The British Steelies Society

Hi Folks

I'm very pleased to have found this forum. I want to learn to play pedal steel and would like to buy one but I don't really know what I'm looking for. I'm hoping you can tell me the kind of things I should be looking out for in a good instrument and some of the things to avoid. I've been playing guitar for a long long time and I know where I'm at with those, but your advice would be very much appreciated as I don't know my backside from my elbow as far as these beasts are concerned.

Thanks

Peter

It's easier for people new to pedal steel to get a modern-type all-pull, E9 tuning, with 3 pedals and 4, maybe 5 levers.

At the changer end, get a steel with at least 3 raises and 2 lowers on each finger. the following image shows 3 up and 3 down



Things to look out for are grooves in the top of the changer fingers (where the string goes over).

Measure the string spacing at the changer, and make sure it is 11/32", and 9/32" at the roller nut.

Check the threaded sockets in the endplates (where the legs screw in), and make sure the threads are not stripped.

Scale length should be at least 24"

Hi Peter - let's know the area where you live and we might have somebody near enough to show you a guitar close up.
John (above) usually has a houseful of guitars and can maybe even show you different mechanisms - they're not all the same.
Richard has given some good pointers too, but the photo of the end plate might not be big enough for you to see into the opening. In there are a number of plastic nuts on the ends of rods poking through some little metal plates. There should be two plates for each string, an upper that needs 3 holes in it and one just below that with (at least) 2 holes. That's what he means by 3 raises, (that's what the upper ones do) and 2 lowers (the bottom ones).
Get advice on any guitar with less than 3 pedals and 4 knee-levers. In fact, get advice anyway! Plenty help on here.

Not to hijack Peters thread but.....

a number of plastic nuts on the ends of rods poking through some little metal plates

I just received a big box full of those 3/16 th things from the US if anyone is in need of some.....

Thanks for taking the time to say hello and offer some much needed advice. They're complicated things, aren't they? Thanks for the pointers,

I'm in Nottingham so if there are any players who are close-ish, it would be great to get in touch and see one close up as Tony suggested.

Thanks for the offer, John. St Neots is not a million miles away so a trip down your way would be great - maybe in a couple of weeks, if all's ok with you.

Thanks

Peter

Hi Everyone

I bought a Bennett from John D. in september and have been battling away ever since! Thanks for my new obsession, John.

Merry Christmas to all.

Here's a seasonal, hesitant tune for you

Good job Peter! It sounds like you have an ear for the intonation (i.e. you know when the bar's in the right place) and have come to terms pretty well with the way pedals alter the pitch of, and which, strings. Particularly liked the run down below the melody around 0:18.
Thanks for the update T.

That's better than Tony does it. Well done.