Too Many Over Thinkers

Philip Mitrakos · From: The Beach South East Florida

Don't worry about trying to figure out a better way,
Just play the dang thing ,
You don't need the best finger picks , the best strings, the best pickup , the best amp , the best guitar , the best volume pedal ,the best cables, the best speakers, just sit down and enjoy playing what you got ,

Chris Brooks · From: Providence, Rhode Island

Well said, Philip. I see new players agonizing on the Forum about which bar to get, which outboard pedals, etc. They should just play more. Concentrate on getting a good solid sound right off of the string.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Now you tell me. What do I do for fun with the boatload of best gear that never made me sound like Emmons?

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Philip has a point, but I was looking forward to a rant specifically about electronics
Sad

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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Edward Dixon · From: Crestview Florida

I started working in a band in 1964. Nobody has ever told me I needed better gear. I started on PSG Feb this year and have enough money to buy any piece of gear you can name. But who can say what piece of gear is "best"? I do as much research as I can before I let go of my money though. I don't buy the most expensive gear but what I buy and keep is "Best" for me.
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"Faith don't need no second opinion."

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

What we need to do as gigging Pedal Steel players goes so far beyond choices of shoes, picks, bars, strings, tuners, amps, cords, etc... So yes! Just playing the durn thing with whatever ya got goes a long way towards preparing for a gig.
On the other hand, those are all choices we all have to make as Pedal Steel enthusiasts, and this being a discussion forum... it's fun to discuss when we're not actually playing! I'm looking at my Steel, but I haven't even had coffee yet!
I'm still thinking about how JayDee had a new Scott Schwartz pickup in his Push-Pull that sounded so cool with the three Strymon effect units he was using with his Stereo Steel last week at Jim P's Steel Shop!
Shocked

Asa Brosius · Posted 8 Jul 2021 8:50 am

I get the point-there is no substitute for practice- also worth noting, we wouldn't have pedal steel guitar today if early steel players had that attitude.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

My opinion:

If you're happy with what you got and you wanna just play, great. Just do it.

If you wanna get different stuff, go for it. There's lots of cool stuff, and sometimes it can make a difference.

If you don't wanna think, no problem. There's no law saying you have to.

If you wanna think, go ahead and think, there's no law against it. Not yet, anyway.

Of course, there is no substitute for practice. But for many, part of the charge is doing new things. And there's lots of new stuff to do. And sometimes, you find out that the 'right' thing for you was there all along. Sometimes it takes the journey to figure that out too.

Edward Dixon · From: Crestview Florida

Sometimes a guitar or piece of gear has inspired me to compose new music.
_________________
"Faith don't need no second opinion."

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

If you're happy and you know it... PLAY YOUR STEEL!
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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I'm an over thinker, but not about music or gear !

Just life in general ! Very Happy

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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

The sound you are seeking is in your hands.

James Sission · From: Sugar Land,Texas USA

Steel gear is like your favorite fishing lure, if you have confidence in it and your comfortable with it's likely to work well for you. But, it can take a while to find the one that inspires you to want to fish/ play. I say if you feel a need to try new stuff, go for it. Experimentation is not necessarily "overthinking" things, it's more of quest to find your comfort zone.

Sandy Inglis · From: Christchurch New Zealand

I Agree!
Every month I play at a Country Music walk up session and the last two have had the lead guitar player absent. He is a difficult person and shouts at me for not watching him all the time.
I had to play all the solos and boy did I nail it! I surprised myself. I was even playing Harmonics?
I have fairly good gear (Zum and Peavey NV1000) which sound great once I get into a groove. I'm usually a hesitant and cautious player but these gigs I'm really going great. Without a lead guitar in my ear I can hear myself and play much better. I don't feel the need for better gear, just better situations?
Sandy
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01'Zumsteel D10 9+9; Sho Bud D10 SuperPro; 6 String Lap Steel (Homemade); Peavey Nashville 1000; Fender Deluxe 85;
1968 Gibson SG; Taylor 710 CE; Encore Tele Copy; Peterson Tuner; HIWATT T40 C 40W/20W Combo

Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

For as many members we have here there are that many opinions, that is OK we are all in this together. I for one do not mind trying different gear you never know when something might move you.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Flamma Reverb, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblocks, Telonics 15” speakers.

