Lap steel / Pedal Steel

stickyfiddle · April 20

barnstorm said:

Edit: ignore me, you’re talking about pedal only. Yeah, big expensive buggers!

I think @TeleKinesis is talking pedal only. I have next to zero chance of getting one of those where I live, zero place to put it, and also only a minor interest in jumping that deeply in at this stage...!

barnstorm · April 20

Yes, sorry, was just replying to his comment. I wouldn’t want to take on that challenge, either. I remember Jon Graboff saying matter-of-factly in a video, ‘Everything about the pedal steel is hard.’

digitalkettle · April 20

barnstorm said:

Yes, sorry, was just replying to his comment. I wouldn’t want to take on that challenge, either. I remember Jon Graboff saying matter-of-factly in a video, ‘Everything about the pedal steel is hard.’

Everything about the guitar is hard…and pedal steel seems like a really hard subset of that

Stuckfast · April 20

The thing about pedal steel is that like, say, piano or church organ or drum kit, it uses all of your limbs at once; but unlike those instruments, it's not about achieving independence between the limbs, it's about coordinating them to work together. But yes it's taken me five years to get to a standard where I can make a reasonably pleasant noise with it and I'm still crap at things like palm blocking.

If you want to buy a pedal steel, talk to John Davis in St Neots. You'll find him on the British Steelies Forum. He is a really lovely guy and a great tech.

ToneControl · April 20

stickyfiddle said:

barnstorm said:

Edit: ignore me, you’re talking about pedal only. Yeah, big expensive buggers!

I think @TeleKinesis is talking pedal only. I have next to zero chance of getting one of those where I live, zero place to put it, and also only a minor interest in jumping that deeply in at this stage...!

I agree, and I would recommend getting an 8 string lap steel as well as a 6 string, to get you started on the fuller range with C6 intervals, and away from the 6 string mindset

TeleKinesis · April 21

Yep, it was pedal steel I was talking about. I've always liked the glissando effect on them, been listening to a lot of tracks with that on recently.

I can only stretch to one new purchase, so focussing on pedal, likely a single neck E9 tuning.

Taking a view that it'll be a long term endeavour to skill up.

That said the Duesenberg Fairytale does look very cool, and would certainly be more practical for storage / transport

Keefy · April 21

ToneControl said:

stickyfiddle said:

barnstorm said:

Edit: ignore me, you’re talking about pedal only. Yeah, big expensive buggers!

I think @TeleKinesis is talking pedal only. I have next to zero chance of getting one of those where I live, zero place to put it, and also only a minor interest in jumping that deeply in at this stage...!

I agree, and I would recommend getting an 8 string lap steel as well as a 6 string, to get you started on the fuller range with C6 intervals, and away from the 6 string mindset

I’m staying with the 6-string mindset so as to keep the learning curve nice and shallow! I’m hoping I can possibly transfer some slide skills back to regular guitar.

Epsilon · May 15

Right, largely due to the influence of this thread I have now picked up a lap steel. Great fun.

Any decent tunes featuring lap steel I can get into? Can't just keep playing the High Hopes solo!

BobHillman · May 15

Epsilon said:

Right, largely due to the influence of this thread I have now picked up a lap steel. Great fun.

Any decent tunes featuring lap steel I can get into? Can't just keep playing the High Hopes solo!

Off the top of my head, "One Of These Days" by Pink Floyd, "Going For The One" by Yes (I'm sure there are a lot of other Yes songs where Steve Howe plays lap steel, but I can't think of them at the moment).

mrkb · May 15

I saw The Cadillac Three last night (with Stephen Wilson Jr supporting) so saw pedal steel and lap steel playing. Kelby Ray has great heavy lap steel riffs. Ben Harper plays great lap steel as well.

stickyfiddle · May 15

Nice! I’m not there yet but maybe I could find one to try tomorrow as I have an afternoon to myself in London…

Personally after a sort of Bon Iver, Sturgill Simpson, Danny Lanois vibe, as a starting point

koss59 · May 15

Epsilon said:

Right, largely due to the influence of this thread I have now picked up a lap steel. Great fun.

Any decent tunes featuring lap steel I can get into? Can't just keep playing the High Hopes solo!

Jackson Browne, These Days, Running On Empty etc. David Lindley was a genius

ToneControl · May 15

Epsilon said:

Right, largely due to the influence of this thread I have now picked up a lap steel. Great fun.

Any decent tunes featuring lap steel I can get into? Can't just keep playing the High Hopes solo!

have a look at the tunings here:
https://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=69

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Lap steel / Pedal Steel

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