Why do you play pedal steel?

[Bill McCloskey]

For me it was the next step in a journey that began in the 90's when I was working in Silicon Valley at a high tech software company. I saw a dobro in a local guitar store and brought it home. I ordered Mike Auldridge's VHS lessons. But by mistake Mike sent me a video of outtakes and bloopers. It was hysterical. I am kicking myself for returning it for the right copy.

Early 2000's I get the very first Superslide. 12 string with Reece Anderson's C6 on it.

Pre-pandemic and started down the Eharp Alkire tuning journey, playing that exclusively for years.

but a bit over 3 years, I finally decided to finally bit the bullet and give me something hard to work on as I entered retirement. So glad I did. Should have done it 20 years ago when I had the chance, but it just didn't speak to me then.

[Jim Pollard]

Because I didn't know any better? I grew up in central texas being taken to street dances and dance halls all over. I played trumpet and later tuba in band in school and although I hated to practice (oh how the tables have turned) at least had enough of an ear to get by. I got a guitar somewhere around my junior year of high school and started hauling it all over the place and annoying folks with it. But now matter how I tried I never got that interested in doing much on guitar beyond learning the occasional inspiring solo (Sultans of Swing!) and strumming along while I sang. Fast forward 20+ years of continuing to strum casually. I'd landed back in Austin after a stint in the Navy and was on vacation in Puerto Rico. Having a surfing lesson with my sons. Everyone's having a great time till I casually roll off my board and discolate my ring finger at the first knuckle. I'll spare you the picture the Xray tech took (worst dislocation he'd ever seen). Got back home with my hand all splinted up and saw a peavey powerslide on craiglist. AHA! Just the thing. I CAN still make music! Fell down the steel rabbithole hard. A6, G6 C6, Open E, D, G. 6 string, 8 string. Cindy Cashdollar and Jerry Douglas homegrown videos. Lessons with Troy. All the things. Then covid came along as my kids were getting old enough to not command quite so much of my available cash. I came within a hair's width of buying a Rickenbacker console from a guy in Dallas. At the last moment I realized, "What I really want is those pedal changes I'm trying get with slants and such.. and for just a little more cash.... " So I committed to saving enough for a pedal steel. Now here I am 3 steels deep (anyone want to buy a Justice S-10 Jr 3x4). I play every day. Cats and dogs no longer cringe in sympathy for the horrible howling animal in the back room. People sometimes ask me to play with them and that's the best. The shorter story? It's the most connected I've ever been with an instrument.

[Ron Hogan]

I’ve noticed that most steel guitar players have mental illness. So……

[Ron Hogan]

Crazy

[Robert Underkoffler]

Jay Dee Maness with his earliest work. After him 5-ish years ago I constantly continue to explore so many different unique steel players with all their own respective styles, bar-wise, vibrato methods, bar slants, muting style, etc. let alone push-pull and all-pull. The gist is that the instrument has a plethora of ways to sound different by how you hone in on your own style. Sure it can be said for other instruments, but there’s so much to making a steel work specifically how you want it, and the history of everyone manufacturing them figuring out how to raise and lower strings differently mechanically is just fascinating.

[scott murray]

the short answer is Jerry Garcia

the slightly longer answer is no other instrument can do what it does or give me as much challenge and satisfaction

[Raybob Bowman]

Why do I play pedal steel? Merle Travis said it best in the lyrics he wrote for" Steel Guitar Rag:
"AND WHEN THEY SLIDE THAT THING ALONG THE STRINGS
IT SOUNDS SO DOGGONE HEAVENLY YOU HEAR THE ANGELS SING
WHEN YOU START YOUR FEET YOUR HEART WILL BEAT
A RHYTHM TO THAT OLD STEEL GUITAR RAG"

[David Wren]

Well, my story is a bit different. My mother was first a non pedal player, then in 1961, with the help of her friend Pete Drake, and longtime friend Jack Linneman, she "cut in line" at the Sho~Bud factory, and got a D-8, blonde maple, 8 pedals, no knee levers.

Growing up with a pedal steel in the house, I was marked at an early age

Hearing Sneaky Pete, Tom Bradshaw, Rusty Young and Buddy Emmons and Charleton only made it worse
By the age of 18 I had bought my own "very used" Sho~Bud permanent.... 8 pedals and 2 knee levers, and very, very wobbly