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Dilemna - Give Up Steel? (Page 1)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Dilemna - Give Up Steel? (Page 1)
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| This topic is 2 pages long: 1 2 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Dilemna - Give Up Steel? |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 13 December 2001 08:29 PM
I know you guys don't want to hear this, but I really haven't been able to devote the time I thought I was going to when I bought my steel a year and a half ago. I just don't get the consistent time to sit down every night or every other night to learn it. Plus the bass bug has hit and I bought a new bass rig. Time is a premium and I put the steel up for sale, but I sometimes think I'm going to regret the move later on because I still love the sound of steel. Money isn't necessarily an issue. I told the wife I'd sell the steel to pay for the bass rig, but I sold some other collectibles to pay off the rig and some other bills. The cash would be nice, but not too critical. I'm debating just packing it up for a few years until my life settles down and I decide if I want to pursue it again. |
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rayman unregistered Posts: 126 |
posted 13 December 2001 09:01 PM
Steel takes constant devotion for the first few years of playing. |
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Ray Montee Member Posts: 4090 |
posted 13 December 2001 09:24 PM
Without that BURNING DESIRE within you....learning to master the steel guitar, especially with pedals, is going to be an up hill battle, IMHO. Setting it aside for awhile does not mean that you've give up and it's not a bad idea..... You might surprise yourself the next time you seat yourself behind it. (Absence can make the heart grow fonder!) |
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chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 13 December 2001 09:24 PM
There is a reason why we have a common bond that supercedes our diversity. |
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Jack Turlington Member Posts: 37 |
posted 14 December 2001 12:17 AM
DON'T DO IT!! DON'T QUIT!! I quit playing for about 7 years one time and I've regretted it ever since. I didn't even touch it-my steel wasn't even set up. I haven't had time to consistantly sit down and practice either due to trying to run a business, but boy when I do have an hour or two like I did today, I have more fun than a guy should be allowed to have. I personally think you can learn in spirts-I have. I have put in about 2 hours a year on C6th for the last 20 years, but now that I'm a lot more serious about learning C6th, it's coming to me a lot faster than it would if I had just put it down. Reconsider selling. A good steel picker is a lot less common than a bass player! (nothing against bass players in general!) One last thought. If your life is anything like mine, it will never settle down. The one thing that will help is to be able to sit down and play your steel few minutes. |
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Erv Niehaus Member Posts: 5803 |
posted 14 December 2001 10:18 AM
If at all possible, leave your steel set up. This way it will be there pricking your conscience. I put my steel away for a few years and when I set it up again, it really scared me all the things I'd forgotten. I vowed that I'd never do that again! Erv |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 14 December 2001 11:49 AM
I know just how you feel, Ron. In our area, the "live music" scene is just about dead. There's not much first-person encouragement to keep you going. PSG can be a little overwhelming, anyway. If you can, hold on to it. If it's a decent steel, it won't depreciate that much. Even if you have to sell it, there'll be others available down the road. When you get bored with the bass, and when you're ready (and you'll know when you're ready, trust me) you won't let anything stop you from finding a couple hours every day to conquer the thing.
And, if I'm still around, I'll be glad to help. |
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Glenn Austin Member Posts: 626 |
posted 14 December 2001 12:53 PM
I don't think that you should sell. Let's face it, between having a family and a job and whatever, there is so little time left over to do anything these days. We're all in the same boat. Even if you only play an hour a month, it's still making progress. You just have to use that hour effectively. You will still end up knowing an instrument that very few people know how to play. I know how you feel " I coulda been a contender" |
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Pat Burns Member Posts: 2896 |
posted 14 December 2001 02:11 PM
..if you do give it up, do it because you want to drink yourself into a stupor or because you'd rather watch "Survivor" on the T.V.....don't do it in order to play the bass... |
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BobbeSeymour Member Posts: 5664 |
posted 14 December 2001 02:54 PM
Right Pat! If he quits, It should be for a great reason, Like it's to heavy anyway,sounds whinny, the third string is always breaking,Takes to long to set up, To hard to change a pedal setup,to hard to get a Tommy White video,strings slippin' in the volume pedal,can't figure out what subjective tone is, Don't know how to temper tune the dumb thing,too temperature sensitive,they are breaking up too many homes,see Pat,He should be playing bass,every band everywhere has a bass. Classical,rock ,bluegrass Etc. Bass is the way of the future! Just raise the knut and play it with a bar!!! Best of both worlds. Yep, he shouldn't play steel, I just talked myself out of it too! Bobbe "Bassfacelownotes" Seymour |
