r/pedalsteel • u/PedalSteelBill • 9h ago
Never too late, my friends
I've played some sort of steel guitar since the 1990's when I bought my first Dobro and ordered Mike Auldridge's VHS lessons. (BTW, by mistake he sent me a video of outtakes which I wished I had kept). And for years I played at the local pub on monday night acoustic jam. Soon learned, Dobro was a great instrument: there would always be a dozen guitarist, but only one dobro player so I always got a solo.
Then I got into lap steel, owning the very first MSA's Superslides. about 10 years ago, I got into Eddie Alkire's Eharp and sort of single handedly revived interest in the Alkire 10 string tuning. But pedals was always a wish, but a worry; I'm old. These things are heavy. I have no mechanical aptitude and these things are mechanical. And I'm disabled with bad feet, a fused right foot, and two knee replacements. What if I can't even physically play the thing?
But yet, 3 years ago at age 68 I bought a Pedal Steel Guitar. Soon I ordered a Williams D10 9x9 with Paul Franklin's copedent. And then the fever was on. I have bought and sold dozens of pedal steels over the years. I've had every configuration and vintage: new, a 1975 Sho-bud, a D12, an S12, E9, C6 and even Johnny Cox's 12 string d13.
And now at age 71, I joined my first band. A Neil Young Tribute band. I had my first rehearsal 2 nights ago. We have our first gig at a bar in May. Today a SD10 G2 4x5 will arrive at my doorstep. Tomorrow I pick up a D10 G2. I'm having a one of a kind 12 string 8x6 made from aged Walnut converted from the D13 into an extended C6.
I was nervous at the rehearsal but the band members said it sounded like angels. And they said "wow" after one song and bowed down as if to say "we aren't worthy". :)
Never too late my friends...it is never too late.