Steel Guitar Buyer's Guide

Guideline #9

Examine Action, Playability, and Comfort.

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"Take a blindfold test ... you can distinguish a good steel guitar from an average steel guitar. Good action, sustain, intonation, and playability should give it away."

Check for little problems, such as knee levers which continue to travel after they hit the stop and and rods that clatter when you step on and off the pedals.

Good action means the pedals and knee levers are quick, responsive, positive-feeling. This is particularly important on fast leads.

Playing the steel guitar is the way to check for good action.

Verify that you fit under the steel guitar and that you would be comfortable playing the guitar for long hours at a time. If the steel is too tall or too short, ask your builder to modify the height. Your builder should be able to do this operation for a modest fee.

Make sure the knee levers are wide enough apart to prevent "accidental" operation of a knee lever (be certain that the knee levers are not too far apart since that will slow you down). Verify that the knee levers can be adjusted easily by you if you choose to do so at a later time.

If the knee levers would be more comfortable in a different position, ask the manufacturer to reposition them.

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