What are your thoughts

[mick hearn]

It's a bit quiet here so thought I would get something going.

As you may know I favour lap steel guitar and play it in my own way. In other words I hear a tune and think "That's nice - think I will have a go". What comes out are instrumentals of varying types and if at all possible I will try to emulate what I have heard. Sometimes I will go off at a tangient but I really enjoy what I am doing.

Some time ago I asked the question that if I say I play lap steel, what music would you expect. Answers were - Hawaiian - Western Swing - Jazz. So in other words we have a preconceived idea as to what you are going to hear. I get accused of trying to get a lap steel to sound like a pedal steel. Well if I have succeeded then thanks but that is not always the case at the outset. We are all influenced in what we hear, and we all have our own favourite styles. Basil favours Hawaiian and is the master at that. I stay away from it because I am not particularly interested. But there are a great many songs out there that beg to be played regardless of the instrument that you play.

At the end of the day, the lap steel guitar is a tool like any other instrument. The early pioneers were playing music of the day and came up with their own styles - the styles we all admire from the likes of Murphy, Leon etc etc. Others picked up the lap steel and started playing blues and gospel hence Sacred Steel. So am I trying to come up with a new style or trying to get my guitar to sound like this or that? No way.

I don't play lap steel to an audience only at the steel fests, therefore all I do is sit at home and play my favourite tunes. If it's a Lloyd Green tune then you may hear some runs similar, and if it's Buddy Emmons then you may hear some of his licks. As I said, the lap steel is only a tool like any other and with not many years left on this planet I am going to play what I like for my own enjoyment, and play them with the tool that I have sitting in front of me. That's a lap steel guitar.

So what do you use yours for?

[Donny Johnston]

That,s a good question Mick, I've been playing pedal steel for quite a long time, I never tried to be like anyone else, in a band situation playing the tunes that were going around at the time I just tried to get the main riffs, so that the audience would recognize what was being played, especially the intro before the vocals come in, the rest of the backing would be just what I wanted to play. I am now having difficulty lifting the pedal and also have sore knuckles, so I have bought a Morrell 8 string lap steel from JD, My intention is to fit palm pedals on it if things get too risky lifting the pedal steel. That will be a whole new adventure, hopefully I will be able to get some pedal sounds as well. It is a good bit lighter also.

[Ken Byng]

Hi Mick

I have a 10 string lap steel built and sold to me by Barry Gaskell. It has a metal neck and headstock from a Sho~Bud Pro 3 Custom, and sustains like a piano. I have it tuned to C6 - exactly as I have on my pedal steels. I plug a pair of headphones and a portable headphone amp into the guitar and use it to practice scales, runs and slants etc. I sit in my lounge while wifey watches TV, and I can scratch away without causing her any inconvenience.

Incidentally, I started out on lap steel as a teenager back in the 60's, so the instrument still holds a significant place in my heart.

[mick hearn]

Ken - that guitar sounds awsome. Be interesting to hear that. Are you bringing it next week?

After I posted this topic, a thought came to me. If a pedal steel player drops to his rear neck and plays Steel Guitar Rag without using pedals, could it be said that he was trying to get a lap steel sound out of a pedal steel?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Mick, if you were to come around and show me how to get a toon out of this Steelmaster maybe I would not want to part with it............

[simon_f3]

After I posted this topic, a thought came to me. If a pedal steel player drops to his rear neck and plays Steel Guitar Rag without using pedals, could it be said that he was trying to get a lap steel sound out of a pedal steel?

Mick, I started out on non-pedal steel, and got a pedal steel in January of this year. I play in a 50s rockabilly band, where the pedal steel sound doesn't necessarily fit that well with our style, but I took it along to a practice last month and found exactly as you describe - playing the C6 neck and avoiding pedals gives quite a convincing lap steel sound. Good job really - I have no idea what the extra 5 pedals do

There are a few limitations compared to playing 6 or 8 string lap steel (bum notes occasionally possible with 10 strings!), but I think I might get away with gigging on the C6 neck. Watch this space!

[simon_f3]

That,s a good question Mick, I've been playing pedal steel for quite a long time, I never tried to be like anyone else, in a band situation playing the tunes that were going around at the time I just tried to get the main riffs, so that the audience would recognize what was being played, especially the intro before the vocals come in, the rest of the backing would be just what I wanted to play. I am now having difficulty lifting the pedal and also have sore knuckles, so I have bought a Morrell 8 string lap steel from JD, My intention is to fit palm pedals on it if things get too risky lifting the pedal steel. That will be a whole new adventure, hopefully I will be able to get some pedal sounds as well. It is a good bit lighter also.

Hi Donny, check this out: It's a Peavey guitar with flexible cables attached to pedals...

PSG_Peavey.jpg (9.74 KiB) Viewed 5791 times

I wonder if some kind of similar 'remote' pedal setup on a lap steel (cables attached to palm pedals, essentially) would allow you to play it as a PSG without the weight of a PSG?

[mick hearn]

Early pedal steels tried the cable route but found stretching a problem. Fender produced one. As for that Peavey with the pedals, they are behind the times. Burns Guitars came out with one in the 60's. If your steel is a console model then it could work, however if the guitar is on your lap with right foot on the volume pedal and left foot moving around on pedals I would imagine it could be quite unstable.

[Ken Byng]

Ken - that guitar sounds awsome. Be interesting to hear that. Are you bringing it next week?

After I posted this topic, a thought came to me. If a pedal steel player drops to his rear neck and plays Steel Guitar Rag without using pedals, could it be said that he was trying to get a lap steel sound out of a pedal steel?

I'll bring it along Mick - I think you'll be impressed when you see it. Barry did a brilliant job putting it all together. Looking forward to seeing and hearing you at the Fest.

[nevada150]

Well I'm a novice compared to you guys, but here's my twopennyworth.
I originally started playing Lap Steel about 4 1/2years ago and immediately fell in love with the 6th tuning. Coming from an armpit background with quite a few long breaks in my playing, I found the available chords of the 6th tunings very friendly. I usually listen to players on YouTube and think "I'd like to have a bash at that" and give it a go. My biggest influence is Doug Beaumier as he puts just the right amount of single note, dyad and triad playing into his tunes to make them interesting but achievable for players like myself. I've also worked a few tunes out myself and I'm quite pleased with them. I also have a few tunes I play in the 11th tuning as I like the chords available there too.
I'm looking forward to the NESGF in August so that I can show the attendees some more of my new mistakes!!! Mick, if you're as entertaining this year as you were last year I'll be very happy. I'm also looking forward to Rod and Rosemary's set as they always play a great selection, especially when they're joined Pat and Basil H in the rhythm section. John Stafford, if you read this, your snare drum playing would add another dimension to that little ensemble!
I'm not forgetting the PSG players, I hold them in high esteem. Picking the right strings and also using the correct pedal and/or knee lever at the same time just blows my mind.
If I wasn't quickly approaching 78 and possibly have to rewrite my Will, I'd seriously consider getting one of those Universal contraptions!
See you at the NESGF.
Keith.