Jump to content

Lap Steel/Pedal Steel


Recommended Posts

  • Members

While he is mostly a dobro player, Jerry Douglas just kills on the lap steel. Check out the subtle two-part lapsteel that he plays on Don't Take your Guns to Town (Restless on the Farm). Wonderfully understated and great toanz.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

I love the sound of the instrument. Can someone recommend me some albums to listen to? Just nothing too corny, please.

 

 

Check out Junior Brown for a cool blend of lap steel and tele.

Robert Randolph is a must for being the master of St Louis style pedal steel playing.

And this song by Kaki King for a high-tech approach combining lap steel with effects and looping:

[video=youtube;SMQ2yNYQ_Z0]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The Sacred Steel stuff is fantastic.

David Lindley, as someone mentioned earlier.

I like the Speedy West stuff with Jimmy Bryant, but sometimes he gets a little too Looney Tunes for me. The guy was an amazing player, though.

Old blues guys: Oscar Buddy Woods and Black Ace were strictly lap steel players.

Sol Hoopii, Sam Ku West, Bennie Nawahi, amazing Hawaiian players.

 

Edit: Ben Harper is also a great lap steel player. I like his early stuff.

 

"Brad's Page of Steel" is an awesome site that will tell you everything you need to know about pedal/lap steel. Lots of recommendations and tunings, etc. (I'm too lazy to post the site).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Trying something more familiar, maybe, like open D or open G. C6 is apparently great for a country sound.

 

 

right, i'm playing it sometimes in my country band. I'm using the CEGACE tuning so right now i just lean on the bottom 3 being a major triad, the top 3 are the relative minor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Pedal steel is one of those instruments that for some reason never caught on outside of a few genres. Such a shame.. because it's an awesome instrument.. and when you do hear it in a genre that it "doesn't belong".. it sounds incredible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Pedal steels are big, heavy, mechanically complex and can be difficult to keep in tune. Not to mention expensive. Still, I'd love to have something like an old Fender 400 sitting around to mess around on. I love pedal steel!

 

 

 

The old Fender pedal steels are supposed to be a PITA, because they're cable controlled, rather than using rods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...