I was first turned on (by) to pedal steel through the Byrd's Sweetheart of the Rodeo album a few years ago. I've been a fan of bluegrass (I play rhythm guitar and sing and recently took up mandolin) for a long time but always thought country music was limited to baritone crooning with cloying orchestral arrangements. How I was wrong!
I LOVE the Flying Burrito Brothers. Kleinow, Parsons, and Hillman in one band, what more could you ask for? I couldn't name many tunes by the greats off the top of my head (except Makin' Believe) but I love all of that Mooney, Emmons, Byrd stuff. I think I'd appreciate it a lot more if I played the steel myself. I do know Lloyd Green played on a McCartney tune I really like, Sally G, but it's (expectedly and tastefully) understated. What I'd give for a few hours to work out a couple of my own songs with those Nashville sessions pros!!
At the moment, I have an old electric guitar setup with a hipshot b-bender and g palm lever. It's sat on a chair, with the amp on top of it to hold it in place. I've got three strings (excluding the one that just broke) tuned B-E-G# with a raised nut, in an attempt to mimic the top strings (excluding the chromatic strings) of an E9 pedal steel with A and B pedals. I'm not going to lie, it's a reet chore to play! haha, but the tone is surprisingly good, banjo strings and all. I expect it's due to the old amp I'm using, which my Granda gave me.
To those of you who got this far, thank you muchly for reading. This post turned out a lot more verbose than I had planned. If anybody who lives in Hartlepool, or close, would consider letting me sit behind a real pedal steel, that would be absolutely amazing. I'll hopefully be attending the Northern festival in Thornton Watlass, if tickets are still available by the time I get myself sorted.
Almost forgot, here's a little of me pickin' n singin' https://soundcloud.com/user815870057/baby
Peace!
but IT. can bring them to a living room near you these days,so up it is,over and out! 