Steel Guitar

Steel-guitar music generally comes in two flavors: that of the originators, the Hawaiians, and that of the adoptors, country-western musicians. The steel guitar did develop from the dobro, however, and that wholly American instrument should get credit for the basic "steel" sound. Since Hawaiian steel is more ingrained in Hawaiian music (covered on other pages), this page is devoted mainly to the major luminaries and lesser lights of country-western records. The instrument itself is similar to slide guitar and the dobro, where metal in contact with the strings makes a new sound. The principal advantage of steel guitar is "sustain" (lingering tones) which give its sound a "crying" quality: the perfect drone to weep into your beer by. Add to the basic guitar-plus-metal combination such modern developments as pedal controls, and you have at hand (and feet) all manner of expressive chords and tones, as with a Hammond organ.

Although the different types of instrument (lap or pedal steel) and such specificity as "Nashville steel guitar" hint at broad development, for critical mass one really need look no further than old Starday (Starday-King) records. Every great player passed through Starday, and the label issued many first-rate LPs and compilations dedicated to instrumental steel guitar. One such player was Pete Drake, who incidentally came up with a "vocal" steel guitar. As with the earlier Sonovox, Pete Drake's "talking steel guitar" was really just an effect that, when applied to normal speech or singing, made it sound as though the steel guitar had come to life.

The major labels had some of the biggest names, particularly Jerry Byrd on Mercury, as well as others, such as Speedy West in the Capitol stable (a.k.a. "Speedy Western" when recording for Starday). There were plenty of regular guitar players who either switched to steel for just a few tracks or made the odd steel-guitar album. And of course in the classic age of country music, dobro or steel guitar was heard in the background wherever country-western music was played.

Buddy Emmons, musician as well as manufacturer of steel guitars, developed a marvelous hybridization of steel guitar and jazz. In later years several artists would adapt soul, funk, rock, and gospel to the instrument. Any music with a basis in blues proved a natural fit for the steel guitar. Blues itself, of course, was in there all along from the very first, as steel guitar became developed for country music. Finally, the other half of country-western is western, and the steel guitar plays a role in creating the "high lonesome sound" of the dusty trail rider. The unhousebroken sagebrush critters of Western Swing, such as Spade Cooley and Bob Wills, yielded a few star steel players, such as Jimmy Day and Leon McAuliffe.

Buying: Vintage steel guitar records are highly desired for their tonal qualities (analog vinyl originals only, please), and demand exceeds supply in nearly every case. Some are quite rare. But, on the bright side, inflation always has a hard time getting anywhere with old country music. So get them wherever and while you still can.