Steel Guitar Museum/Hall O'Fame

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

What's your thinking......about the establishment of a STEEL GUITAR Hall O'Fame?

The primary goal, would be to display virtually every model of every guitar line in the history of steel guitar. Bigsby, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacher, etc.

There could be a room for AMPs.......

For a small fee, visitors could play the guitar of their dreams in a sound proof studio with top quality rythmn tracks. All donations would be dedicted to the museum's financial support.

Lots of pictures and other stuff.......could be included.

Would it work? Why wouldn't it?
Would you be inclined to visit such a place?

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Kinda like I shelved my idea for a mall-based pup/kitty petting 'zoo'.
It'd take just one wacko to mess it up for everybody else.

But I'd sure be up for a day's visit before the tragedy of it all hit the nightly news.
Would it be based 'somewhere' in say... OREGON? Razz

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I've given the idea some basic considerations and nothing has been set in concrete.

I've tho't of somewhere on the scenic Oregon coast,
or perhaps near the observatory on Mt.St.Helens, the active volcano in Washington State.........

You know, something that might ad a little 'drawing power' to the original concept. We'd want as many folks as possible to partake of it.....

Jeff Hyman · From: West Virginia, USA

Isn't there a PSG player Hall of Fame?
Seems like this is an excellent idea to be in the same location (is there a location?)

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ray,I would go.I went to the Liberace museum in Vegas and it was a whole lot cooler than I though it would be they had a tiny little Bosendorfer piano and stuff like that. Winking

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T. C. Furlong · From: Lake County, Illinois, USA

Ray,

I love the idea. I have thought of doing something like this for years.

For the past five years, I have been involved in a place called The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum... a fantastic place with more great history and artifacts than you could imagine. It's currently in the process of looking for a new home after the city of Nashville took the property and 30,000 sq. ft. building to make way for the new convention center.

Over the time it was open, much was learned about operating such a place. If you would like to chat about the ups and downs of a hall of fame and museum business, please contact me anytime.

I sure hope you proceed. I'll buy the first ticket!

Best,

TC

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Players do get elected (or selected better wording)to a Hall of Fame..It's more of a wall of Fame and I have always wondered if they hang all year long..It would be nice for a building of its own but would it survive?.Location would be the key...There are HOF fund raisers put on yearrly for such now but there does not seem to be a great hurry.. Probably justified by todays economy and funds raised...

Michael T. Hermsmeyer · From: Branson, Missouri, USA

The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame bronze memorials are on full time display at the Millenium Hotel in downtown St. Louis, MO, the home of the International Steel Guitar Convention. Just for kicks when I was downtown a few years ago, I went to see if they were there or if they were moved in just for the convention. They were there.

As for the Ray's idea, it sounds like you want to honor the name brands and builders of steel guitars and related products such as amps, pickups, cables, bars, picks, strings, effects, cases, manufacturing equipment, etc... I love the idea! There have been some builders honored by the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, but this could be an even more ambitious effort to honor them. I know Bud Carter was recently inducted.

Location wise, it seems that (and this is just my opinion) for most players/visitors, that having it on one coast or the other might possibly deter some from coming. Perhaps a more central location and having it coincide or be connected to a large steel guitar related event, such as the ISGC in St. Louis, or the Dallas steel show. Perhaps you could put together a smaller travelling display that could move across the country and be shown at many of the already established steel shows. Kind of put it where the players are already congregated.

If not, then perhaps the best place for the museum would be in the place from where the steel guitar originated, Hawaii! Nothing against Oregon, mind you, LOL!
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Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

The Idea of a building anywhere has to be given a lot of thought..Mainly because of the numbers..Now there are tons of players ,many great ones but as far as fame,Steel players are mostly famous to Steel players or other musicians..The general public who are needed to bring in enough money to operate a HOF probably does not know players who are not from or playing in their area..They probably never read the Artist credits..Scotty's,Dallas.PSGA bring in players,owners and in General people who know they will hear good country music..What St. Louis has done and is doing for the instrument has been great and can be measured by the success of all of Scottys shows...We are now familiar with International players as well as U.S. players.Not all the Steelers head to St. louis ,maybe a great part of them do because it's the biggest display and show around..The Idea of a traveling HOF sounds like the Idea..This would alow visits to the many shows now in existance and a fee to visit the display could support it..In either case it would require employee's (at least a driver) or volunteers while at shows to help out..This of course would ask a lot of Scotty and Family...A traveling Steel HOF would work for Fairs,Fan fair,and of Course fairly good drawing steel Shows...Is that enough? Its an Idea..

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Your suggestion of a CENTRAL LOCATION is well taken.
It makes good sense but....... I'll tell you one thing, I'd never fly across the USA from either coast to a central location in Missouri and seek out a hotel that has some "hall o' fame" at the foot of a long stairway just to see some plaque on the wall.

Now, how does one figure HAWAII is NOT.......to far west for the majority?

I had seriously considered acquiring a plush Peterbilt, Kenworth or Freightliner with a 53 Foot trailer like the moving companies use that is closer to the ground......solicit sponsorships from guitar builders and then tour the country, hitting as many big time guitar shows that there might be. But my thinking now is for the long lines of historic guitars.........not the current builders!

