Dig it! Changed my pedal steel strings today. AMA

jaxn slim

jaxn slim

Your Worst Nightmare
I feel like I climbed a mountain today. Changing strings on the Sho-bud is challenging and time-consuming but rewarding.

Did you know it's called steel because of the steel bar? So I think squareneck dobro is steel guitar, too.

Ask me anything.
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Lerxst said:
What's up with the single shoe?
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Good question. I don't wear shoes in the house because reasons, but I need a shoe to push the pedals consistently. It's especially important when I'm pressing down two pedals at the same time. Bare feet are just too uneven.
 
Peen Simmons said:
We should ask TGP if there’s a special vintage tone shoe that has special mojo properties and then sell fancy replicas and clones of that shoe for a bundle.
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There is a lukewarm controversy about shoes versus boots. Not TGP-level serious, but it comes up. Sometimes band leaders want the steel players to wear boots to look the part, but boots are very impractical for multiple reasons. The high heel, pointy toe, and stiff ankle just don't work well.
 
jaxn slim said:
There is a lukewarm controversy about shoes versus boots. Not TGP-level serious, but it comes up. Sometimes band leaders want the steel players to wear boots to look the part, but boots are very impractical for multiple reasons. The high heel, pointy toe, and stiff ankle just don't work well.
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I played with a pedal steel player for 8 years who always wore white high tops to the gigs. We gave him a hard time all the time about it. He said he couldnt play in boots so the suggestion was made to put a curtain around the steel but he said no because “some people who come to the gigs want to watch my feet.” He was/is a great guy. I haven’t seen him in years. I miss him.
 
Dew Knot Humps said:
I played with a pedal steel player for 8 years who always wore white high tops to the gigs. We gave him a hard time all the time about it. He said he couldnt play in boots so the suggestion was made to put a curtain around the steel but he said no because “some people who come to the gigs want to watch my feet.” He was/is a great guy. I haven’t seen him in years. I miss him.
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Do you have any videos of his feet?
 
Dew Knot Humps said:
I played with a pedal steel player for 8 years who always wore white high tops to the gigs. We gave him a hard time all the time about it. He said he couldnt play in boots so the suggestion was made to put a curtain around the steel but he said no because “some people who come to the gigs want to watch my feet.” He was/is a great guy. I haven’t seen him in years. I miss him.
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Ha. Yeah, I agree watching the feet adds to the experience. It helps the audience understand how many things are going on to make those cool sounds. I catch a lot of people watching my feet while I play.
 
Anyone that can play steel has my respect. That is a hell of an instrument. There was a guy at North Texas that could play fast tempo be-bop on steel...weirdest sound you ever heard.
 
Honkridge said:
Anyone that can play steel has my respect. That is a hell of an instrument. There was a guy at North Texas that could play fast tempo be-bop on steel...weirdest sound you ever heard.
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That's cool. I'm assuming he was playing on the C6 neck. I'm just doing E9 mostly. I listen to a lot of guys doing jazz on the C6 but haven't jumped into it yet. You've probably heard of Buddy Emmons, but he's the man.
 
What is the nut material? I read on TGP that anything other than a genuine bone nut will make the baby Jesus wail in deep sorrow.
 
That looks like a nightmarish task! How often do you need to change the strings? And do they come in different gauges, and if so, what would the point of that be?
 
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