Just returned from Hawaii and have fallen in love with the sound of Pedal Steel Guitar.... I already loved the sound of it on various alt-country records like Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams stuff.... but the Hawaiian stuff put it over the top for me. I'm officially in the hunt for a pedal steel instrument.

Does anybody out there have any experience with it? Specifically with Hawaiian music? I have one colleague that plays and he tells me once you get the theory part of it down, its pretty straight forward....he's been playing 25+ years and ripps bluegrass like nobody's business on it.... I'd like to hear from someone with a little less experience, perhaps someone who has picked up one recently. What makes a Carter different than a Magnum (besides $1800)? Is it better to start with a lap steel and move to a pedal steel? What's the maintenance like on the instrument?

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