Sep 2010 7:59 am

Robbie Daniels wrote:Let's not forget Ron Ely

...and John Ely, too.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 24 Sep 2010 8:28 am

Andy Volk wrote:...the Speedy's and Joaquin's didn't need tablature, YouTube, Lydian chromatic theory, Abersold play-along records,etc. they just DID it. Speedy and Joaquin had that capacity to pull out the amazing performance time after time off the top of their heads. Musicians like that are wired differently. And Mozart could do it at five!

Maybe they didn't have all of the modern instructional material, but I'm betting they still spent many, many lonely hours holed up in some room working on their chops. Talent+hardwork is probably what made these guys so darn good. In this high-paced modern society, we tend to want instant-stuff. I'm guilty of this, for sure. I'll bet it was those long lonely hours that made the posted players (above) so spectacular. But, wow, what a rich reward we get to listen to, don't you think?

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 24 Sep 2010 9:25 am

We didn't have any instructional material back then, except the basic Oahu method. Beyond that, you were on your own.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

If I might so bold as to suggest.........................

Re: great or famous

Topic: Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

talent plus hard work, maybe