I am now a PSG-er, too!

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 13 Oct 2003 9:59 am

Well, I had to blame someone, so it's all of you on this forum!I bless and curse you all for my impending doom and joy.

I picked up a Carter Starter to get my feet wet. We don't play country, blues, hawaiian, swing, or any other genre generally associated with PSG. But, this instrument is amazingly flexible as shown by the likes of Pink Floyd and Yes (whooda thunk it?).

I am keeping my single neck Fender Stringmaster lap for the 2nd neck as it has it's sound, too. A nice hybrid setup.

The PSG is very intuitive. I am enjoying just exploring the instrument with little book-learnin'. We are implementing it into our music and will look back later to see what rules we broke.

When the urge beckons, we will want to get into the known quantities of the instrument, too. But, new uses only make the instrument grow.

You all have helped me a great deal, and Carter Steel made it practical. Thanks.

slick · Post by **slick** » 13 Oct 2003 4:15 pm

Paul it doesn't matter where you are going with the PSG,just go there and enjoy.Im sure it will be a great ride.

Wayne

MUSICO · Post by **MUSICO** » 14 Oct 2003 4:52 am

Welcome.....

And don't think that you are the only one who was inspired by Steve Howe playing "Gates of Delirium" and "Going for the One"

WOW!!!!

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 14 Oct 2003 6:12 am

Paul,

Be careful what liberties you take with your new Starter. There are laws you may not know about! For example, I think playing polka on steel in Nebraska during the trout fishing season (or something like that) could get you a citation. So you better watch out, just in case. And we probably shouldn't even get started about b@njo regulations. Or accordian.

Does anybody have a list of laws by state concerning PSG? I want to make sure I don't go over the line with mine.

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<font size=-1>Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?</font>

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 14 Oct 2003 7:00 am

Darn, I better stay out of Nebraska. I was totally gobsmacked to find out that the C6th tuning actually lends itself quite well to playing polkas. I don't even LIKE polkas, but the damn thing took off running and I haven't been able to stop it yet. OOM PAH PAH, OOM PAH PAH indeed.

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 14 Oct 2003 11:00 am

Thanks, everyone. I will need to know which barstool to use when cryin' in my beer, too!

Jeremy, you read my mind! Steve Howe is one of my long-time heroes (even though I'm a bass player by 1st instrument!).

After learning more about the PSG (from this forum) I found that Steve's playing on "To Be Over" MUST be done on PEDAL steel. Many of his other songs can be done on lap steel (which is why I own the Fender lap).

I'd be interested in hearing what you are doing with the steel.

Greg Vincent · Post by **Greg Vincent** » 14 Oct 2003 11:22 am

Paul,

Greetings from another Steve Howe fan. Welcome to the PSG!

Here's a link to a pic of Steve you might get a kick out of:
http://www.forgottenyesterdays.com/graphic.asp?gr=1&gid=1449

Nice Sho~Bud, but a rather unorthodox technique!

-GV

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 14 Oct 2003 11:34 am

Welcome aboard! This forum is a wealth of info, with a bit of good, ol fashion BS'ing going on (ever notice that Bobbe's initals are the same for a lot of what he feeds us

Just kidding Bobbe! we love ya and appreciate all you do for the community!).

Don't feel bad for not playing country/swing/jazz/blues etc w/ the pedal steel. IMHO, the steel being used in ROCK got a LOT of folks interested in it (i.e. Rusty Young's work with the Eagles etc, Jerry Garcia with CSNY and the Dead, Buddy Cage with the NRPS, bands like Pure Prarie League (forget the gent's name) etc. not to mention, Gilmour uses a lap steel with Pink Floyd. The more genre's of music the steel is in, may attract more players into the fold!!

-- one bit of advice I have for you, though, even though you are not into playing the country thing, just don'toverlook listening to, and learning from most of the greats who are associated with Country-- the Paul Franklin(although he did a bit with dire straits), Buddy Emmons, Ralph Mooney, John Hughey, Jimmy Day (and the list goes on and on!)

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 14 Oct 2003 12:21 pm

Welcome to the Steel Ward Paul
it don't matter what ya' play as long as you pick and grin
and yes this Forum is a Gold Mine

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Steel what?

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 14 Oct 2003 12:55 pm

That is a great pic, Greg! A "natural element" photo IS Howe surrounded by guitars as much as an ocean surrounded by beaches. Only Howe could find a use for steel in his style of music and do it so well.

Gino, I really do like the steel in it's known genres, too. It is such a recognizable instrument. Some of THE greatest picking I've ever heard is from the country players. I could sit and watch them for hours. True artisans, they are. I'll look into those suggestions. Thanks.

Tom Althoff · Post by **Tom Althoff** » 24 Oct 2003 3:37 pm

"As long as you pick and grin"...

Since I've just started to get my feet wet with my antique Multi-Kord how long can I expect my grimmaces, winces and cringes to evolve into grins?

<<< Wow...I'm starting to grin already!

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 24 Oct 2003 6:56 pm

One interesting suggestion I heard recently for setting up a Carter Starter for rock is to bump up the 10th string B to the 9th string spot (discarding the 9th string D entirely) and to stick a low E string in the 10th string spot. This gives you that Sacred Steel style power chord on the bottom three strings (E-B-E), and the whole tone pull on the bottom (E>F#) would give you both a low root for your two frets back dorian position (very useful for rock/blues/anything minor) and a handy low five note (F#) when in the B6 position (with E's to D#).

You'd lose the nice jazzy major 7 type stuff built off the 9th string, as well as the low C#, but you'd gain rhythm and low end, which are probably way more useful in a rock context.

I'm not totally sure how well it would work mechanically, to replace the 10th string B with a thicker E string, but it would be easy enough to change back if it didn't work--simply a matter of swapping two strings.

-Travis