KAILUA, Hawaii – Quincy Cortez plucks at a slim black box laid across his legs, his fingers flashing silver. Steel strings twang with each pull from the metal rings – wearable guitar picks – adorning ...

As the sound of country music has shifted, the emotive whir of its classic instrument has often been sidelined. The complicated antique has found new life in surprising forms. By Grayson Haver Currin ...

An anchor of the classic mid-century Nashville sound, the pedal steel guitar has been a trusted part of the broader pop palette at least since Jerry Garcia added affable, if primitive, pedal steel to ...

Steel guitar music started on the island of Oahu — and teachers there are working with the next generation of students to continue the tradition. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Quincy Cortez ...