After playing around for about 5 years with the pedals and levers im giving it up
I may be the one exception (I usually am!) but I congratulate you. It takes a lot go guts to decide it's just not working
Agree. I believe it is called "knowing your limitations".
I have also gone from being able to play just about anything I want on 6 string, to struggling with Red River Valley in the Winnie Winston Bible. I got tired of being frustrated with it and started over with more basic stuff. Now that book is not quite so daunting.
Have fun and don't worry about it!
Totally. If I didn't have this attitude, the steel would go back in the case and into the closet as a dust collector. But it is fun, and intriguing and complex and wonderful.
You can practice for four hours a day for four years and you will still think you suck!!!!! After 35 years I still learn something new every time I play.
Location: Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
State/Province: Mississippi
Country: United States
Postby Jim Williams »
I went down a similar path. I think my first pedal steel was a Carter Starter, then a couple of BMI's that desperately needed a rebuild which I never did. Another Carter Starter (bought mainly to re-sell). The Carter's had a great sound, especially that second one but I never could get the knee lever action to suit me...very hard to press. Last one for me was a Blanton 10 string with 4 pedals and no levers. To be honest I regret selling this one, it may have had the best sound and build quality of all of them. A great guitar if I could have had a couple of levers added.
I have been considering buying another pedal steel and giving it another try lately, maybe a Hudson 6 stringer or a Stage One. I believe I could learn to play eventually given a guitar that would stay in tune and a lot of patience. I found that buying used "bargains" is really not a very good idea with something as complex as a pedal steel...you'll wind up spending more time working on it than learning to play it.
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal.
Hey Russell...you hit the wall, man. Sorry to hear that you've sold everything. Reading all the sage advice here, reminds me what a terrific community this forum is.
There are so many resources today. People giving their skill sets so unselfishly, that it's hard to imagine being unable to find something new just about every other day. But hey, if you can't do it, you can't do it. I personally use the steel guitar for psychiatric diversion It takes me away from the daily grind and it really does add a lot to my total musicality, so I don't really care if I'm great at it or not. I sincerely hope you can revisit the pedal steel guitar someday in the future. All the best in the mean time.
I’ve been playing about 6 years and fully realize that I’ll never be any good. Now that the pressure is off, learning and playing steel guitar has become relaxing and fun.
Well I have a great teacher but I'm no better than when I first started 40 years ago but it still haunts me.lots guys want too play golf like Tiger woods u know where I'm going.
Nick Reed wrote:hell I been trying for over 30 years and still ain't worth a crap
nick same here Russel it took me about 9-10 years before i felt ok playing i started on a shobud maverick
for a year and went on to a m.s.a d-10. i still learn new things everyday. i will never be a buddy emmons or buck reed or a Tommy white but i have fun everyday playing i am also a 6 stringer for 40 years and also
i am 69 young don't give up....
Johnie King wrote:Well I have a great teacher but I'm no better than when I first started 40 years ago but it still haunts me.lots guys want too play golf like Tiger woods u know where I'm going.
Unless you have Tiger's swing, you'll never know what it feels like to hit a golf ball like that. I'm never going to play in George Strait's band, but I can play the intro to "Nobody In His Right Mind", thanks to Paul Franklin's knack for brilliant and soulful simplicity that even a novice can approximate.
It takes me away from the daily grind and it really does add a lot to my total musicality, so I don't really care if I'm great at it or not. I sincerely hope you can revisit the pedal steel guitar someday in the future. All the best in the mean time.
