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First gig with my Pedal Steel


Camstone

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So exactly two months ago, I bought a 1976 Sho-bud D10 pedal steel and set a goal to play it at a winery gig on August 17th (yesterday). Well it happened. Kinda scary. I guess I could equate it to setting a two month goal to do a show playing guitar left handed. I just played one tune and would give myself a B-. Tough part was the 16 bar solo. The crowd dug it.

The venue, Benson Vineyards in Manson, Wa. 

 

 

 

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My Sho-bud 

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The rest of my quiver for the gig. Hamer Newport, Duesenberg Duocat 12, Gibson R8 and the Nash S63 that just showed up on Thursday. The Nash is cool. Has a big neck on it and Lollars.

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2 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

That setting looks so beautiful that you ought to want to play there as often as possible.  Book a luau gig there with that pedal steel.  Then do a square dance.  Start a Robert Randolph tribute band. 

Yeah it's one of my favorite venues. The way they designed the roof / ceiling over the stage reflects the sound down like a parabolic arch. Not only beautiful, but it sounds killer on the stage.  Usually only get to play there once a year but I am playing there again next month with a different group of guys.

The lake in the background is Lake Chelan, 55 miles long and 1400 feet deep. Water is as clear a drinking water. Big time playground for rich Seattle folk (three hours away).

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Way to go! Ive played several lap steel gigs but only one pedal, a Garth Brooks Alan Jackson tribute. Ive always said it feels like being the passanger who has to land the plane

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2 hours ago, geoff_hartwell said:

Cool!

Whats your setup - E9 and C6?

Yes, I have not messed around with the C6 neck yet.

The E9 neck has three pedals and five knee levers and the C6 neck has five pedals and no knee levers. I guess that's a pretty standard set up.

Over the last two months, I have made an effort to play it every day. It's set up in my music room plugged in and ready to go.

To learn the one tune that I performed on Saturday, I recorded the rhythm track on my looper and just played over and over and ........ voila, it worked. I looped it at a slightly faster tempo than we play it live so that it felt easier on stage. Also the steel finger picks felt so foreign that I am just using a thumb pick and my fingernails (which I keep longer and manicured on my right hand). It was a lot easier.

Now to set new goal and learn a few more tunes on it. I am not in any country bands so, I am going more for the feel that Skunk Baxter with Steely Dan or Ben Keith with Neil Young had.

I am for sure still a raw novice, but man does it sound cool. Give a listen to what it adds to this track: 

 

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Lovely venue, and good on ya for trying something new. It's hard jump instruments that far out of your comfort zone.

I was just thinking how damned old and crochety I've gotten, though. First thing that came to mind was "Damn, that's a lot of stuff to haul to a gig."

 

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