Stand Up Steel Players

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 3 Jul 2003 8:30 am

This is another subject that has probably been threaded here on the forum but I missed it.
I remember some of the great steelers, Leon McCaulif, Porter's steel player, maybe Zane Beck and Herb Remington, all standing while they played.
Are there any of these steelers still around and any new ones that are playing that old style?
I believe that the boy with BR-549 plays that way.
Did they use the C6th tuning?
Some had double and triple necks and I even seen a four necker that turned like a pig on a pig roast, one of four necks always being at the top.
What tunings did they use on each neck?
Also, when did the chromatic tuning come into being?
Thanks for any info.
I should know all of this but I'm so old I have to be reminded quite often.

Thanks,
Dave Burley

John Cox · Post by **John Cox** » 3 Jul 2003 8:38 am

Dave,
I played standing up when I played my old stringmaster 10yrs ago and it really was different from a physical standpint. I wish i'd kept that old Fender I'd problably sound better today....

J.C.

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Jul 2003 8:43 am

Visit "No Peddlers" in this forum and all things will become clear Grasshopper. We all stand up!

Unless we sit down

But we don't HAVE to sit down. (unless we want to)

Chris

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon" www.book-em-danno.com

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 July 2003 at 10:37 AM.][This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 July 2003 at 10:38 AM.]

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 3 Jul 2003 10:39 am

Dave, I saw the 4 neck guitar that you described, as turning like a pig roaster.
I saw it at the Roy Acuff Museum at Opryland in the mid 1970s.

Roger

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 3 Jul 2003 11:03 am

I stand up when I go to the bar for a beer on breaks.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 3 Jul 2003 11:31 am

Jonny Sibert(sp)with Carl Smith,when he played nonpedal,I believe he also played a Fender.

When Hank Thompson had his big band did'nt the steelman/men stand?

Bill

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 3 Jul 2003 2:10 pm

Like Larry, I too stand up when I go to the bar to get a drink but I usually lay down on the way back.

I know that there are many non-peddle steel players around and lapsteel players, but, are there still any of the Bob Wills..Leon McCauliff players that play without pedals and stand up while playing?
There is one group on Broadway in Nashville, Tenn. that has a steel player that stands up and plays without pedals. He flat burns it up along with burning up the crowd.
Thanks,
Dave A. Burley

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 3 Jul 2003 4:22 pm

I thought this was about steel on "the Sopranos!" But I remember Don Warden(sp.?)with Porter, playing standing up, and his pedals were on the keyhead end of the guitar.
Or am I too old to remember?
And ain't it funny, when the band takes a break, the guitar player, bass player, singer-all go sit down. The drummer and steel player stand up.
And the keyboard players are confused.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 3 Jul 2003 4:34 pm

Although I do play "pedal" often, my favorite way of playing is standing and playing Hawaiian on my Fenders.

Rick

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 3 Jul 2003 11:16 pm

Standing up and playing is a lot of fun. If you haven't tried it, it's a whole new ballgame. But be careful... I still have an occasional backache and leg cramp caused from a lengthly stand-up gig a few yrs back by putting all my wt. on one leg with the other one on the volume pedal. A very numbing experience! I recently saw a photo of steeler John Ely playing standing up sans volume pedal and thought that was a good idea. C6/E13/A6 seem to be the most popular ways to go.
Visit Brad's Page of Steel http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/steel.html
and find more stand-up steelers.
As for the new guys playing stand-up it's Don Herron of Br-549 & Chris Scruggs. I also saw Greg Leiz playing upright a few yrs back and he was very good. Still sitting down seems to be the most popular even with the non-pedal players. I think it's a matter of comfort (or looking cool) and not so much of style. [This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 04 July 2003 at 12:35 AM.][This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 04 July 2003 at 10:12 AM.]

