A Dobro style resonator guitar

Steel guitar, strictly speaking, refers to a method of playing using a metal slide (or 'steel') on a guitar played horizontally, with the strings uppermost. This covers lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar and 'Dobro' style guitars. The technique was invented in and popularized in Hawaii, thus the term Hawaiian guitar, more common in the early 1900's; and is predated by bottleneck guitar. Download high resolution version (480x637, 41 KB)Steel guitar in the Dobro style by user:KayEss One of my guitars. ... Download high resolution version (480x637, 41 KB)Steel guitar in the Dobro style by user:KayEss One of my guitars. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Dobro style resonator guitar Dobro® is a trade name used mainly for guitars. ... Jump to: navigation, search The lap steel guitar (also called Hawaiian guitar or simply lap steel or steel guitar) is a type of guitar, and a method of playing the instrument. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Pedal Steel Guitar The pedal steel guitar (also called steel guitar) is a type of guitar, and a method of playing the instrument. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Dobro style resonator guitar Dobro® is a trade name used mainly for guitars. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Aloha State Other U.S. States Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Official languages Hawaiian and English Area 28,337 km² (43rd)  - Land 16,649 km²  - Water 11,672 km² (41. ... Bottleneck guitar is a variation or relation of slide guitar; instead of a cupping a metal slide in the fretting hand, the strings are fretted with a smooth, hard cylinder worn around a finger of the fretting hand, usually the fourth finger for a compromise between strength and freedom to...

A 'Steel Guitar' is one designed exclusively to be played using a steel slide. Most commonly, these are the lap steel and pedal steel. The lap steel is a simple instrument, typically having 6 strings and tuned to either standard tuning, or an open chord. The pedal steel can have between 9 and 13 strings, and sometimes two or even three necks, each in a different tuning. Pedals and knee-levers are used to alter the tunings of different strings, which gives the instrument its distinctive voice, most often heard in country music. Jump to: navigation, search Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ...

Confusingly, metal-bodied guitars (commonly nickel-plated brass), although frequently played using a metal (or glass) slide, are not properly called steel guitars - they are 'resonator' guitars, which, instead of the more common soundhole, utilise a kind of internal metal (usually spun aluminium) loudspeaker, to amplify the sound.

One make of resonator guitar is the Dobro guitar which features a metal cone where the sound hole would normally be. Versions of this type of guitar, by Dobro and other manufacturers such as National, may feature the entire body made out of wood, painted steel, plated steel or plated brass (a 1937 Style 'O' National resonator is shown on the cover of the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms). Jump to: navigation, search A Dobro style resonator guitar Dobro® is a trade name used mainly for guitars. ... Dire Straits performing live Dire Straits is a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick Withers (drums), and managed by Ed Bicknell. ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks, released together commercially in an audio format to the public. ... Jump to: navigation, search Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released in 1985. ...

Basically, the resonator guitars fall into one of two camps either Dobro or National - the difference is how the cone is activated. In the case of the Dobro by means of an alumium 'spider' which transfers the vibrations from the saddle to the cone and in the case of National single cone models, by the saddle acting directly on the cone. Just to confuse matters National also produced a Tricone guitar, which as the name suggests has three small cones connected by an aluminium 'T' piece.

The term 'steel guitar' should also not be confused with steel strung guitar which is a normal acoustic guitar that has steel rather than nylon or cat-gut strings, although the bass strings will be wound with a bronze alloy, giving the distinctive gold colour. Jump to: navigation, search An acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but generally strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ...

External links

• Central Illinois Steel Guitar Association Information about central Illinois steel guitar players, events, and shows.
• Steel Radio A Web radio station dedicated to the steel guitar.
• Steel Guitar Forum A forum where steel players and enthusiasts get together and discuss steel guitar.
• Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association An organisation which promotes the development of steel guitar with worldwide membership.