How Were the "No Peddlers" Represented at St. Louis This Yea

Al Gershen · From: Grants Pass, OR, USA * R.I.P.

Hi SGF Group:

I see quite a few postings about the St. Louis convention on the main SGF board but there's a vacuum here at "No Peddlers."

What's going on? I thought the steel guitar is more than just "pedal steel guitars."

Not having been there, I really don't know what is going on. I would like to hear for some of the members who post on this board your impressions about the respresentation of "No Peddlers" at the show.

I consider myself a hybrid, even while playing my Fender 1000. I don't have any knee levers on the C-6th neck (tuned down to a B-6 to help with string breakage). There are many songs I play there without using any of the 5 floor pedals I have set up for that tuning.

So my heart is really in both places. If the representation of "No Peddlers" is poor at the St. Louis convention, perhaps the "Powers that Be" should look into this matter and try to correct it.

Finally, as a non-participant at that event, you might ask, "Why should he have any right to inquire and/or complain?" I only intervene here because I feel that the non-pedal steel guitar should be a significant part of any important steel guitar event.

What's your "say" on this matter?

------------------
Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, Oregon. USA
Fender 1000 (1957),
Fender PS 210 (1972) &
Gibson Electraharp EH-820
(1962)
Pictures of PS 210 &
EH-820 at http://www.rvi.net/~aldg

[This message was edited by Al Gershen on 10 September 2000 at 01:31 AM.]

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Al,

A poignant question. However, I feel the PSG is the natural result of impovement that is an integral part of life.

Having started in the early 40's playing a 6 string lap steel and evolving thru multi neck steels to the PSG, I can tell you that pedal steel guitar is realy where it is.

Now I love my 7 string Rick. Just love to play it. BUT, NO way is it substitute for my PSG. Nor is it for the vast majority of players on earth, IMHO.

Sure Tom Morrell will tear up a lap steel. So can Maurice Anderson, Billy Robinson and Kayton Roberts. But the steel guitar got rid of its limitations (musically speaking-there is only ONE Jerry Byrd), the day Webb Pierce recorded "Slowly".

So, while I love the lap steel; You love it; Tom Morrell, et al, loves it; Jerry Byrd is the world's master at it; Our beloved Forum maestro likes it; the Pedal steel is where it is.

So conventions are 95% pedal steel. I am going to one next month (The Hawaiian convention), that I am told is more lap. But it is the exception I believe. (Oh my precious Lord, I pray they do in fact play softer

)

My point being that StLouis represents the steel guitar world as it mostly exists in the hearts and souls of the vast majority of players.

God bless all steel guitar players, lappers included

carl

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

There were several non-peddle segments at ISGC Y2K.
Russ Weaver, Bobby Black, Don Helms, Chuck Lettes, Tom Brumly, and a few others on the main stage (Help me out guys, I know there were several others). Billy Robinson in the Derby room... Several folks tryin' & buyin' Sierra 8 string laps. All in all I'd say no worries, Al. People love 'em. I believe it is viewed as harder to master than peddled steel guitars. Several standing O's to the non-peddlers were wittnessed by this steeler.
-pb

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I saw Don Helms, Russ Weaver, Bobby Black and Tom Brumley. All four were great.

Bobby Black made the mistake of switching to a pedal steel halfway through his set. It wasn't his own guitar, and he got all flustered trying to play it. He should have stuck with his lap steel, IMHO. It sounded great!

wayne yakes md · From: denver, colorado

Chuck Lettes did a dynamite job on "Sweetnin' "(written and recorded previously by Herb Remington),"Sleepwalk", to name a few. He played HOFamer Dick McIntyre's 1935 Richenbacher Fry Pan! Herb Remington really touched me when he played "Stardust", which by the way is "The Song of the Century"!! Bobby Black really made his 8string Fender sing! Billy Robinson was devastating as always! I think the lap steel was WELL represented!!!

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