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Gojira
Nile
Mastodon
The Mars Volta
Killswitch Engage
dillinger Escape Plan
The Descendants
Pennywise
AFI
The Offspring
Alice in Chains
Nine Inch Nails
Linkin Park
Jane's Adiction
Re Hot Chili Peppers (one comment - 'oh, they're classic rock")
Coldplay
Nickelback
And the everpresent Ozzy and Metallica...and Zep.
Hendrix was mentioned
Surf music was mentioned
Yes and Pink Floyd as well
And yes, Robert Randolph was mentioned. They had never heard of the Campbells.

I mentioned Green Day and they laughed...

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Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) My Blog

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 21 December 2006 at 10:00 PM.]

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I don't think it's "dumbing down" to adopt good teaching methods.

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I sort of agree, Eric. I think to hand some beginners (note the italics) a D10 w8+5, or even an S10 w3+4, is rather daunting, kinda like handing a 5 year-old a Roget's Thesaurus, and telling him..."It's okay kid, you'll grow into it." That's not the way teaching is generally done; you usually start out with something simple like "Dick and Jane" (okay, I'm dating myself...maybe "Big Bird" or "Dr. Seuss"), and then move on up from there.

Re-tooling for an 8-stringer really ain't that big a deal. I'm not saying every company should make a version like an old '400, but you'd certainly think somebody would offer one! (So a kid could have a new axe.) Maybe even offer an inexpensive stand-up conversion kit, for kids who like to move around a little.

Shucks, I might even buy one m'self!

I could see how Carter could take a Carter Starter and set it up Sacred Steel tuning with very little effort other than changing their assembly line procedures. This of course would involve extra costs, but not 1/2 mil.

What would be somewhat problematic is standardization of tuning and pedal setup. A decision would have to be made as to a variation of Robert's tuning, Lonnie Bennett's tuning (both 12+ strings reduced to 10), or Chuck Campbell's, and pedal changes. This would be a good opportunity to further integrate and involve the Sacred players into the mainstream steel community.

Whether or not the market could support this admittedly evangelistic (not in the religious sense, but in the promotional) endeavor is another thing, of course. But I think you overestimate the start-up expenses.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

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a bunch of over-50 steel guitar nuts

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Hey! I resemble that remark!

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My Site - Instruction

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 22 December 2006 at 09:54 AM.]

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"a bunch of over-50 steel guitar nuts"

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Edited to delete my response to the above. I was having a bad day!

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 23 December 2006 at 04:31 AM.]

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b0b, I don't see how coming up with a "rock-blues-sacred" model would cost the same as a start-up project. A steel is a steel is a steel. What differs is the copedent required.

I could see how Carter could take a Carter Starter and set it up Sacred Steel tuning with very little effort other than changing their assembly line procedures. This of course would involve extra costs, but not 1/2 mil.

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Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) My Blog

That's why I suggest a basic, somewhat generic course...but with a varied set of musical examples...not as a "proficiency manual", but as a launching pad.

If it's going to happen, it has to start somewhere, and the interest level IS there.

Herb makes some great points about instrument modification not being THAT tough, and the idea of involving the SS'ers in the community is a tremendous one.

Conversely, the idea of Fender or Gibson diving in is interesting...based on NAMM experiences with Gibson I'd say that's one's a no before even bothering to ask.

But Fender is an interesting possibility. Obviously not with the old cable design, no matter how much some of us enjoy it. But I CAN foresee the possibility of them pairing their marketing and mass-production clout with a stel manufacturer's design input.

Hmmm...It won't hurt to toss out some feelers...bad time of year, it being just before the "big" NAMM in Anaheim, but still, I'll offer to stir the pot on that end.

[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 22 December 2006 at 06:45 PM.]

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There are exceptions (like the most excellent album "Hex" from heavy drone band, Earth, which has a bit of Dan Tyack on it)

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Dude I'm all over that album I think I'm on every cut (some of it doesn't sound like a steel, however).

Here's a sample from this album, which I would describe as sounding like Led Zep playing Italian western sound tracks at half speed. It was fun do play music that is that slow (this cut is one of the faster ones): A part of a cut from Hex

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www.tyack.com

[This message was edited by Dan Tyack on 26 December 2006 at 03:16 PM.]

a cut with Robert doing his take on Chuck Campbell playing country

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www.tyack.com

(By the way, my wife turned the album up to 45 and it still sounds slow.)

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www.tyack.com