Pedal Steel Evolution

Tim Tweedale · Post by **Tim Tweedale** » 10 Sep 2004 7:32 am

I would like to know how the pedal steel evolved into the instrument it is today; who pioneered the major changes, what materials they used to create the first raises/lowers, and when. Is there a book about this, or possibly a very good thread? Thank you.

-Tim

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 10 Sep 2004 9:07 am

AS best as I can find out- the first patent was issued in 1936 by a person named Blair.Harlin Bros patented their guitar in 1947. Of course there are many patented units over the years and many have expired.It is very interesting to go thru the patent list and see what designs were used.Over the years I did many patent searches and found many very much alike. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 10 Sep 2004 9:11 am

There is a lot of history here, Tim.

I'm going to "guess" that the idea of adding a pedal to a steel guitar came from the pedaled harp.

Rick[This message was edited by Rick Collins on 11 September 2004 at 05:57 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 11 Sep 2004 1:31 pm

There were early changer devices that quickly changed the tuning of a lap steel by throwing a lever at the nut. Alvino Rey used pedals to change his tuning for various "big band" chords, but the use of pedals on a steel guitar was not obvious until Bud Isaacs recorded "Slowly" with Webb Pierce.

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 11 Sep 2004 2:03 pm

b0b is right about "SLOWLY" being the attention getter for Pedal Steel.In my research I understand there were some "Pedals" used in the early 30,s It would be neat to find that an old MULTI-KORD was used on a popular recording that we haven't heard about.Ed

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 12 Sep 2004 6:05 am

The earliest pedals I can date go back to the '30s. It seems the Harlin "Multi-Kord" was developed around 1936-37, and was probably in production by 1938. The Gibson "Electra-Harp" was in production shortly afterwards (about 1939), and by 1941 was being redesigned due to infringment problems with Harlin. The '40s also saw the birth of the Bigsby, and Wright (which later became Sierra) guitars. In the late '50s, Fender came along, followed by Sho~Bud, but the real growth and proliferation for the pedal guitar came in the '60s, with dozens of still well-known names coming into the market.

Webb's "Slowly" may indeed have been the first popular recording that featured moving pedal-tones, but who knows who did it first?

Ever since I found out that Thomas Edison didn't invent the electric light bulb (he actually bought the patent from two Canadian fellows, and the "light-bulb" had been around for 50 years before that!), I've been kinda skeptical of anyone who claims to have been "first" at doing anything!

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 12 Sep 2004 12:44 pm

I think one of the major changes in the approach of pedals was that the first instruments used pedals to change the tuning, that means pedals were used throughout the whole song to play in a different tuning. The other approach was to change pitch on certain strings and thus create what we know as the distinctive "pedal sound".

Kind Regards, Walter

www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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Gabriel Aaron Wynne · Post by **Gabriel Aaron Wynne** » 20 Sep 2004 6:48 am

It first started out as a monkey. . . then it became a midget. . .and after millions of years the midget eventually became a block of wood with strings and legs etc. There ya go.

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aaron

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 20 Sep 2004 10:19 am

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 20 Sep 2004 10:34 am

Dave

How do you come up with these things?ROFLOL.
I like it.
Keep 'um coming.

Ron
Nikaro SD10 4x6