Resource of the Week: the Steel Guitar Forum

This is the largest steel guitar community in the world. The webmaster charges a $5 fee to join the forum and submit content, but anyone can read posts for free. The steel guitar forum covers news, discussion, tablature, classified ads, and other topics. I recommend this discussion board for anyone who is interested in pedal or non-pedal steel guitar.

The homepage is here.

Featured Player: Ben Keith

"Buddy Emmons may be the best steel player, but Ben's my favorite." - J. J. Cale

Ben Keith became famous because of his frequent collaborations with Neil Young, but his earlier career as a Nashville session musician had him playing on records including "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline. A master of understatement, Keith's style tends towards the sparse and mysterious. Some songs however, such as Young's "Albuquerque" and "Roll Another Number," prominently feature his melancholy pedal steel artistry. Keith was touring and recording right up to his death in 2010. His death marked the end of the career of a unique pedal steel player, not to mention that of an ambassador who brought the instrument to new audiences in the world of rock and roll. His pioneering work with Young and a range of other artists broadened our conceptions and suggested fresh musical contexts for pedal steel guitar.

Resource of the Week: Bobbe Seymour's Newsletter

Bobbe is a pedal steel legend. I met him at his shop in Nashville and he was kind enough to give me a lesson. It was such an honor to learn from one of the best players in the world. Because Bobbe has so much experience touring and recording with country and pop music's biggest stars, he has accumulated a tremendous amount of wisdom and anecdotes, which he reveals weekly in the Steel Guitar Nashville newsletter. Being someone with such a long history playing music professionally, it is extremely interesting to hear his analysis of musical trends and the current state of the industry.

His newsletters are available here.

Plus a bonus video:

Featured player: David Hartley

I have followed this talented musician's YouTube channel for many years. Mr. Hartley is one of the UK's premier pedal steel players (and a world class player in his own right). He has performed and recorded as a professional and semi-professional musician for decades. He plays with drop-dead-gorgeous tone and the tastefulness of a seasoned veteran. I do not know Mr. Hartley personally, but he is very friendly and responsive to questions or comments made on YouTube. A complete list of his videos can be found here.

Resource of the Week: steelguitar.com

Although Carter Steel Guitars is no longer an active manufacturer of instruments, the company website remains online and is an excellent guide for maintenance of Carter and non-Carter steel guitars. String care and changing, lubrication, cleaning, restoration, pickup replacement, adjustments, and rodding are all overviewed in straightforward guides and videos. There is also information for beginners, including assembly instructions, an introduction to tunings, and a guide for prospective pedal steel buyers.

Carter may reopen someday. Until then, I hope the company's former website will continue to be available to the pedal steel guitar community worldwide, as it is a repository of valuable information for players as well as a tribute to Carter co-founder John Fabian.

steelguitar.com