What Was Your Main Instrument Before Steel?

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 16 Jul 2013 8:36 am

I have been mostly gigging as a dobro player in Boston for the past 10 years and still do. For years before that, I was mainly an electric bass player that doubled on guitar. Pedal steel has gotten my attention for the last 3.6 years so the gigs & sessions on that are increasing.

A lot of people in the area still associate me as being a bass player, so I still get session work as that and will often talk them into adding another track on another instrument such as dobro, lap steel, PSG, mando, gtr, banjo.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Jul 2013 8:38 am

Dave Grafe wrote:Jerry Garcia was a banjo player first...

Now you're askin' for double-trouble, Dave.

Charles Pompe · Post by **Charles Pompe** » 16 Jul 2013 9:12 am

I started on Guitar, then went to 5-string banjo. Then I went to a concert and saw Charley Pride do Kawliga and I was hooked. Found Scotty's Music in St. Louis, went to his early Steel shows (later Steel Convention) and never looked back

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 16 Jul 2013 10:40 am

You coulda smiled...

Where's the , like, button....

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 16 Jul 2013 1:24 pm

I was playing fiddle/violin when I took up the steel. For a while I played both from the same amp using an A-B switch.

In my opinion, the instruments have a lot in common, especially when the fiddle is amplified:

No frets, variable pitch
Freedom of vibrato
Both instruments are capable of sustained, singing notes
You are often playing (and thinking in terms of) single note melodies or two-part harmony.

I guess the most important musical concepts I transferred from fiddle to steel are expression and dynamics--getting the most out of one note.

Both are wonderful instruments.

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 16 Jul 2013 8:59 pm

Violin

Ron Scott · Post by **Ron Scott** » 17 Jul 2013 2:30 am

Guitar

Bill Ladd · Post by **Bill Ladd** » 17 Jul 2013 2:51 am

Buddy Emmons wrote:Violin

Hello Mr. Emmons! Awesome to see you here again!!!

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 17 Jul 2013 4:38 am

Thank you Bill. Just couldn't resist it.

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 17 Jul 2013 5:18 am

Trombone.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 17 Jul 2013 5:27 am

Cello.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 17 Jul 2013 5:28 am

Fish wrote:Trombone.

Lemme guess, you liked "slidey-things", yah?

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 17 Jul 2013 5:35 am

Yes.

I saw Rusty Young and Duane Allman perform in the same week in October 1971.
My next purchase was a Gibson BR-9 lap steel.

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 17 Jul 2013 1:47 pm

Acoustic and electric six string guitars from 1962.
Hi Buddy, good to see you post here.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 18 Jul 2013 7:06 am

I was a working electric lead guitarist in the SoCal area before I got "serious?" on steel for about 13 or 14 years. Over the years I'd had a lapsteel or sometimes a pedal steel but never really got serious on it, just plunked around some. In '77 I was working in Huntington Beach in a band and our steel guitarist quit and we couldn't find one so I moved over to steel as I'd been playing some on our jam sessions. It was pretty nice as I didn't have to stand up for five hours a night, six nights a week....JH in Va.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 18 Jul 2013 7:44 am

Fish wrote:Yes.

I saw Rusty Young and Duane Allman perform in the same week in October 1971.
My next purchase was a Gibson BR-9 lap steel.

I'd say that was a good week. That could make an impression.

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 18 Jul 2013 7:46 am

Hi Blokes,

I played mandolin before taking up the string contraption.
We used accordion in the folk band too.

Let the games begin.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 18 Jul 2013 8:21 am

Bass.. but I play a mean ham radio also...

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 18 Jul 2013 11:40 am

Actually, I played guitar back in the 60's but never persued it enough to be good. I quit for many years then took up the fiddle when I was 30 years old and then started steel when I was 44. I see very few steelers that play fiddle but a lot that play guitar and piano do it very well too.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 18 Jul 2013 3:25 pm

It's an almost impossoble question to answer. I started playing lap steel about the same time as acoustic guitar, and at the time I was proficient in neither. So my steel playing has grown along with my playing of guitar, banjo, mandolin, autoharp, Dobro, lute, cittern, dulcimer ...all at the same time. None of them came first. They all came along simultaneously.

$:\$

I've always switched back and forth between instruments.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 18 Jul 2013 4:03 pm

I played rhythm guitar then learned to play lead guitar when I joined a band. Now I play several instruments.

Andrew Roblin · Post by **Andrew Roblin** » 19 Jul 2013 3:24 am

5-string, Scruggs-style banjo.

International Sho-Bud Brother & Sisterhood
Member #79, Janitor

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 19 Jul 2013 7:40 am

It appears that about 60% of us came to steel from guitar. I set the poll for 30 days, but with 160 votes the stats have pretty well settled already. Thanks for this insight, everyone.

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 19 Jul 2013 8:54 pm

Bluegrass guitar/flat picking also Mandolin then PSG followed by a Arch Top foray into Swing while maintaining PSG chops. Now entirely PSG.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 19 Jul 2013 11:12 pm

Keyboards from 1995-1999, My main instrument now is the pedal steel

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