Instruments that alter the sound of the steel the quickest

Dennis Manuel · Post by **Dennis Manuel** » 15 Dec 2013 5:11 pm

My vote is the rhythm guitar when its played to loud! For instance at the beginning of the night I have this great steel sound and by the end of the night it's gone out the door. If the rhythm player goes out for a whiz the steel and band sound great.

To me if a rhythm guitar, whether it be acoustic or electric. is played to loud it smears and clutters the sound more than other instruments.

What are your thoughts?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 Dec 2013 6:15 pm

this can definitely be the case at times. lots of singers thrash their guitars to be able to hear themselves over the band, which of course means they thrash louder and harder as the night goes on. many of these 'singer' type rythmn players aren't really sensitive instrumentalists. many of them drink.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 15 Dec 2013 10:01 pm

chris ivey wrote:many of these 'singer' type rythmn players aren't really sensitive instrumentalists. many of them drink.

Good one, Chris.

Seriously, I think that the audience alters the sound of the steel quicker than any instrument in the band, but the biggest damage is usually done by the sound man.

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 16 Dec 2013 1:30 am

I always have problems when a lead/rhythm player uses too much chorus. It knocks the tuning for six.
Billy

Howard Steinberg · Post by **Howard Steinberg** » 16 Dec 2013 4:01 am

A singer who goes flat gets my vote (if you consider the voice an instrument).

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 16 Dec 2013 4:18 am

Our lead guitar player caused me to alter my sound.
Great player, great guy, single coil tele, his sound was terrific but it sounded too much like me with the steel, so I changed MY tone to fit in. Much better now.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 16 Dec 2013 6:26 am

Our lead singer beats the Dickens out of his and you can count on a string getting broke somewhere in the night. Oh...and he does drink come to think about it.

Sean Borton · Post by **Sean Borton** » 16 Dec 2013 1:16 pm

Fiddle... Now there's two instruments on stage without frets

On a serious side - any instrument when played by someone that isn't disciplined. A crasher on the drums, a basher on the acoustic, a lead player that can't stop playing, a piano player that thinks every chord needs 10 notes, etc... etc...

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Dec 2013 1:31 am

piano

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Dec 2013 4:13 am

Other instruments don't alter your sound. They may affect your attitude, or the sound of the band, as a whole. But your sound, pretty much, is what it is.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 17 Dec 2013 9:23 am

Sound waves interact in the air. Other sounds do affect your sound.

I wasn't joking when I said that the audience has the biggest effect on your sound. Last weekend I played in a temporary structure that had vinyl tarps for walls. We nailed our tones during sound check, but everything changed when the room filled with people. In the corner was a mechanical bull surrounded by a cheering crowd. In front of us were dancers. There were tables all around with people talking (shouting, actually) to each other. The result was a loud, high midrange resonance bouncing off the vinyl walls and ceiling. No one could have predicted that frequency.

The sound guy did an incredible job compensating the mains, but we were pretty much on our own for stage sound. I think everyone in the band changed their tone settings during the first set.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 17 Dec 2013 9:55 am

I find the keyboard to be a major problem. The ones I play with don't back off with the volume when not taking a lead or filling in. They kill my sound. An electric guitar playing rhythm does the same thing. Why can't we have the rhythm section consist of the bass and drums?

Jonathan Cullifer · Post by **Jonathan Cullifer** » 17 Dec 2013 10:07 am

Anyone playing out of tune...it always makes me check my tune (and I'm in tune) and someone else is out. The worst offenders are singers that play acoustic guitar because they don't ever retune.

I played with a fiddle player that always followed me, and consequently played in the exact same register as me, no matter where I moved on the neck. It's rare, but it's bad when it happens.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 17 Dec 2013 10:10 am

Have you EVER.........

played beneath one of those over-head circular FANS?

They'll really raise havoc with what you're playing.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 17 Dec 2013 11:20 am

Piano (electric) here too. They suck the dynamic range out of a pedal steel when they are played at significant volume. Roy Rosetta excluded - he never plays loudly over the steel guitar at any stage.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 17 Dec 2013 12:05 pm

Ken, you are so right about Roy. I just don't get to play often enough with him. He knows exactly how it should be done.
Jerry

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 17 Dec 2013 8:32 pm

Fiddle... out of tune fiddle will make your playing sound like you never set behind the steel before... you can play 100% in tune, but out of tune fiddle playing will make YOU sound like you are playing out of tune...

Db

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 17 Dec 2013 9:39 pm

Jerry Roller wrote:Why can't we have the rhythm section consist of the bass and drums?

My favorite gigs are flat top acoustic, bass, and drums for rhythm, and fiddle and steel for lead. We don't need no stinkin' lead guitar and keyboard.

Terry Winter · Post by **Terry Winter** » 18 Dec 2013 6:50 am

A loud unrelenting keyboard but especially a loud accordion can absolutely make your steel sound disappear. Believe me!

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 18 Dec 2013 8:52 am

There are two different problems being discussed here. Some are referring to out of tune instruments. The out of tune fiddle should not be playing on top of the steel in most cases but I know they often do. The out of tune acoustic rhythm guitar certainly is a problem but not as likely to actually kill the tone of the steel guitar. However, the loud keyboard and or the loud electric guitar playing rhythm are playing in the same frequency range as the steel which has a canceling or masking effect on the notes coming from the steel which kills the body and tone of the steel. I hate when that happens. It is very hard to do anything about because it seems many musicians have an ego that surpasses their desire to be part of a "team".
If you say something to them about it they are offended sometimes to the point of quitting the band. I had this happen several years ago when I told the lead guitar player he was playing too loud. I really don't care how loud his lead is just don't need all those loud chords over my playing.
Jerry

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 18 Dec 2013 9:32 am

ray...i was going to mention the ceiling fans right before i read your post. they really screw up your tone and pitch.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 18 Dec 2013 10:55 am

Try playing with a saxaphone player who doesn't like to lay back.

Steve Allison · Post by **Steve Allison** » 18 Dec 2013 11:07 am

Yep! Fans and capoed guitars that aren't retuned or capoed the right way!

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 18 Dec 2013 2:10 pm

I vote all the above but to add
guitar players who play the wrong cords
and fiddle plays with bad intonation problems
that one kills me....
Mike

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 18 Dec 2013 2:13 pm

The biggest godsend is fellow musicians who know when not to play

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Instruments that alter the sound of the steel the quickest

Instruments that alter the sound of the steel the quickest

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