Steel Guitar in Australia by Jack Richards
Originally published in "Steel Guitar International" April 1983♫ The "Kord King" story
In 1942 I met an American sailor who had a Rickenbacker Steel with a piece of rod attached that fitted around his left leg. By the movement of his leg he changed the tuning from "A major" to "C sharp minor".
The device was very inaccurate. A variation in string gauge would throw it right out. However as the weeks passed, the potential of the thing began to dawn on me.
Eight string guitars had become available by this time, and I got the idea of building a solid timber cabinet with the amplifier contained within, fitted with four pedals operating eight strings.
I had no engineering experience, and enlisted the aid of a friend Ivan Ive, who had a fairly complete workshop in his garage.
Between us after many mistakes we came up with a system very similar to the Student models of today with the added advantage that the tuning could be adjusted from the top with thumb screws.
The strings could only be sharpened. We were so delighted with the achievement that flattening the strings didn't occur to us.
The big drawback was the weight and bulk of the cabinet. This prototype was introduced into the music scene at the Roosevelt Club Sydney in 1943.
Towards the end of 1947 I bought an interest in a business manufacturing Studio Cameras. The other two partners were Ray Olson, a semi-pro Steel player, and Alec Iverson, a Bass player.
The demand for cameras was limited, and one day I suggested that Pedal Steels should have a future, and we would be among the first in the world if we acted promptly.
My partners became interested enough to examine the position, and to try and design a model that would fold into a case.
After a few weeks of intensive work we had achieved this, using aluminium legs and sockets which fitted into cedar cabinet work top and bottom.
As a bonus we added a fifth pedal which made a full diminished chord used with the first pedal.
For the year 1948 it was a startling break through with 25 different chords available at the open position.
We named it "Kord King" and showed it to Sydney's biggest music warehouse "Nicholsons", who ordered 100, plus 100 eight string lap Guitars. One of the first production runs in the world (Pedal Steel).
We thought we were made, but in retrospect we were about 20 years too early. There were too few players about who were capable of utilising what the instrument had to offer. The popularity of Hawaiian music had declined, Rock and Roll was just around the corner, and in Australia the use of the Steel in Country Music was many years away.
For my own use I still played a much improved "Kord King" (see photo) until I bought a "Sho-Bud" in 1979.
Referring back to the career side of the story, I am still playing and teaching, but trying to take things a little easier.
It amused me that the budding "Lloyd Greens" suddenly discovered me about four years ago. Ken Kitching knew me but had never heard me play. After much prodding I played at a Steel Guitar Club concert and was surprised and pleased at the reception I was given.
I try and help the younger brigade when asked. Although I don't play in the current "Country" style, people are interested in my Jazz approach to the Steel, and also my Hawaiian music background.