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Len Amaral Member Posts: 1089 |
posted 14 December 2001 03:01 PM
I got frustrated when I started playing pedal steel and put it in the closet for 10 years. I took it out every so often and tinkered with it. Sometimes it takes a while to fall in love. Put your steel in the closet and let it gather dust and revisit the instrument at a later date. |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 14 December 2001 03:18 PM
I think our brother Ray Montee has given you the best advice, I couldn't say it better so I can only second that. If you don't need the money real bad, keep it..someday you'll be very surprised 
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Larry Lenhart Member Posts: 187 |
posted 14 December 2001 03:27 PM
I would like to encourage you to keep the instrument. I personally have stopped and started the steel probably 10 times in 30 years. I would buy one and work hard for several years, get discouraged or sidetracked, sell it, and then several years later, get the urge again, buy another one. I jokingly tell people, that I have played the steel guitar for 8 years-spread out over 30. If you ever have the fever, I dont think you ever truly loose it, it just gets missplaced for a while. Good luck !! |
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BobbeSeymour Member Posts: 5664 |
posted 14 December 2001 03:34 PM
Depends on what kind of guitar it is whether it's a "pleasent or not" suprise. And how damp the closet was, and how many kids were put in there with it,and for how long. Ask Pat Burns, I hear he just "came out of the closet" with his'en! The right guitar kept in the right condition , could be a good hedge against inflation,then others will never be worth anything.Just like guitars and fiddles. Depends, Depends, Depends! You know who! the III |
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Lincoln Goertzen Member Posts: 214 |
posted 14 December 2001 03:47 PM
Don't sell it, please! Leave it set up, and tinker just a little with it every day. Sooner or later, you'll find the lost chord, note, etc. With any and every addiction-Ahem-hobby, you'll find that you have to MAKE the time to pursue it. If steel guitar is not a priority to you right now, give it a chance. You'll never learn to play it if it's in the closet. Hope that encourages a fellow picker. |
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Rob van Duuren Member Posts: 141 |
posted 14 December 2001 05:47 PM
I'd say sell it. Or even better, if you happen to know of a young musician who would really love to learn to play it but cannot afford one, just give it away. |
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Pat Burns Member Posts: 2896 |
posted 14 December 2001 09:12 PM
..that's correct, Bob, but up north here where we have class and taste, we don't come outta the closet, we exit the closet', rhymes with Jose'..and we drink rose'... ...if you can't get motivated to spend a couple hours a day behind the steel, get married...before you know it you'll be rooted to that seat.. ..no kidding, don't sell the steel, sell the bass..if you've got time for the bass, you've got time for the steel, don't sell yourself short.. |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 14 December 2001 09:26 PM
Pat, I just bought the bass AND an Eden head and Genz-Benz cabinet to go with it. That was $2300 on all three. I love playing it. FWIW, the PSG is an MSA Classic S-10. |
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Pat Burns Member Posts: 2896 |
posted 14 December 2001 09:59 PM
...sounds like you've made your choice...guess you could keep the MSA and just play the bottom strings on the C-6..you get a boo-wah that the 4-string bass doesn't have... ...you've gotta go with the one that makes you happy..good luck with it.. |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 15 December 2001 12:47 AM
Thanks to all your responses. I talked it over with the Finance Dept. (aka wife) tonight and decided to keep the steel. I made a mistake once when I sold a '62 Reissue Stratocaster and I'm not going to do it again. I'll just store it until the time and desire come back. P.S. Yes, I am full steam ahaed with bass. I think I just enjoy all facets of guitar ( I guess I didn't tell you guys I also own a '62 Reissue Strat and a Tele). |
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Tony Prior Member Posts: 4672 |
posted 15 December 2001 03:37 AM
Hey RJP, glad to hear you are keeping the steel. I sold my Steel around 95 'cause I wasn't playing it at all ( after being very active thru most of the 70's and 80's) Never stopped playing Guitar and then went full time on Bass ( 62 J-bass with Hartke system) Did that for about 5 years. Now , after putting on an Emmons record about 3 or 4 months ago, LIGHTNING STRUCK !!! I am back on steel. I sold all my Gibsons and the Hartke set-up( kept the Bass )and have acquired two D-10's and such. My approach to the steel is totally different then my previous playing. The tonality and phrasing of my playing ( although very sloppy at this time ) is something I never would have considered had I not switched gears . I believe the Bass playing has had the greatest impact on both my steel playing and guitar playing. My biggest regret is that I sold my Sho-Bud Pro III , I loved that guitar and it had 20 years of memories built in. Play the Bass, come back to the steel..You can't learn enough music or get enough experience. TP [This message was edited by Tony Prior on 15 December 2001 at 06:41 AM.] |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 15 December 2001 09:42 AM
