The British Steelies Society

Hello fellow members ,

Thought I'd introduce myself . I've been playing regular and bottle neck guitar for around 40 years but some years ago having heard players like Bobby Black with Commander Cody , Lucky Oceans with Asleep At The Wheel and Russ Hicks with Barefoot Jerry I fell in love with the pedal steel .Unfortunately I was in no position financially to pursue my dream of getting one until around 3 years ago when I was fortunate to be taken on by 2 publishers writing music for TV etc . The money from that enabled me to finally to go down the pedal steel road and I got a Carter Starter and then last summer a lovely post box red Bennett D10 .

So far I have just been using it in my studio on tracks for the publishers which means I haven't really spent the time on it as much as I should have .Because I write in many different styles it only gets used when it's called for . However I have recently joined a local country rock band which should hopefully push me into improving my playing etc.

I'm now looking for a second guitar : being a lazy so and so I do'nt want to be constantly taking down the D10 and dragging it back and forth from the studio for live work .I'm in a bit of quandary at the moment as I can't decide what to do : most of the live stuff is on the E9 neck so I thought I'd just get a single neck but then I'd quite like to have the 6th voicings there just in case so the option of a U12 has now entered the fray ......still it provides many hours of fun research whilst I decide .

all the best

Ken ,

Thanks very much for your welcome & advice

much appreciated

Welcome Jeremy, It's good to have you on board, I must be well up the social rankings now, I'm talking to a media composer.

Hi Donny ,

Thanks for the welcome .

I have to admit that in my case Media Composer sounds more glamorous than the reality ......I have'nt done any theme tunes for programmes but get a lot of use with the incidental music ie .the music behind the words that no one listens to !!

best wishes

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy and welcome. I know the quandry, been there too! My logic goes this way and agrees with Ken's advice. A second steel, set up like your main one (not a different tuning) is helpful where you have two main areas of work.
If you go the U12 route (and there is, or was, a Mullen 12 for sale on the forum) then you are back to taking it from the studio/home to the gig. Actually your problem will be greater because your choice will be from more instruments and they're' not like guitars where you can stick 'em all on a rack behind you.
So far as adding a U12 to your armoury, there is nothing particularly hard about using another tuning - you probably use more than one on slide guitar anyway I guess and already you swap from E9 to C6, yes? Non-pedal players get up to four neck guitars and seem to manage.
You could manage with having a single E9 as your home steel if that covers your main work, but then how do you get better on C6th?
I hope that helps to clear some of the smoke and you make the right decision for you. Regards, Tony

Hello Tony ,

Thanks for your welcome & advice .

I think I was trying to "have my cake and eat it too" so as it happens I have gone along with the line suggested by yourself & Ken . I've just bought a Rains SD10 on Ebay before anyone else snaps it up ....so , the D10 can remain in the studio and I'll use the Rains for live stuff . I pick it up next saturday and I can't wait ...who'd have thought a rectangular box on legs with various metal attachments could be a thing of such beauty !

Thanks again

Jeremy

Ooooh! Nice guitar. Tony

Jeremy, don't worry about it just sounding glamorous, anything that can make me remotely glamorous, I'm in there. Congratulations on the Rains, You'll love it.

Cheers Donny