Just thinking out loud. I recently a met a fellow that has approximately 150-160 +/- steel guitars in his HOME. You ought to see the glorious Ric's.
I tho't they should be seen by more musicians.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Emmons wouldn't have to be there, would they?

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I think a Steel Guitar Museum would be a great idea. I suspect that, for it to be viable, it would have to be in Nashville, simply because that's where country music fans the world over head for, and most people associate the steel guitar with country music nowadays.

Another good location would be Oahu. The average person who listens to music doesn't realise that the Hawaiian guitar and the Steel guitar are the same instrument. Shocked

In the case of the Hawaiian museum I suggest a Museum of Hawaiin Music, which would be more viable that one just limited to the steel guitar.
http://hawaii.gov/dags/rpts/museumhawnmusicdance.pdf
A start has already been made, (see above).

Colm Chomicky · From: Kansas, (Prairie Village)

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

St Louis.
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Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Mike ,Why is St. Louis the one and only appropriate place?

Paul Crawford · From: Orlando, Fl

St. Louis? It's central in the country and the one place that arguably has the largest annual pilgrimage for Steel Guitarist.

But before you sign the lease, how about a minor reality check. There are HOFs to most everything somewhere in the country, mostly Mom and Pop run works of love that are not financialy viable without a personally owned propriety donated to the cause. It takes a full time commitment by the owner virtually on a donation basis. Any HOF that does attract a paying daily audience is likely a common enough fan based activity to be known to the general public, (baseball, rock & roll, NASCAR, etc.) And while a Rock & Roll HOF may be self sustaining, has anyone gone to a Guitar HOF, (hint: still only a concept after 20 years according to a net search.)

Rather than a full time endevor, you might consider an event based gathering associated with an existing steel show, Fan Fair, etc. I still wouldn't bet on the gate consistently covering gas and lodging, much less the initial investment.

Wonderful dream but I'd rather invest in BP right now. Winking

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

I think it's a wonderful idea, but I don't think it's feasible. The only way I can see is if it was incorporated into something else that's already making money... maybe a piece of space in the Country Music Hall of Fame, if they'd give it up, which I doubt,....... and then maybe only one or two guitars... like Emmons or Byrd. If not, it would not draw enough attention to pay to keep the lights on, and pay someone to be there, unless the admission was something like $500.00 per person. While steel guitar fans are dedicated people, there's just not enough of them to support something like this. It's not like a football, etc... museum where fans are plentiful.

The traveling museum idea is not any better. Say the average regional steel show would have 100 people visit the museum at 5.00/ ticket. That wouldn't buy the fuel to move the thing around the USA, not even considering insurance, manitenance, cost of the rig, driver, etc...

What might come close to working is if someone had the passion to build a collection of famous guitars that they could take to big shows like St. Louis or Dallas and rent a room to display them and charge a hefty admission charge and then it would have to be a passion for that person and might break even if they could fit the collection into a minivan.

You can forget the current manufactures supporting this. This won't bring them any new sales, and they already have their own booths at the shows.

Yes, I'm negative, not about the idea but about the financial end that it would take to make it work. Sorry, I just don't think it's there. I hope I'm wrong.

Smile

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Before making the apparently-logical conclusion that the middle of the country is the mutually-optimum location, consider the methods of transportation. If one is driving, and the location is near to a freeway, okay, but take my case, for instance. I fly home to England about once a year. My in-laws live in Nebraska. It's more expensive for me to fly to Nebraska, and it takes more time, than to fly to England.

If you're living in San Francisco it's easy to get to New York, on a direct flight, than to Nashville or St. Louis. It's even easier to get to Hawaii.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

It should be in St Louis because of Scotty. This has been his dream for decades, and he certainly deserves this. In fact it should be named after him.

Who has done more for our community that him?
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Joe Finley · From: Ozark Arkansas USA

I remember when Ben Jack had his collection in the back of his music store in Fort Smith Arkansas. It was really neat. This is similar to the museum in Nashville that had lost its building do to progress.
Would be neat to find something in conjunction to house it.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

How far would you drive to see a room full of steel guitars that were played by the icons of the past?

How often would you go?

How much would you pay?

Therein lies the answer.

We all agree it would be nice, but this isn't football or rock 'n' roll. It is a tiny, tiny, niche market. I'll bet less than 10% of people you run into on the street could pick out a picture of a steel guitar among other instruments.

Like someone said earlier it would have to be a labor of love on the part of someone who can afford to lose money.
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Isn't Johnny Sibert's T-8 Stringmaster already in the SGHF in St. Louis?

Johnny Baldwin · From: Long Beach, California, USA

Visit Jim Palenscar's Steel Guitars of North County in Oceanside, CA. Now that's a living museum. And Jim is one of the nicest guy's you'll ever meet.

Jim Hollingsworth · From: Way out West

I will sure agree with that remark. Jim is one of the nicest guys I know and has many GREAT guitars in his shop. We are lucky to have him on the Left Coast.

Jim

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