Music - Success Built on a Twang

A Crossover Hit, Carter Steel Guitars Transcend Country Roots

Michael Tate, Staff Writer
Photos by Summar Smith-Zak, Staff Photographer
January 24, 2002

Those sweet-sounding pedal steel guitars you hear on LeAnn Rimes' million-selling recordings and live shows came from a small workshop on Kearney Street in Mesquite, the home of Carter Steel Guitars.

Company President, John Fabian, and Vice-President, Bud Carter, joined forces 10 years ago, combining their design skills and customer service savvy to create one of the most popular steel guitars in the world.

"There's good tone in almost all instruments made it's just a matter of how hard you have to work at getting it out," Mr. Fabian said. "What we try to do is ... make it relatively easy."

People whose livelihoods depend on the performances they produce with their instruments sing the praises of the company's achievements.

"The sound of the Carter is clean, clear and powerful," said Junior Knight, a member of the Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. "I have two Carters, one I have had for over seven years. I played it on the road with LeAnn Rimes for three years all over the world with no problems."

The pedal steel guitar has been around for about 40 years. It's a finger-picked instrument played with a steel bar moved across the strings. Pedals and knee levers raise or lower the pitch of the strings by manipulating a piece called the changer. The elements combine to give the guitar its signature tones.

Mr. Carter, who has built steels for 40 years, is proud that most steel guitarists can sit down and play his instruments.

"You try to achieve a guitar that anybody can sit down to, using almost any amp, and sound good," he said. "This guitar is responsive to almost any player."

Milo Deering, who has played a Carter with LeAnn Rimes as well as his own band, agrees.

"Bud Carter's guitars not only deliver a great sound but play easy as well," he said. "I use it nearly every day either in the recording studio or playing live, and I have not had one problem with it at all. Pretty cool, huh?"

Between the men's Internet site www.steelguitar.com and old-fashioned word of mouth, Carter Steels have developed an international reputation.

"We've been to Europe, and a lot of players come up to us and want to check out the Carter or have a Carter," said Charles Campbell, a steel player from Rochester, N.Y., who plays "sacred steel" a combination of gospel, blues, jazz and rock. "It's like you have this community of Carter players."

Allen Castleton has played steel for more than 25 years. He met Junior Knight during an Australian tour and introduced the land down under to the Carter.

"My guitar was the first to arrive in Australia, and since then there have been about five or six more purchased ... he said.

For their money, purchasers get an instrument that can take abuse. Clyde "Bones" Rathbone, who lives on the Pacific island of Okinawa, has strapped his to the back of his motorcycle for six years.

"I carry it around Okinawa on a 1953 Harley trike, which could be termed as punishment, and it looks and sounds as good as ever," Mr. Rathbone said.

The pedal steel [guitar] is becoming more popular as it breaks free from its country music stereotype and is used by other musicians.

"There are a lot of people who are stretching the limits of the instrument constantly," Mr. Fabian said. "... [The pedal steel guitar] will become a mainstream instrument when people realize that it does not have to be locked into the traditional ‘Nashville sound’."

Staff writer Michael Tate can be reached at 972-686-8386, ext. 2002, and at mtate@dallasnews.com.

PHOTOS:
John Fabian, Company President
13-String Geometric
Building a Carter

Reprinted with Permission, Dallas Morning News