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 4 Jul 2003 4:30 am

Slightly off the subject, but on the question of sitting vs. standing, there is a Music Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN that would not let the steel player sit, because they thought it looked bad on stage to be sitting down! He only played steel on a few songs, so they cut it out completely. Too bad he didn't play non-pedal!

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 4 Jul 2003 7:38 am

Stephen.....GREAT OBSERVATION! Nothing makes me angrier than at break time, when some idiot keeps telling me to "come over here and sit down!"
I tried standing "BEFORE I realized it was cool and that JB even did it"........but my rig kept wriggling and that irritated me so I just decided to do it, my way. I am interested in getting a sold stand so that I can give it another try. The ones that have sold on eBay for $250 and more were out of my league.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 4 Jul 2003 7:44 am

In another lifetime they made me stand....but that ended when I bought my first Fender 1000.

<img height=307 width=478 src=http://genejones.bizland.com/February%2013,%202002.jpg>
www.genejones.com

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 4 Jul 2003 9:22 am

Ray...I found two, new Morrel lap steel stands at the Guitar Center last year and was so surprised that I bought both. They look like the ones used for keyboards with the X crossing of the legs but they have a small clamping device on one end to hold the guitar in place. It works great on my 7-string National New Yorker. I paid $60 each for them and I'll let you have one at the same price I paid if you'll pay the shipping.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 4 Jul 2003 10:50 pm

Sounds like a deal but...........might you have a pix of the set up you could send me by email? I looked at some keyboard stands a year or so back and they looked like they might be top heavy with the RICK.
WOuld like to see yours atop one of them.
Please let me know. I am seriously looking.

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 5 Jul 2003 9:05 am

Ray,
Check your e-mail.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 5 Jul 2003 9:19 am

I've played standing up on occassion:
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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 5 Jul 2003 9:40 am

Bobby Lee,
Love that picture and the one from Gene Jones also.
Gees...Weren't they the greatest of days when you could find dozens of bands similar to yours and we could play the top country songs that were being played on the radio at the time?
Thanks for sharing your memories.
Dave A. Burley

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 5 Jul 2003 2:33 pm

Bobby Koefer plays standing . . . never hurt his playing that I can recall. See pictures in thread captrioned "** Bobby Koefer: Still Steelin' **"

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 7 Jul 2003 11:29 am

I normally play a D-10 Zum,but once in a while I play my single 10 non pedal standing up. I don't play it often enough to be real good on it ,but it fits our western swing image better. It's a C-6 with D on top. There is a pic of it in the lighted fretboard post. It's a lap steel ,but I don't have a lap anymore so...

Kevin Macneil Brown · Post by **Kevin Macneil Brown** » 7 Jul 2003 1:26 pm

Until very recently, I always sat down to play lap steel. Then I got a gig playing twang Telecaster and steel with an alt honky tonk band. After the first gig, switching between sitting and standing, singing some, too, I fooled around with putting my 6 string Melobar on a keyboard stand . It worked well. I can keep the Tele strapped on and play leads and fills on both instruments without moving much.
Rarely do I solve problems quite so easily!

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 8 Jul 2003 9:37 am

I also suffer from back problems and the "one leg vol. pedal syndrom" described above. My solution, I bought a collapsible compact light weight high stool which, for all appearances makes it appear I am standing when actually I am sitting. No more back aches and no leg syndrom from the volume pedal. When ya get old like me, these things help considerably.

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 8 Jul 2003 10:15 am

Good ergonomic coaching here here from a 'stand up' guy.!
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/injury_prev.html

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Jul 2003 8:24 pm

I'll kick in one of my fuzzy memories... from the Mass Steel Bash 2002

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My Site - Instruction | Doug's Free Tab | Steels and Accessories

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 13 Jul 2003 7:47 pm

Does anyone know who the stand up steel player was that played with Faron Young in the mid fifties?
I just saw a picture of Faron and band in a Grand Ole Opry book and the picture looks to be for the 55-56 era and the steel player was standing up.
Thanks,
Dave A. Burley