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Topic: Jerry Byrd's scale length for lap steel? |
Don McClellan
From:
California/Thailand
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 9:52 am |
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| Does anyone know what scale length Jerry Byrd used most often? |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 10:04 am
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| Short scale, approx. 22". |
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Don McClellan
From:
California/Thailand
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 1:08 pm
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| Thanks Ron, Don |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 22 Jun 2010 5:05 pm Ron.......................
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What about the:
JERRY BYRD mdl. 3-legged Rickenbacher
JERRY BYRD mdl. Shot-Jackson Rickenbacher FRYPAN
and the SHOE-BUD double neck he played for years? |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2010 5:43 pm Re: Ron.......................
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| Ray Montee wrote: |
What about the:
JERRY BYRD mdl. 3-legged Rickenbacher
JERRY BYRD mdl. Shot-Jackson Rickenbacher FRYPAN
and the SHOE-BUD double neck he played for years? |
...and the custom Fender. I was curious about these too when I replied, but we know how hard core Jerry was about his short scale that until shown otherwise we'd have to assume all those custom-made-to-his-wishes steels were to his exacting specs as well. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 Jun 2010 6:54 pm
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I assume you meant 22 1/2 " scale (?) Which seems standard for "short".  |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 22 Jun 2010 9:26 pm
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| When I bought my JB FRYPAN directly from Jerry, I asked for the long neck figuring the sustain would be better. He wrote back, (no e-mail in those days), to suggest I buy the short neck which he preferred. I still have that guitar which was made by Sho-Bud and has that phony horseshoe magnet...never regretted the decision. |
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Dave Mayes
From:
Oakland, Ca.
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Posted 22 Jun 2010 9:49 pm
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| I'm curious about the scsle lenght of the black custom Fender that Jerry had built for him. It looks to me like a 24" scale from the pictures I've seen. It looks like Fender took a 24" pedal steel body and fretboard and tuner assembly and came up with a "sort of" custom design for Jerry. Anybody know for sure ? Doesn't a forum member own that guitar ? |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2010 8:04 am
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Jerry stated that his favorite scale length was 22 1/2".
And yet, when Excel built the signature model Jerry Byrd non/pedal console guitar it had a 22" scale.
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2010 11:53 am
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| Bill Creller wrote: |
| I assume you meant 22 1/2 " scale (?) |
Nope, I meant approx. 22". Anything under say 23" is short and Jerry probably wasn't too finicky so long as it was in his ballpark range that he was used to ala the old Ricks. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2010 9:23 pm
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| Howard R has that Fender which was built for JB. He had it at Joliet a few years ago. I didn't look at it very close....... |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2010 8:05 pm
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I can't remember where I read it. But it was that Jerry recommended 22 1/4 inches as his ideal. But scale length didn't look like an issue for him. I've seen him play guitars that obviously were much longer than that (check out youtube). As he was so fond of saying, "If you don't know how to play, it doesn't matter what kind of guitar you have. And if you do know how to play, it doesn't matter what kind of guitar you have."  The guy was great.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 27 Aug 2010 9:35 pm
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Some of you may recall the year Jerry showed up at JOLIET.
He played the short neck JB model and produced beautiful harmonics. A member (to remain anonymous ) came up to him afterwards and said, "I sure wish my guitar could get harmonics like that !" Jerry suggested he bring the guitar to the stage which he did. The chap said, "This guitar is lousy, it won't produce harmonics at all" (or words simi). Jerry blew him away with beautiful harmonics ! I can still see the amazed look on that members face !  |
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Jay Yuskaitis
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 28 Aug 2010 7:10 am Jerry Byrd scale length
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| Hi, Jerry always said he preferred a 22" scale for ease of slants, somewhere on a video with him playing his D8 Sho Bud he does specify this. On page 12 of issue 4 of "Steel Guitarist" is a full page add from Jim Dunlop with Jerry behind his D8 Sho Bud. I have the exact twin to his D8 Sho Bud non pedal guitar minus the "Byrd" on the front apron, mine has white fretboards and the scale is exactly 22". The headstocks have the "Sharks Fin" with no provisions for rollers. The bridges are the same as the ones on my D8 permanent with adjustments for intonation. Strings may be attached in 2 ways, either through the wood body to a plate mounted underneath, or, to the bridge as non activated stings on the permanent are. Ray, if you are reading this, I know Jerry had more than one Sho Bud D8 non pedal guitar. I've seen 3, two of them with him pictured at them. I know Scotty has at least one of them. Jay Y. |
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Richard Brandt
From:
Waymart, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 28 Aug 2010 9:13 am Jerry Byrd scale length
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Jerry Byrd scale length 22 inches
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Jay Yuskaitis
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 28 Aug 2010 1:10 pm Hi Richard Brandt
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| That is one sweet Sho Bud you have there. I'm seeing more and more coming out of storage since the Forum is acknowledging them as something special. I have a D8 similar to yours in finish and color. The front neck has a pull release changer w/5 pedals and one knee. The rear neck is an 8 string straight steel with no pedals. This guitar is similar to the one Don Helms used in the early 1960's. As I recall, Don had pedals on the front neck, straight on the rear, his was a pretty blonde with wood ends. When I got mine, I have no idea how it was tuned with all those pedals. I set it up with the tuning I've used for quite a while. Two pedals and one knee. That's all I can handle. About time these beauties came back into the limelight. JMHO. Jay Y. |
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Jay Yuskaitis
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 28 Aug 2010 1:12 pm
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| I forgot to say, this guitar has a 24" scale. Jay Y. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 29 Aug 2010 5:27 am
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Steve,
I have a double neck like that too, not black though. |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2010 4:01 pm
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Too bad, Erv. The black one's sound best, you know.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2010 5:26 am
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Edward,
Not when I play it! |
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