European Pedal Steel Players - How Many

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 3 Nov 2011 3:17 pm

Anyone out is "Pedal Steel Guitar Land" care to estimate how many pedal steel guitar players live in the European Union?

I can proably find a good estimate by using the Forum's Memberlisting, but I'm too lazy to do the counting, besides I did this with the State of Florida and it took a few nights to get a very close count. (as of today, Florida has 434 steel players.)

So all you guys over in Europe lets get counting.

P.S. please include Greece & Russia.

Ken

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 3 Nov 2011 4:19 pm

i put this list together from "online steelers of the world "
those who registered there are below
there are surely more steelers than that in Europa

Holland : 58
England : 43
Norway : 43
Germany : 38
Sweden : 34
France : 30
Denmark : 16
Italy : 11
Switzerland : 10
Scotland : 9
Spain : 9
Finland : 8
Belgium : 7
Ireland : 5
Hungary : 4
Poland : 3
Portugal : 3
Austria : 3
Slovénia : 2
Greece : 1
Latvia : 1
Rumania : 1
Luxemburg : 1

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 3 Nov 2011 10:52 pm

CrowBear,I know of at least 21 players in Scotland, this includes both band and "bedroom" players.I would imagine there are quite a few of the house players that I don't know.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 3 Nov 2011 11:02 pm

Over here in Sweden, somewhere between 300 and 400 is the usual estimate. At least as long as we are counting pedal steel guitar OWNERS. The Swedish steel forum has over 200 members, although some are from the other Nordic countries.

John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 4 Nov 2011 12:05 am

Ken there is more of us out there than you could shake a stick at!

I used to get about 20 to 30 at my steel meetings just in Bedfordshire but a lot of them were "wallflowers" (left steel in the back of the car!)

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 4 Nov 2011 12:42 am

Even a small country such as Austria has more than 3. I personally know seven or eight.

Kind Regards, Walter

Chris Tweed · Post by **Chris Tweed** » 4 Nov 2011 1:26 am

I know of a least four in a country the size of Wales

However, I'm being generous, as I have included myself and I only just qualify as a PSG player.

Chris

Footnote: for non-Europeans, Wales is often used as a metric, as in "x would cover an area n times the size of Wales"

John Ely · Post by **John Ely** » 4 Nov 2011 6:20 am

I'm a US guy but I'm working in Belgrade, Serbia for 9 months/year for the next several years. Anyone know of any steel players in Serbia?
John

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 4 Nov 2011 12:20 pm

CROWBAR - Thanks for the listing of pedal steel players. It's amazing that Holland is #1, even Italy "land of pasta" has 10 pedal steel players.

My grand parents are from Hungary & Germany. Back when they where living there, the total amount of steel players were "O" that was in 1890s.

I have one thing to tell all you pedal steel players in Europe, KEEP UP PERFORMING TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC. In the last year I have traveled the internet visiting hundreds of webs sites you that guys have with bands, clubs, festivales etc., your talent is totally awesome. Here in south Florida country music has gone the way of the steam locomotive, it's almost dead here, but..... we got lots of hot Latin music and women, leave your steel home if you visit South Beach (Miami).

Ken

Alexander Rehfeld · Post by **Alexander Rehfeld** » 4 Nov 2011 12:29 pm

We're 123 pedal steel-, non-pedal steel- and dobro players on the German Steelguitar Forum.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Nov 2011 3:22 pm

For John Ely

CLICK HERE

David Hartley · Post by **David Hartley** » 4 Nov 2011 3:26 pm

Crowbear, that's a very low estimate I think.

You will never work this out from memberships to forums.
John Davis is right, there are many, many players.
Some who don't even worry about the forums, and I know 3 within a few miles of me, who haven't even got the Internet.
I know many more, who I know check forums regularly, and are not members.
I know one who wants to remain completely anonymous and is knock out player, and I think i am the only person in the steel guitar community he has ever contacted.
I know a few steel guitar owners too who never play them.

