Pedabro
The pedabro, also ped-a-bro, pedal dobro, or Franklin pedabro, is a custom-built electric pedal steel guitar invented by Paul Franklin Sr. in the mid 1980s.[1]
Description
The instrument as well as its name is a combination of two different instruments (pedal steel guitar and resonator guitar / “dobro”) in one. Basically, it is an electrified dobro with pedals from a pedal steel guitar. Because of that, it is also played similar to a steel guitar but actually sounds more similar to a dobro.[1]
Paul Franklin Sr. had the idea of adding pedals to a dobro guitar, after his son, Paul Franklin Jr. (Steel guitar player) joined in for dobro player Jerry Douglas at a concert.[1]
Some instruments were also built with a second guitar neck but without the dobro guitar body. This second guitar neck can be used by players to create the “usual” pedal steel guitar sound in addition to the pedabro sound.
According to Paul Franklin Sr. about 25 pedabros were built in total. Because of its rarity, it became a collector’s item among steel guitar players.[2] Other instruments custom-built by Paul Franklin Jr. are the baritone steel guitar and “The Box”.[3]
Notable recordings
One of the first recordings featuring a pedabro was the 1987 released song "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis. Following the success of this song, the pedabro was used on other studio recordings too, mostly in late 1980s / early 1990s country music. Despite the success of some of those recordings, the pedabro did not become as well-known as the pedal steel guitar or the dobro, but is still popular among steel guitar players and country music fans.[4]
Notable songs, albums or performances featuring a pedabro and its typical sound are:
- (1987): Randy Travis: "Forever and Ever, Amen"
- (1988): Randy Travis: "Written In Stone"
- (1988): Keith Whitley: "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" (The pedabro also appears in the music video)
- (1988): Keith Whitley: "When You Say Nothin’ At All" (and other songs from the “Don’t Close Your Eyes” album)
- (1988): Keith Whitley: Performance Live On Austin City Limits (The pedabro appears in the music video)
- (1989): Suzy Bogguss: “Somewhere Between” (Merle Haggard Cover)
- (1989): Keith Whitley: "It Ain't Nothin'" (and other songs from the “I Wonder Do You Think of Me” album)
- (1990): Mark Chesnutt: "Hey You There In The Mirror"
- (1990): Joe Diffie: "Home"
- (1991): Dire Straits: “How Long”
- (1992): Mary Chapin Carpenter: "The Bug" (Dire Straits Cover)
- (1993): Doug Stone: "More Love" (album)
- (1993): Trisha Yearwood: “Lying To The Moon”
- (1994): Tracy Lawrence: "If The World Had A Front Porch" (and other songs from the "I See It Now" album)
- (1994): David Lee Murphy: “Out With A Bang” (album)
- (1995): Tracy Byrd: "Walkin' In"
- (1995): Dan Seals: “In A Quiet Room” (album)
- (1995): Shania Twain: "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!"
- (1998): Dan Seals: “In A Quiet Room II” (album)
- (2003): Josh Turner: "Long Black Train"
- (2007): Josh Turner: "South Carolina Low Country"
- (2010): Billy Currington: "Bad Day Of Fishin'"
- (2010): Josh Turner: "As Fast As I Could"
Other notable players / manufacturers
- Sonny Garrish
- Jimmie Hudson
- Mike Johnson
See also
References
- ^ a b c Truetone (2018-05-29). Truetone Lounge | Paul Franklin | Part One. Retrieved 2025-09-17 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Franklin Pedabro ( 8 of 25 ever pedal resonator) | Reverb". reverb.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ^ "Paul Franklin (musician)", Wikipedia, 2025-09-17, retrieved 2025-09-17
- ^ D'Addario and Co. (2025-03-21). Paul Franklin Interview: Becoming The Pedal Steel Guitar Icon. Retrieved 2025-09-17 – via YouTube.
External links
- Picture and sound of a Pedabro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwhZSjEm4tI