Trying to get that sound live on stage....with a guitar. Yes, I have to admit, I've tried that as has several other guitar players in bands I have been in through the years.

Yes, to one degree or another, it's possible to get surprisingly close for short licks. Of course, it will not sound completely like a steel guitar but you can emulate some of the licks. The problem is that once you fade in and do a fancy little bend, you have a very difficult time from that point going to a slide into the next chord and changing a note in the chord. The pedals on the steel and the knee levers give the steel a super advantage over a normal 6 string.

Usually, a bright sounding guitar such as a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, makes it easier since they have that bright clean metallic sound...AND..... they have a volume knob that is really close to the bridge so that creating volume swells is easier.

Then, it's simply a matter of learning the hot country sounding licks that sound like a steel and working that volume knob.

Consider another option. Lap steel. There are no pedals and levers on a lap steel. It's all about the bar, the tuning used, and the player's skills.


Listen to country picker and session man Albert Lee. That guy does a lot of cool things on a guitar.

Also... youtube has some stuff that might be helpful : Pedal Steel licks on a Guitar

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/19/14 05:12 AM.
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