Steel Guitars

Daryl Brooke opened a music store in Key West, Florida after retiring from the computer industry in 2012. The store was a dream of his and made perfect sense, especially considering his family always joked that he had collected enough gear over the years to supply his own store. Daryl’s passion began early in his life and the guitar was his first and only instrument. That passion continues to this day as evident by the fact that on most evenings, after the store closes, Daryl can be heard playing is steel guitar in a local bar or restaurant.

Chuck Campbell revolutionized the "Sacred Steel" style of gospel music by adding electric guitar effect pedals to his amplified pedal steel guitar.  Campbell—a member of the Keith Dominion of the House of God Church—was born in 1958 and learned from the founders of the movement, including Willie Eason. He made several changes to the pedal steel to accommodate the tuning required for the church, which became an influence on the next generation of steel players including Robert Randolph.

Jody Carver was a legendary steel guitarist who, as a session player, recorded with many top performers beginning in the 1950s.  Jody developed a life-long friendship with Don Randall at the then-newly formed Fender Musical Instruments.  Don hired Jody, first as a product endorser and soon after as a salesman.  Jody's storied career was peppered with fascinating gigs and great friendships! Jody was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame in 2004. After his NAMM interview, Jody developed a strong friendship with Music Historian Dan Del Fiorentino. The two often spoke on the pho

Curt Chambers is a Grammy-nominated artist, songwriter, and producer known for blending rock, country, soul, blues, and hip hop into a sound that defies genres. Raised in the church, Curt first fell in love with the steel guitar—often sneaking into the chapel after services to play it—an experience that shaped his musical foundation and continues to influence his style today. A dynamic performer, Curt has shared the stage with legends like B.B. King, Alicia Keys, Dr. Dre, Travis Barker, Chris Young, and Jelly Roll, with whom he appeared on The Ellen Show and Howard Stern.

Amy England was just seven years old when she proudly sold her first set of guitar strings in her family’s Indianapolis music store. Her grandparents, Leola and Amos Arthur, had opened Arthur’s Music Store in the early 1950s, and it quickly became renowned worldwide for its impressive selection of stringed instruments. Amy eagerly learned the intricate art of instrument repairs and finish work from her grandfather, while listening to his captivating stories about famous customers and his involvement with the iconic Gibson Flying V #12, later owned by bluesman Joe Bonamassa.

Paul Franklin asked his father to help modify his pedal steel guitar, as he had ideas to create sounds and chord changes that were not possible on the instrument at the time. His father, also Paul Franklin, created and patented the Pedabro, which his son, Paul, used on classic recordings, such as “Forever and Ever Amen,” with Randy Travis. Paul can be heard on thousands of recordings using his steel and pedal steel guitar as well as the Dobro and the instruments his father created, including the Pedabro, the baritone steel guitar, and the steel guitar known as The Box.

Norman Hamlet was just a kid when he heard this strange but wonderful sound during a Grand Ole Opry radio program. He was told the sound came from a Hawaiian Guitar, which was a term used before the more popular name of Steel Guitar was adopted. His father purchased one for him at a music store in Visalia, California. Norman soon found some school friends to play with and they formed a band. A few years later Norman formed a band in Grand Junction, which played seven nights a week and he had a television program five days a week during the day.

Kay Koster was a pioneering woman retail owner, who not only successfully ran a business on her own beginning in 1940, she also personally repaired guitars and amps of all makes and models for decades – even after she closed her retail store. Koster Guitar Center in Rockford, IL was primarily a guitar store; perhaps the first such store in the country. As the Fender line developed, Kay was one of the first dealers in the state and soon became an expert of electric guitar repairs. In addition to her career in the industry, Kay was also a respected guitarist, first in the big bands

Jason Lollar loves playing the guitar and even at an early age he had an eye for creating his own sounds. As he developed his skills and gigged with his friends, he realized some of the classic guitar pickups were no longer being made. He set out develop what is now a world renown line of products for guitars, steel guitars and basses. He has become an expert of the history of the innovative pickups such as the Humbucker and P-90s, and wrote a book to explain the key steps in building your own winder. The book, Basic Pickup Winding and Complete Guide to Making Your Own Pickup Wind

Andy Marshall has had a deep and rich musical education both in the classroom and on stage. In 1986 he established THD Electronics to focus on manufacturing guitar amplifiers.

Gary Morse points out that playing a pedal steel guitar can be complicated.  The pedal steel guitar has a series of levers and pulleys that when used often, such as in country music, require maintenance and tuning.  Gary ought to know as he is one of the top studio musicians in Nashville, often being asked to play pedal steel, banjo, dobro and lap steel.  Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakam and Carrie Underwood are among those he has recorded and toured with over the years.

Linda Osborne fondly recalls with a broad smile and immense pride her parents’ rich musical backgrounds before they established the family’s cherished music store. Leola and Amos Arthur, both lifelong musicians, had a profound passion for teaching—Leola excelled on the accordion and Amos mastered the guitar and mandolin. In 1951, they opened a humble music lesson studio, which quickly expanded within a year into Arthur’s Music, a staple of Indianapolis, Indiana. Linda grew up immersed in the vibrant energy of the store, which, by the time she was a teenager, had grown to three thr

Jim Palenscar opened up his small shop, Steel Guitars of North County, in Oceanside, California back in 2000. While in college, Jim heard the steel guitar on Jackson Browne’s recording of “Redneck Friend” which soon led to a lifelong interest as a player and repairman of the instrument. When asthma forced him to retire after 28 years as a veterinarian, his wife suggested he do something about the stacks of guitars in their living room. His store has become a hub for steel fans around the world, not just for Jim’s inventory and lessons, but for his deep knowledge on the subject.

Herb Remington was the steel guitarist for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboy who built his own line of guitars called Remington Steel.  Among his fascinating history: being long time personal friends with Leo Fender.  For a while, Fender made steel guitars and, in the beginning, Leo would often give Herb instruments to try out while traveling with Bob Wills.  On more than one occasion, when Herb would call Leo after a tour to provide  his feedback, Leo would tell him he had a pile of orders from fans who saw Herb play and wanted a steel guitar of their own!

Robert Riedel sat down for his NAMM Oral History interview in January 2018 and spoke in depth about the steel guitar. As a steel guitar musician, Robert was influenced by the giants of the instrument including Speedy West, Jody Carver, Alvino Rey, and Buddy Emmons. Throughout his interview, Robert spoke of his musical mentors as well as the instrument makers he has known over the years who specialized in steel guitars.

Glenn Rieuf worked for a radio station repairing and building their equipment, which was the perfect foundation for his role as a recording engineer. He was hired by Chip Young, who had just purchased Monument Studios from Fred Foster and changed the name to Young’Un Studios. Glenn engineered sessions with Jerry Reed, Grandpa Jones and the Statler Brothers as well as Mel McDaniel’s big hit “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On.” As a steel guitar player, Glenn went on the road and performed in local Nashville clubs alongside Chip, Ray Stevens, and John Anderson.

DeWitt Scott knew about as much as a person can know about steel guitars! As a retailer he sold them, as a performer he played them, as a composer and author he wrote about them and as a fan he promoted them everyplace he went. As the founder of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, Dewitt (known as Scotty) promoted and honored fellow players with inductions into the Hall of Fame, a series of method books and by staging a yearly event for steel guitar fans around the world to gather together. For his great contribution to the instrument, the committee he formed back in the late 1960s ind