If you have the space to keep it set up, do it. You may find yourself wandering over to it to fool with it from time to time. If you put it in the closet or in storage, getting it out becomes a big deal. I get the recording bug about every six months or so, but my recorder is always set up. I also pick up the 6 string guitar maybe once a year, but it sits there on a guitar stand all the time. If these things were stored away I would never use them at all, and my life would not be as rich as it is today. ------------------ |
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Steve Kritz Member Posts: 98 |
posted 15 December 2001 04:34 PM
I might be wrong but I have sneak'n suspicion our friend is going the bass fishing route, not the bass playing route.If my hunch is correct,a bass fishing bug can bite just as hard as as that steel critter.I was into tournaments very heavy and fished all the time.Ironically,I sold a Dekley to make a down payment on a new outboard.Seven years later,I realized playing steel was part of my soul.I don't regret starting again.Keep your steel,it's probably part of your soul,also.Wait to you hear one of those Franklyn turn arounds,you'll see, however, if your a future bass,disreguard this crap |
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gary darr Member Posts: 294 |
posted 15 December 2001 06:21 PM
dont give it up if you can help it,any intruments that you can learn and work out on can only round you out as a musician,I have found that even if I dont use my steel or keyboard fiddle or what ever on a gig, it still contributes to the way you hear and play music.since I started playing steel I find myself playing many more chord inversions than I ever would have just playing a six stringer do enjoy your bass but dont give up on everything... ------------------ |
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Bob Carlson Member Posts: 1063 |
posted 15 December 2001 07:39 PM
I think Bobbe Seesomemore is on the right track. It's a lot easier to haul a bass around and set up than a pedal steel. And oh so much easier to learn to play. I mean you've only got the top four strings of a srandard guitar. And i just love to play bass on then old country heart songs like City Lights. So if you are enjoying the bass, play bass, because learning to play that steel is going to be 40 times harder than the bass. But if you don't have to sell it, and it's a good steel, i'd keep it because you might not get the chance to own another one and that desire just might come back. BC. |
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Jack Turlington Member Posts: 37 |
posted 15 December 2001 10:08 PM
Just turn your steel upside down and get in. I can't promise that it'll float unless it's one of those new lightweight brands, but if it does, use your bass as a paddle and go fishing for awhile. When you get back, maybe life will be all settled down. |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 16 December 2001 06:00 AM
"I might be wrong but I have sneak'n suspicion our friend is going the bass fishing route, not the bass playing route." Steve, I gave up on fishing a long time ago. I could go fishing in the most populated body of water around and the fish would thumb their noses at me as they swam by my line. Actually, I'm leaving the steel packed up for now until we move next year. Then I'm going to set up a small practice place for all my gear so I can play whatever I like whenever I like. And I'll have to make room for my aspiring 7-year-old's drum set. ------------------ MSA Classic S-10 [This message was edited by RJP on 16 December 2001 at 06:01 AM.] |
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Tony Prior Member Posts: 4672 |
posted 16 December 2001 06:41 AM
Ah yes, fishing, not that this has anything do do with RJP's topic, I took a weekend off from playing years ago as a friend invited a few of us to go out on Long Island Sound fishing one Friday night. Well we went out pretty far I guess and a few of us noticed there were no fishing polls..So of course I asked, "Where's the Fishing Rods?" ...Well Art responded by saying "I brought Beer and Pepperoni instead cause there ain't no fish out here anyway !!" Thats my only fishing story. By the way we went fishing with Art many more times. TP |
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Harry Hess Member Posts: 1131 |
posted 16 December 2001 09:46 PM
Definitely do not ditch it. Maybe put it in a dry bedroom closet and set it up fairly regularly to keep it working smoothly, but don't make the mistake of getting rid of it. Take a vacation from it, but you will want to get back to it. Then you'd have to shop for a new one. Certain companies may have gone out of business, prices may go sky high. Don't make a mistake that YOU WILL SURELY REGRET! Regards, |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member Posts: 6016 |
posted 17 December 2001 02:51 AM
Ditchin' Steel is hard to do, considering the great realm of Slippin'+ a Slidin'  in your case, just put it on Hold ! Keep your rig close by, in case you missin' somethin'... like one of the Bro's here said: Why Fret ? Let it Slide ... |
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Lindley Member Posts: 247 |
posted 17 December 2001 05:15 AM
JRP, Setting up and packing up is a pain, especially if you're not making a great deal of money from a gig, you could get a little more money (if you gig) if you played both instruments. In most bands there is more than one person who can play a little bass. You could use the steel on the crying songs. Nothing drives it home like a steel... ------------------ [This message was edited by Lindley on 17 December 2001 at 05:15 AM.] |
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Bill Llewellyn Member Posts: 1882 |
posted 17 December 2001 09:28 AM
