The British Steelies Society

I'm afraid I have to agree with you ZumBilly. I can only surmise that most steel players here get all the answers they need to technical questions from the US forum. That leaves only local issues like buying & selling and gigs for this forum.

Billy -Paul I couldnt agree more,having said that I have been vocal about this for ages (perhaps a little too much- thinks I) now?? I look in most days, but as regards finding anything of interest? 'it just aint there'
I have no issues with anyone- selling or buying items, themselves, fesivals,get togethers etc. but surely this site should be more than just a marketing tool for a few.
Honestly cant be arsed saying anymore,done it to death in the past only to have the posts ignored.
Dave.

I also agree with you Billy, I brought this up as well,I can't remember the figure now, but it was over 200 members, and you get the same few people all the time. Billy would this be of any interest to you? Gettin some steelies together once a month like Uncle Roy does, and sit down to play a few tunes. That's just off the top of my head, I haven't thought about where to hold it, I'm open to ideas. I hope this will generate some interesting discussion at least among the Scottish Boys. Of course if anyone from down south want's to join in please feel free.

Billy totally agree with you and also with Paul .Have got to admit I don't post "interesting items" very often so I guess I can't criticise anyone else for not doing it.I have to admit I was surprised and dismayed to see your last item locked,I had not been aware of what had happened and had to contact other members about what had happened as it had all been removed, as you know I left the forum for a period of time due to what I considered the bad management of the previous administration, but think perhaps we are going to far the other way.Donny, it has been long talked of setting up a Scottish steelies night but so far that has not come to pass,the nearest we get is a few of us attending Zumbilly's nights in Glasgow, various reasons for this, everybody is so busy(not with playing that's for sure) that getting them to commit is extremely difficult.I personally have not managed to Billy's Thursday night(usedto be Saturday) because of family commitments.Where do we go from here is the million dollar question, to which I don't have the answer.

Malcolm, I think the only way forward is more talking regularly, and this site is the obvious medium to do it, that way we get more ideas and opinions and even a chance to learn a bit more about our instruments. I have also heard it mentioned in passing but as you say nothing has ever been done. Lets bounce this around for a while and see if there's any more interest. What is the name of the venue Billy plays in on a Thursday, may just pop along.

Donny, the place was just refurbished and name has changed, it is in Shawlands just beside Jimmy Moon's guitar shop, Zumbilly can provide details.

I wonder sometimes whether the price of Steels these days has anything to do with it. I recently sold a Sierra twin 11 for £1500, which Ken Bing reckoned was a fair price and Derrick who bought it tells me he is extremely happy with it. Then you see adverts like the one on ebay at the moment asking £1300 for an old Sho-Bud Maverick 3+3 which is obviously pull release, (unless someone has put in a Pro1 type mechanism) but in my opinion it is that sort of pricing that puts people off buying a steel in the first place.
It seems to me that since there appears to been a surge of new manufacturers in the States the price of new instruments has increased to as much as $4000 dollars and people are selling there second hand instruments for much higher prices to be able to afford the new ones.
I think, well I know there are a lot of people out there that are interested in steel guitar but when they see the price of some of the instruments it's a case of HUH! stuff that and they don't even bother to make further enquiries. I think the Steel Guitarist is in danger of becoming a very rare breed unless something is done make the instrument more attractive and definitly more affordable. Well that's what I think.
Dave.