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Kevin Mincke


From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2011 5:40 pm    
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When did Hal play Franklin guitars and was there more than the greyish colored one I've seen in pics? Did they come after his Sho~Bud years? Thanks for any info.
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Bent Romnes


From:
London,Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2011 6:39 pm    
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Kevin, There was the green one.It is now owned by Kjell Helde in Norway
See and hear it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwIVoUcDhes
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Bobby Boggs

 

From:
Upstate SC.
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2011 7:57 pm    
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Kevin, there were two that I know of. The 1st, and early eighties. The green one Bent mentioned was delivered June of 1990.As I remember Jeff Newman's June Jam was one of the 1st if not the 1st gig Hal played with it.

As for the earlier guitar. Maybe Paul Jr. or Johnny Cox can better date it. Both were used during his years with Emmons not Sho~Bud. This is not to say he didn't own a Bud or two during this era.

Hope this helps.
bb
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Johnny Cox


From:
Williamsom WVA, raised in Nashville TN, Lives in Hallettsville Texas
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2011 8:03 pm    
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Hal played Sho-Bud until the mid 70s then Emmons till the mid 80s. He played the Franklin for a couple years until he went to Zumsteel. Hal had several Buds, several Emmons only one Franklin and a Franklin Pedabro. Hal had four Zums. The first Zum was a rosewood he got in the late 80s. The second is the teal and black that I have from the early 90s. The third is a laquer red and fourth a laquer green SD10. His daughter Tammy have the red and green Zums. I can remember about five Buds and at least four Emmons guitars.
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Franklin

 

Post  Posted 27 Apr 2011 8:49 pm    
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Johnny Cox wrote:
Hal played the Franklin for a couple years until he went to Zumsteel.


Kevin,.........It was far longer than a couple of years.......Hal was one of the first pro's to buy a Franklin...I'll check with dad on how many Franklin's he bought over a decade or so....I do know there were several.. The last I believe was green in color.......The instrumental LP Altered Ego was recorded on his Franklin, which I believe was recorded around 79....Although Hal experimented with a few other brands in the eighties including a Legrand and a Zum, Hal continued to play and record using his Franklin throughout the 80's and into the 90's........After that period of time, the Zum became his main guitar.....in the 60's and 70's he went back and forth between Emmons and Sho-Bud's...........Paul
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Franklin

 

Post  Posted 28 Apr 2011 4:42 am    
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I think Bobby's timeline with the Emmon's is correct.......I remember the first time I saw Hal play on the Opry in the late 60's.....He and Weldon played side by side Emmon's PP's while Sonny Burnett played a Sho-Bud. As long as I knew him, he certainly had the inquisitive nature to switch back and forth from one brand to the next.

Paul
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2011 5:34 am    
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To reinforce what Paul said, I remember his father telling me about the different things that Hal wanted and trying to please Hal on the guitars that he built for him over the years (and that Hal paid him for the guitars).

I have a Franklin Guitar Co. flyer that I picked up in St Louis, either in 1980 or 1981 and it listed Hal as playing a Franklin.
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Franklin

 

Post  Posted 28 Apr 2011 4:13 pm    
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This is from Dad's memory.....Hal's purchases are listed in his records of sales......Hal received his first Franklin in 1979....Hal's serial number was 012. It was a black formica guitar.......He received his second and last Franklin pedal steel in 1990 which is the green front and black top guitar....He received his Pedabro in 1991...Hal played and recorded from 1979 with his Franklin until 2000.....We both remember him playing it on my induction into the SGHOF in 2000.....Hal switched full time to his Zum sometime after that year.....We are very proud and were honored that Hal chose to play a Franklin throughout this period....Our family misses Hal and Vicky........Paul
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Kevin Mincke


From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2011 4:21 pm    
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Thanks for sharing the info Paul!
I at times find it interesting in piecing some of the history of who was playing what guitars & through what years. I think we can associate song(s) with instruments (amps & equip in general) to work heard in a specific time period.

Jack, I too think I have that flyer somewhere!
I'll have to look for it now that you mentioned it. Thanks for the responses and input everyone.
Kevin
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Wally Moyers


From:
Lubbock, Texas
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2011 3:45 pm    
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Hal like all players of his caliber, always sounded great on anything he played.

It's builders like Paul Sr. , Bruce, Del, Bud & many more and their commitment to quality along with players like Hal that push the guitar builders to try new ideas that has brought the Pedal Steel to the level that we enjoy today.

The last time I saw Hal play was at the Dallas show playing his Zum. He sounded great! I remember Paul, Jay Dee, and John Hughey playing his set with him.

It was a very special set...
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Ben Rubright

 

From:
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2011 4:36 pm    
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.....and Randy too, I believe
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Joe Rogers

 

From:
Lake Charles, LA USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2011 7:36 pm    
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Paul, I could be wrong, but I thought the first Franklin I purchased (the one that belonged to you) had the serial number 012 on it. Of course, that was 4 Franklins ago, so my mind may be a bit fuzzy by now. Very Happy

The very first D-10 steel I ever purchased was a Sho-Bud Super Pro from Herb Remington at his shop in Houston. He must have been a master salesman, because when I walked through the door, the Altered Ego album was playing on his stereo...quite loudly I might add. It was the first time I ever heard steel guitar playing jazz. I walked out of there with the Sho-Bud AND the LP. To this day it remains one of my all time favorite steel albums.