Time is precious, and it can be hard to find enough time for the pedal steel--especially for new comers (myself included) who have half a lifetime of catching up to do. A friend of a friend of mine took up steel in (I think) his early 30s. He got pretty good, so he tells me, and was able to impress his musician friends with his ability to do runs up and down the neck. His steel teacher also told him he was advancing very well. But he had a wife and a couple kids to attend to, so he decided his priorities just couldn't support the instrument. He sold the guitar and dusted his hands off. That was it. Even before I took up steel a couple years ago, I'd find myself complaining a lot about how little time I had for anything. I used to do MIDI music (see below), now I mostly do steel. It's been suggested that a steeler spend one to two hours on steel each day, particularly when first learning it. That's an impossibility for me. I average out to maybe 1/2 hours a day on a good week. I make progress, but it's slow. And the real clincher question which I all too often find myself asking myself is whether or not the steel time might be better spent elsewhere (just like my friend's friend asked himself, and ultimately decided the answer was "yes".) Maybe I should go back to MIDI, and do something I know how to do. But I stay with the steel because I love it, because I'm hoping I'll actually be able to do something with it someday, and because it inspires me to learn something new and challenging (which is good for brain health as one gets on in life, so they say). But I still can't shake that inner conflict regarding whether or not this is the best use of my time. My advice? Hold on to the guitar. Leave it set up if possible. Like b0b, I too have other musical tinker toys lying around which I can grab at a moment's notice (and I sometimes do) which I'd likely never touch if they were packed away. "Time seems mighty precious when there's less of it to waste." --Bonnie Raitt ------------------ [This message was edited by Bill Llewellyn on 17 December 2001 at 10:46 AM.] |
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Michael Frede Member Posts: 71 |
posted 17 December 2001 12:22 PM
After 35 years of playing guitar and bass,I'm finding that PSG is my best bet against "oldtimer's disease".As it has been said,"use it or lose it",brain included!I wish I had more free time,too. |
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Bob Carlson Member Posts: 1063 |
posted 17 December 2001 08:22 PM
Ron, Did you know Leo named that bass "Precision" because the frets made It that way. BC. |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 20 December 2001 05:24 PM
It's amazing what a person can do when they really put their mind, heart, and soul into it. Like my Pappy used to say..."You'll never find time to do anything significant, you just have to make time." Q. What's the difference between the "average player", and a "master"? A. About the same as the difference between someone who's "interested", and someone who's "obsessed". As Ray Montee said, without that "burning desire", you'll only go so far. Good Luck! |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 21 December 2001 06:30 AM
It's sometimes easy to rationalize selling it because of the other toys I have, but every time I hear a good steel solo, I want to get on it again. So I'm keeping it until I get the chance to learn all those neat solos. ------------------ |
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Steven Knapper Member Posts: 425 |
posted 21 December 2001 08:19 AM
I might put the last few words here, maybe. Do you have a TEACHER??? If you did (or do) it would force you to sit and practice so you don't look like a idiot when you go for your next lesson. A good teacher, or even a coach of somesort would be a great help in motavating one into PRACTICE or it least it helps me. I know how I feel when I walk in there unprepared------- Good Luck Steve |
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BobG Member Posts: 788 |
posted 21 December 2001 08:52 AM
Hey Ron! What's the matter Bud? I figured since I was no longer in town to confuse you and teach you bad habits you'd be well on your way. My suggestion... Since i'll confirm the lack of teachers in the area.. Pickup the first Joe Wright video.. keep your steel set up and work through the video at your leisure.. in time, once you master it, you move on to the next video. I found these videos very useful. especially when practice time is hard to come by. Merry Christmas you and your family .. BobG [This message was edited by BobG on 21 December 2001 at 08:53 AM.] |
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Dirk B Member Posts: 454 |
posted 21 December 2001 11:33 AM
My brother & I have been playing music since age 15 and now we're in our 40's. My brother basically stayed with fiddle all the way through; I came and went on guitar, putting it aside for years at a time for what seemed like responsible and sensible reasons (family, grad school....). Three years ago at age 43 I took up steel. Now my brother is a damn good fiddle player, and at age 46 I'm starting to get gigs on steel, but boy, I wish I'd started years ago. It's been fun learning these past 3 years, but you can't beat that time factor. Unless circumstances absolutely don't permit it, I'd stick with it. |
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RJP Member Posts: 126 |
posted 21 December 2001 06:55 PM
I guess you guys are really passionate about this. It's been 6 days since I said I was keeping the steel and you guys are still posting! The frau and I are cleaning out the basement and I may just set it up after I finish this New Year's Eve gig that helping out my old band with. Until then, I ned to practice some bass lines. P.S. If any of you live near Delta, PA and don't have New Year's plans, come out and see us. We'll be at the Delta VFW. I'll be playing bass, so there won't be any steel there. ------------------ |
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