Phone: 971-219-8533

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Well.....the flavor-of-the-moment won't necessarily make you a better player, but keeping an eye on the flavor-of-the- moment will now and again introduce you to something that helps you play just a little better.

My most recent examples are Ron Landis' sterling silver fingerpicks, BJS bars, a Milkman Half and Half, and (for six-string mostly) Keeley compressors.

Nothin' at all wrong with wanting to upgrade your work tools! Winking

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

It always amuses me when a player endorses a new piece of gear and they go overboard bragging about how it improved their sound. I'm thinking, if it improved it that much, you must have sounded pretty bad before. Smile

RC

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

I enjoy trying different pieces of gear, it's actually a hobby. Jay Leno collects automobiles, does it make him a better driver? Nope. But he still collects them. I recently purchased a reverb effect pedal, that half the players on this forum recommended to me, i hate the thing, so back to Sweetwater.com it went. I tried another and love it. Did it make me a better or worse player? Again...Nope. Playing the steel, for me, goes hand-in-hand with a thought process of how can i sound better while playing it. Am i looking for "That Tone"? Again....Nope. Playing through a variety of different equipment IMHO actually has made me a better player. So as long as one isn't too excessive at it, nothing wrong at all with experimentation.

Buddy Emmons had more effect units, and toys, then any steel guitarist i've ever heard or seen wayyyyyy back in the mid 70's. Just something some guys enjoy....ummmm...like myself. Not "chasing" any tone, or sound, just enjoying different pieces of equipment, and how the steel, or guitar sounds while using it. Part of the continuing evolution of our wonderful instrument. So... of course, keep experimenting and keep trying different cab's, speakers, effects, volume pedals, and for goodness sake.....push the envelope.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I have the gear that's best for me:- two lightweight U12s (one for gigs, one for practice/recording) and a stereo amp (because mono doesn't inspire me) which is also loud enough to play outdoors without depending on the PA.

So I ended up with an Excel, a Williams, and a Telonics rack and speakers. It was expensive, but it does what I need. Along the way I discovered that National picks are respected for a reason, that BJS bars really are worth the money, and Hilton is the best-value pedal if you're allergic to string.

I could have spent more without making anything better, so by that definition, I have "the best".
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I purchase , or rather "acquire gear" based on specific needs, that being repeat gigs , rooms or venues. I don't purchase gear to sound better but rather which gear fits the venue. Of course the unwritten requirement is it has to sound good or at least more than acceptable to my ears. I've never prescribed to one amp, or set of gear, is good for all venues.

I do have a preference for Guitars and of course Steels . I'm very anal about which guitars I play , the ones I own are all very consistent. I'm down to one Steel, I don't think I ever owned more than two working Steels at any time. One was always set up in the music room while the other sat in the case on gig duty.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I showed up at rehearsal a few days ago with an amp that I usually only use for my acoustic guitar, which sounds pretty good. Well...the electric instruments sounded like crap in it. â€œJust play the darn thingâ€ was not an option. I had to make all kinds of adjustments in how and what I played. It was a very challenging situation.The bandleader noticed and made a mention of it while were packing up to leave.

So, the point is that I guess I have a sound (or variety of sounds) that I am accustomed to, and if it veers too far away from that sound, playing as I would normally play is not possible. So having the best gear possible to get those sounds is a matter of not only enjoying the music I make on my instruments, but an important part of the overall sound of the band.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Over thinking is much like curiosity. A certain amount of each is often a good thing.

Curiosity lead me to wonder what's the big deal with the Emmons Push-Pull steel. Same with Twin Reverbs. Now I'm hooked on both. At the time I had other steels and amps so it was just curiosity, not necessity, that lead to those purchases. I'm a better player for having gear that inspires me to play more.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Remember the old saying "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"?

What they don't tell you is that a lot of knowledge can be absolutely catastrophic! Winking

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

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