Joe Rogers
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Franklin

 

Post  Posted 29 Apr 2011 8:19 pm    
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Hal was musically happiest in an arranged musical setting, especially playing Jazz........ Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TAChMnZtg

Joe,

012 is from Dad's book of serial numbers......I can check to see what they have down for your first steel.....Stu Basore and Hal both ordered at the same time period...Stu's serial number was 013..........Paul
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Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2011 8:53 pm    
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Paul, if I recall correctly, your Dad serialized them as he sold them, not as he built them. Mine was 011, but it was the third guitar he built, he told me. Any of them are awesome...
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Jamie Lennon


From:
Nashville, TN
Post  Posted 30 Apr 2011 6:32 am    
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I love my mine ~
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chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 30 Apr 2011 9:18 am    
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paul...a guy came by my house in sac back in the early 80's with a black franklin..white binding. it looked like your old mel tillis era franklin and he said it had been yours. his name was jr mercer. he was a good picker....travelling around with that steel set up in his van/home.
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Bill Moran

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 30 Apr 2011 4:35 pm    
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I bought this guitar from Hal. Later sold it to Dag Wolf. Hal said this guitar stayed on the set of the Stadler Brothers Show for the 5 year run ! When the show ended Hal took the guitar to Paul Sr. for a going over then sold it. I phoned Paul Sr. before I bought it. He told me it was perfect. A new Franklin guitar could not be better. I think Paul Jr. said Hal played it for 10 years. I know it was a sweet playing guitar. I really liked the 710 pickups.
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Kyle Everson

 

From:
Nashville, Tennessee
Post  Posted 1 May 2011 2:23 pm    
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This one may not count since Hal didn't keep it, but I believe he had one built with 3 sets of roller nuts so the scale length could be changed. It is now owned by forumite Zach Keele who inherited it from his dad. It's flat black formica with white trim and the "new" cursive Franklin logo on a plate. Seems like Zach said he believed it was an early 80s. It's the first Franklin guitar I had the pleasure of sitting down behind, and I've been hooked ever since.
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 2 May 2011 2:33 am    
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My D-10 is S/N 65 and was delivered in Dec 81. It has the rounded Franklin logo and according to Paul Sr it was the first one that he used it on. It was also the first one that he used any machined parts that were not made by him (the small crossrod end blocks were machined by an outside company). The case that came with my D-10 had the original Franklin logo on it.

As a side note, the "new" rounded Franklin logo, according to Paul Sr, was designed by the keyboard player in Mel Tillis' band. The guy designed the logo and Paul Sr said he modified the top of the F (stretched top part of the "F" like the original logo).
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Bill Ferguson


From:
Milton, FL USA
Post  Posted 4 May 2011 7:17 am    
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"Franklin


Posted Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:19 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hal was musically happiest in an arranged musical setting, especially playing Jazz........ Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TAChMnZtg"

I was very fortunate to have Hal as a friend, as were many of you.

I take pride in being able to post such videos as this one.

Thanks Paul for bringing this video to the forefront again.
Bill
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Kjell Helde


From:
Fosnavaag, Norway
Post  Posted 6 May 2011 3:47 pm     Hal`s Franklin.
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HI,
My green D10 Franklin, (Hal`s Franklin) has s.nr 138, and the guitar is 1 inces shorther as a standar Franklin.
I`ve bean told that this is the only Franklin guitar that is build 1 inc shorther and have a shorter keyhead. It`s maby a 1990 mod.
Paul JR, can you correct me if this is wrong?

Kjell Helde.
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 7 May 2011 2:28 am    
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My 81 Franklin was 1" shorter than the "standard" height guitars. Mr Franklin told me he later started building his guitars to the "standard height" one inch taller. I found that out when I called to get 1" longer pedal rods and front legs for mine about 5 years ago.

The top of my knees always rubbed the mechanics underneath and I never thought about it until I compared the height of my guitar to a friends Emmons Legrande II.
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Shorty Rogers


Post  Posted 7 May 2011 9:59 am    
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Well, my 1979 Franklin came 1.5 inches below standard height. So there.
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Kevin Hatton

 

From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
Post  Posted 7 May 2011 11:49 am    
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Yeah, and Benjamin Franklin wore spectacles, so there, and he was short too.
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Kjell Helde


From:
Fosnavaag, Norway
Post  Posted 7 May 2011 4:50 pm    
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HI,

Jack and Shorty!

I don`t mean the height of the guitar, mine was standard heigh, but I lover it with 1" so it fit like the height of the stereo franklin that i had before.
Also (Paul Franklins stereo steel from? 1984??) Question
I mean that mine green Hal franklin is 1" shorter in the longest end, also the keyhead is 1" shorter that a regular keyhead.
Hal want the guitar to be that way.
And I don`t think there is made any Franklin like this one.??? Smile

I hope Paul jr can give us some info on this guitar. Very Happy
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Skypename: kjell.helde
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