The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play unlimited glissandi and deep vibrati—characteristics it shares with the human voice. Pedal steel is most commonly associated with Country music and Hawaiian music.
Modern pedal steel guitar with two necks
Rickenbacker lap steel guitar, Electro B6, with Beauchamp horseshoe pickup, late 1930s
Rickenbacker Console 758 tripleneck steel - 2011 TSGA Jamboree
Bigsby steel
A steel guitar is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar in that it is played without using frets; conceptually, it is somewhat akin to playing a guitar with one finger. Known for its portamento capabilities, gliding smoothly over every pitch between notes, the instrument can produce a sinuous crying sound and deep vibrato emulating the human singing voice. Typically, the strings are plucked by the fingers of the dominant hand, while the steel tone bar is pressed lightly against the strings and moved by the opposite hand.
Three types of steel guitars: resonator, lap steel, pedal steel
An advertisement for the Broadway show "The Bird of Paradise"
An electric lap steel guitar. Note that the instrument bears only token resemblance to the traditional guitar shape.
Slide guitar played with slide on musician's little finger