Emmons student models anyone owned one?

Robert Bunting · From: New York, USA

I have looked recently at a carter starter3x4, a few mavericks 3x1 blonde's and burls and now am being offered a Emmons student model 3x1... all are 500 hundred or less...
i had read somewhere that the emmons students were good and could have knee levers added later.
i wondered if they were sturdier than a carter starter and worth the extra trouble of going with less at the outset for a modified amchine that will be "more" later on. some really like carter starters, but some folks not so much.
i've spent some time with local steelers and they aren't real techie guys so they don't have a lot of input no more than i've gleaned on here doing searches...
thoughts on the emmons?
or the starter?
i have heard over and over about the stage one but it's double what i can spend right now and probably in the foreseeable future.

thanks for your thoughts and ideas.

Lynn Stafford · From: Ridgefield, WA USA

Robert,

If you can buy an Emmons student model for $500 or less I would go for it, as long as it's in good condition. They are far and above anything like a Carter Starter or Sho-Bud Maverick. They sound and play great and can be upgraded very easily with additional knee levers. Go for it...you won't be sorry you did!
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Best regards,
Lynn Stafford

STEEL GUITAR WEST
http://www.steelguitarwest.com
Steel Guitar Technician (Restoration, Set-up, Service and Repair work)

Previous Emmons Authorized Dealer & Service Technician (original factory is now closed)

ZumSteel Authorized Service Technician
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Doug Earnest · From: Branson, MO USA

I second Lynn's advice.

Robert Bunting · From: New York, USA

what does it cost to upgrade with 3 more knee levers?

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

Not too much, a few hundred, but if you are not interested please send me a private message as to how I can get in touch with the owner. Thanks!
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RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Robert Bunting · From: New York, USA

doug, great to see you chime in...
a friend just bought one of your steels and i just missed him selling off his ZB student 3x1.
if i had a bit more in the budget it would be a stage one Smile

hopefully it'll all come together and i'll be able to start playing pedal steel instead of just laps.

Jeremy Steele · From: Princeton, NJ USA

I would also advise you to grab the Emmons Student Model. I own one which I have upgraded to 4 knees (easy to do, BTW), and it is my "go to" guitar. It's light, rugged, and has that wonderful push-pull sound.

Doug Palmer · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

The Emmons GS-10 or BR-10 is a great guitar. That's a very low price for one in good condition. They sell for much more than that around here. Some pro's have used them, they sound great and are very stable.

Doug
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Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I would echo what others have said about this guitar however would like to find someone that would take on adding 3 knee levers for "a couple hundred" dollars- they can do all of mine for that. In my experience it costs roughly that for each lever.

Leo Melanson · From: Massachusetts, USA

I owned one briefly. It sounded great, was easy to tune and stayed in tune like a P/P should. That guitar was around $700 so your price is excellent. I was not capable of adding levers. If you can find someone (an Emmons expert) to do this .. get an estimate and if the cost isn't prohibitive, buy the guitar and get it done right away. That way you will have everything you need to start learning on it. If the price drifts up near $1K then you should look at other steels in this price range that are ready to go with all the levers.
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Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I owned one when I lived in Austin ...a million years ago.I traded towards a Blanton guitar, Jerry Blanton said that it was one of the best sounding guitars that he had ever heard!A friend of mine has a gold one up here,been trying to get for a few years?
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Jack Strayhorn · From: Winston-Salem, NC

The Emmons student guitar is mechanically just like all push-pulls. Most other student guitars are not.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

I have one although it's been on loan to a friend for a year. When he finds a psg of his own, I'll have Jim P add the other knee levers and move the original one. (RKR? Really?) Still a lot cheaper than finding a pro S-10.
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"Gopher, Everett?"

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

"a few" means 300 to 400 bucks. Still reasonable for an S-10 PP. Less than a grand for a great tone. So, if it's 1200? Still better than most. JMHO
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

My $.02. Play the guitar as a 3+1 until you "need" more levers, then trade up to a pro S10. If you can add levers yourself, that's another matter, of course.
(Does the student Emmons have adjustable legs?)

Jeremy Steele · From: Princeton, NJ USA

Mine did not come with adjustable legs, but I found two on the Forum which I use on the player's side. The steel tilts forward a bit but I have grown to like playing in this position.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

A player can get several lifetime's worth of music with three levers. A 3/3 push-pull for under 1K is a bargain. Price pro-level S-10 pp's lately? 2K+.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

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Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

My first steel was an Emmons student model steel. It was built in 1974 and it had three pedals and one knee lever. Got it for Christmas in 1999.

Brett

Frank Montmarquet · From: The North Coast, New York, USA

I just purchased an Emmons which I think is a student model. It has 3 pedals and 1 knee lever. I have never played a guitar so I am new to this. I have played tenor sax for about 25 of the last 40 yrs. Time to try something new.

So, I guess I did good by buying this instead of a SB Maverick. I was told this guitar is probably from the 1970s, any way to tell?

Some questions. Anybody know what size allen wrench to use on the changer! I have dozens but none fits, looks like it might be a 7/64?

Tuned it (broke the 3rd string), sounds nice to me, but it needs adjustment. It hasn't been played in over 10 years. Should I take it apart to clean things? How to lube the axle of the changer, AT fluid? I have used auto trans fluid on my sax for about 10 years with no problems.

The 3 pedals are set up the standard way, but the knee is set to lower the 8th, E to D#. Is that good for a beginner? Should I change it to a standard RKR setup? 9D to C#?

And last, the knee has only 1 bell crank, and pedal 3 has only 1 bell crank E to F#. Where can I get push pull bell cranks to add? and where can I get knee levers and rods etc to add? I feel OK doing the work myself.

Thanks, Frank

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

So...an Emmons student model for $500, and 3 KL's at say, 100 bucks each...that's a S10 p/p w 3&4 for approx $800.
Considering that it's a better gtr than comparable student models, I'd say go for it.

btw... it is a 10 string, right? They also made an 8 string student model.

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Besides too many push-pull D10s and S 10's, I have two Emmons student models. Currently, as I write this, one of them is at my "push-pull guru's" shop getting knee levers added. And get this, it's a white one!

It's a matter of opinion of course, but there are those who believe the best p/p tone comes out of a student model. I know it's steel guitar heresy to say it, but I pretty much agree with that opinion. Again, I say that owning more than a few of the "big boy" models.

Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

I have an Emmons 8 String, 2 pedal, no knee, student model.
You can see it in my profile picture to the left, with my grandson sitting on stage with me.

I found it at a garage sale, in about 50 pieces, in a box. Everything was there. It had a pretty bad crack on one of the corners underneath, but I was able to make a good repair.

It sounds great and really stays in tune.

I would like to get a new fret board. I messed it up taking it off to make the body repairs.

Jack Strayhorn, any ideas on the fret board?

Paid $25 for the complete guitar.

Bill

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