I Added My Pedal Steel Guitar To “Just Over Yonder”

I found a nice Gospel song on Facebook a few days ago by David Johnson. He's singing and playing acoustic guitar. I thought it would be fun to add a MIDI bass, kick drum and tambourine (I used MixCraft Pro Studio 10.1 software). And then I added my pedal steel guitar playing to it, which I humbly think came out okay. It's not perfect but by God's grace I had fun making it. ...

1. Just Over Yonder (original song)
2. Just Over Yonder (added bass and percussion, no steel guitar)
3. Just Over Yonder (with pedal steel guitar)

Here's another recent recording that I made, playing along with Doyle Lawson And Quicksilver's Gospel song, 'Help Is On The Way.' Here is the original song without my pedal steel. I thank God for the privilege to play such a beautiful musical instrument. It is my heart's desire to play musical instruments in Heaven, and continue learning and honing my skills.

I wanted to share some of my music with my blog visitors. I've made numerous recordings over the years, if you'd like to hear some of my work. Here's a Hawaiian album that I recorded in April of 2001 for my mother before she graduated to Heaven in August of 2001. Here's my main ministry music web page. Here is my banjo blog. I try to upload a new backing track every Friday for a song for the 5-string banjo, which I enjoy playing.

I love playing in the Standard (gDGBD) and Double C tunings (gCGCD). You can hear what the Double C tuning sounds like in these popular folk tunes: 'Whisky Before Breakfast,' 'Gaspe Reel' and 'Boys Of Bluehill / Harvest Home,' all of which I enjoy playing on the 5-string banjo. Dave Hum (1966-2012) from Salisbury, England, is my mentor on the banjo. You can enjoy his 219 banjo videos on YouTube. Dave's family sells his albums, original backing tracks and tablature for his sings if anyone is interested.

Dave Hum sadly died of myeloma blood cancer at just age 46 in 2012. I never had the privilege of getting to know him personally, but through Dave's majestic music I feel that I've always known him. I just wanted to share something dear to me with my blog followers. The 5-string banjo is a passion for me, just as is the pedal steel and lapsteel guitar.

Here are some of my banjo recordings over the past year. I have also specified which banjo that I recorded for each song below...

1. My Grandfather's Clock (Deering Golden Era)
2. My Grandfather's Clock (Deering Calico; photos of my Calico banjo)
3. My Grandfather's Clock (Deering Golden Wreath)
4. Golden Slippers (Golden Wreath)
5. Mason's Apron (Golden Era)
6. Old Spinning Wheel (Golden Era)
7. Green Gates (Calico)
8. Green Gates (Deering Goodtime Special)
9. Arkansas Traveller (Golden Wreath)
10. Boys Of Bluehill (Goodtime Special)
11. Dunphy's Hornpipe (Goodtime Special)
12. Off To California (Golden Wreath)

By God's grace, I also recoded a ukulele album back in 2015 if you'd like to hear it.

I didn't intend on becoming a Deering banjo guy, but that is the route I have taken, so I am grateful. I wish that the Gibson banjo company still existed in Nashville, but their factory was destroyed by a historic bad flood in 2010. I am skeptical to pay $5,000 for a used Gibson banjo today that is 20 to 40 years old, having no way of knowing what I am buying. I bought all of my Deering banjos brand new. I bought the Calico and Golden Wreath banjos with 15% discounts, which was nice.

Deering's Golden Era is their attempt to recreate the Gibson ESS model. Dave Hum plays a 1992 Gibson ESS. I had bought a Deering Golden Era from Fuller Guitars in Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, no one at the store bothered to play the banjo and it had an annoying buzz on the first string at the second fret, so I had to return it for a refund. I bought the Golden Wreath instead, which is Deering's attempt to recreate the popular 1930's prewar Gibson RB-250. The Calico has more resonance and a thinner sound than the Golden Wreath does. Each banjo is unique different and nice.

I also have a Recording King Elite 85 with a maple neck that I purchased new back in 2018 for $1,895 from Ross Nickerson. It has a larger 27 3/8" length neck than the standard 26 1/4" neck. As expected, the Elite 85 has a larger sound, but it lacks resonance. My Calico has resonance, which is very important for a banjo. The Goodtime Special has some resonance and a pleasant feel and tone, but it is a student model. Lord willing, I hope to one day play some other high ends banjos (Yates, Huber, Stelling, Gibson, OMG, et cetera).

I have never played a Gibson banjo, but nearly every serious banjo player has one (mostly hybrids of pieces from various different banjos...lol). The local music stores don't sell high end banjos, because it is rare that someone is willing to pay $5,000 for a banjo. Gold Tone sells 5-string banjos for a fraction of the cost, but you're getting Chinese parts assembled in Titusville, Florida. I had a Gold Tone banjo 35 years ago around 1990, but I cannot remember how it sounded or what happened to it. There was no internet back then, and I lived in Chicago where banjos were all but non-existent, so I lost interest. Things are different today.

Strangely enough, of my banjo collection I enjoy playing a student model the most. This is Deering's Goodtime Special (which has a tone ring and weighs only 9.3 pounds), which I bought for $1,099 from Amazon. I paid $4,436 for the Calico. All of my banjos weigh over 12 pounds, so the much lighter Goodtime Special is helpful for my neck injury. I play it over 95% of the time. Like Dave Hum does in the photo below, I set the banjo on my knees to take the weight off of my neck. I love hearing and playing Dave Hum's style on the 5-string banjo!

In the photo below Dave is not playing his Gibson ESS, which I can tell from the neck inlay design. I am pretty sure this is his ODE, which was made in the 1970's in Arkansas. He later sold this banjo, keeping his Gibson Epiphone (Chinese made) and Gibson ESS (American made). In this video, you can hear Dave comparing his three banjos.

Dave Hum

(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)