Anyone cross the divide from 6 string to steel pedal guitar?

[Taverner]

I'm considering getting a Carter Starter and teaching myself steel pedal - anyone out there have any experience with this?

It seems like it will be tough - especially since I pretty much sucked when trying to do slide.

But I'm told its not the hardest bridge to cross.

[ET Awful]

1. It ain't easy to go from using two hands to using two hands, two feet

and two knees :).

I had a chance to play with one for about 5 minutes once, but that's about the extent of my experience. . . it's a very intimidating instrument.

One of my favorite stories of a player crossing over and learning how to play it was Jerry Garcia deciding to learn how to play it on a whim and a short time later (less than 6 months if I'm not mistaken) doing the pedal steel work on Crosby Stills and Nash's "Teach Your Children."

[Taverner]

2. Yeah it seems that way

But from what I read, if you can get over that initial shock, it learns like any other guitar...

[ET Awful]

3. Hell, I'm barely coordinated enough to play a regular guitar, let alone

a pedal steel :)

[Taverner]

5. Me neither

But there is nothing on earth as ethereal as the sound of a steel pedal...

Yeah I love the Jerry story - of course what most people don't know is that before the Grateful Dead, Jerry had established a rep as a folk musician in the San Mateo/SF music scene. He taught classes at San Mateo Junior College, as well as at local music schools on the peninsula. At the time, he knew and taught both banjo and guitar.

[ET Awful]

7. Yup, he was known as a banjo picker in the folk clubs before he

got involved in anything else :).

[progmom]

4. progdad went for the lap steel

:shrug:
the pedal steel just seemed like too much work.

[Taverner]

6. Steve Kimock does lap steel doesn't he?

[WCGreen]

8. I always wanted to try....

But if i do, It will be lap...

[Dudley_DUright]

9. Not me, but if you get one

buy some Robert Randolph CDs. He plays electric blues on a pedal steel. He played at Eric Clapton's Crossroads guitar festival last year. Phenomenal stuff (He won a Handy award this year http://blues.about.com/od/bluesawards/a/blhandy2005_2.htm).

http://www.robertrandolph.net/

[henslee]

10. Do it! And listen to Augie whats his name from the Texas Tornados....!!!!

Nothing rips your heart out like a pedal steel. Really.