What Is a Pedal Steel Guitar? This Musical Prodigy Knows! | Localish

In this one-room sanctuary on a suburban New Jersey street, a rock-and-roll icon was born. It was in the House of God church in the '80s and '90s a young Robert Randolph learned to play pedal steel guitar. Now 39, he's a six-time Grammy nominee. He was also ranked #97 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 100 all-time guitarists. But he's never forgotten his roots. 'Pedal steel is the main instrument in our church.' Pedal steel is a guitar that sits horizontally on four stands. 'Robert has the fastest hands, I think, of all the steel players I've ever seen,' says Deacon Mike Randolph, Robert's uncle.