We are all a bit odd in a way, aren't we?

So, whatever figures you come up with, I would at least treble it to get somewhere near.

Oh, and the estimate of 5 in Ireland, I am guessing at least 50.

Frederic Mabrut · Post by **Frederic Mabrut** » 4 Nov 2011 6:42 pm

My estimation for France is around 100 players for PSG only. If one add lap steel and resonator players one must be around 600 to 1000 players.

Andy Zahnd · Post by **Andy Zahnd** » 5 Nov 2011 2:33 am

CrowBear, since when is Switzerland a part of the european union?

This is like you're counting Texas to the USA...

I know in our little country at least 35-45 steelplayers (incl. 2 females!)
To make it short: We have more steelplayers then good bassplayers

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 5 Nov 2011 4:13 am

We actually have in excess of 350 people who own steel guitars in the UK. Whether they are active players or not is another thing.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 6 Nov 2011 2:28 pm

Since there is only 1 steel player in Greece, I reckon he probably hogs all the gigs ... but no one can afford to pay him these days

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 6 Nov 2011 10:52 pm

In Holland there are about 400 !! steelplayers, pedal and non pedal, most of them 'bedroompickers'. It has to do with the Indonesian culture in Holland.
Don't forget: Coy Pereira, George de Fretes, Frans Doolaard and Koos Biel are Dutch! :)I love it!!!

Heiko Aehle · Post by **Heiko Aehle** » 11 Nov 2011 1:01 am

I think before we count the players we should clarify what we count. Is a player a player if he picks 2 times per year a steel and take a photo? Maybe we should count active players in bands and studios.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 11 Nov 2011 9:35 am

Heiko, I've been playing in front of audiences many times in the past, but not at the moment and I can't see it coming in the future. Do I count? We should include anyone that owns a steel and knows the basics of the instrument.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 11 Nov 2011 11:14 am

owning a psg does'nt make one a steeler does it ?
why i sold 3 to a fellow here & he gave up right quick - he preferred pedaling a bicycle instead

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 11 Nov 2011 2:10 pm

When is a steeler a steeler? What are the criteria. That's a hard question in my opinion.

Paul Frank Bloomfield · Post by **Paul Frank Bloomfield** » 12 Nov 2011 2:25 am

Hallo Paddy
Well, the only steelie in Greece must be me, as for
playing ,I never played a note in public this season due to the guy I was teamed up with, returning to the UK to live, and the great lack of muso's (and money !)
here to start again.
With the current situation, my wife Lin and me are also
returning to the Uk to live next March and hopefully start playing some good country music again !
This technically will mean there ain't any steelies in
Greece although I did hear there was one in Athens but failed to find him/her
All the best
Frank. Corfu

Tonu Timm · Post by **Tonu Timm** » 12 Nov 2011 4:39 am

1 million nation Estonia has at least 5 PSG players+ 1 owner (ex-player).

Wilfred Buttigieg · Post by **Wilfred Buttigieg** » 14 Feb 2013 2:08 pm

Hi Ken, my name is Wilfrid Buttigieg. I live in Malta EU. I have been playing pedal steel guitar since 1971 Same as Frank from Corfu, I'm the only PSG player locally. I own a Carter Starter, a 1971 Fender Artiste Dual Ten, a 1970 Sho Bud The Professional, a 1985 Sho Bud Pro I, and a 1985 Sho Bud Pro III. Could you please include me in your list of European PSG Players. Thanks!

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 14 Feb 2013 4:27 pm

WILFRED - You have been added to the roster of European Steel Guitar Players, your number is between, 1 & 1,000.

Gee, it seems there's more steel players in Europe than in all of Florida, here we have about 480 steel players. Holland & Sweden has almost 800 combined.

Now if we count Palm Trees and gators, Florida takes the prize.

KEN

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European Pedal Steel Players - How Many

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