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Topic: How Many Pedal Steels Exist? |
Mike Schwartzman
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2013 2:03 pm |
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Chris sez:
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| the shock factor comparison to how many electric guitars are out there should be very telling about what a very small niche steels have in this world society. |
Absolutely...If we took the highest estimate of the total number of PSG's that we could possibly come up with here... would that number approach even 1% of the 6 string electric (Spanish) guitars produced?
Maybe toss in the numbers for any electric lapsteels and console steels too. Would we hit 1%?
I'm thinking if a 1%er patch for us steelers like they have in the world of motorcycle riders, but I don't know if the numbers will add up to enough 
_________________
Emmons Push Pull, BMI, Session 400, Home of the Slimcaster Tele. |
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Alan Berdoulay
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 3:07 am
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Resurrecting.....
How many pedal guitars did Fender produce?
MSA?
Is it assumed Sho Bud is the largest single producer with 18,000? |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 9:09 am How many steel?
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I wonder how many steel guitars Blanton built.
The first time I saw Bobbe Seymour playing in Trenton, NJ in the late 60s, he was playing a push-pull Capri. Does everybody know the Capri story? Does anybody know the Capri story?
Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792
cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com
C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024 |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 9:31 am
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don't forget to add 1 at my house...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 10:09 am
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One Red GFI Student 3 x 3 accounted for here...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 3:28 pm
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| I'm sure there are a lot more steel guitars out there than there are players. Ignoring those who bought one and gave up, but hung onto it in the hope that someday they would get back to it and this time be successful, (which must run to thousands), those who do play usually have multiple instruments. I know I do. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 3:47 pm
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| Alan Berdoulay wrote: |
Resurrecting.....
How many pedal guitars did Fender produce?
MSA?
Is it assumed Sho Bud is the largest single producer with 18,000? |
Fender made well over 5,000 cable guitars, plus another 4400 rodded guitars (built by Sho~Bud); so there's no way you could leave them out. MSA (who, for a period of time, made well over 200 per month) made more than 10,000. The Sho~Bud figure may be accurate, but I don't know if that includes the 4,400 they made for the Fender. Harlin also made a couple of thousand.
Thirty years ago, people would think nothing of trashing or stripping old pedal guitars, but now they're more reluctant to do so. |
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Daniel McKee
From:
Corinth Mississippi
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Posted 8 Jul 2013 5:35 pm
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| This is a really interesting topic.Is that Shobud number just pro models or counting mavericks as well because i assume there were a lot of mavericks produced over a period of several years. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 9 Jul 2013 2:50 pm
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| For the life of me, I can't think of any reason they'd leave out the Mavericks? They were pedal steels, too...right? |
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Ben Banville
From:
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2013 4:49 am
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Bent just finished building #007 for a repeat customer...it's name is "Bond"...not sure if it comes with an ejection seat, but the aluminum sure shines good :<)
_________________
BenRom pedal steel, 1963 Guild Starfire III, Gretsch 5120, S.A. Robelli Strat, Fender 1957 reissue Mex. Strat, Fender Highway One Tele, Schecter Jazz-6
"Ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in"...Leonard Cohen
Ain't nothing quite like hearin' that high lonesome bent sound! |
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Marian Jerrell
From:
Lancaster,PA, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2013 11:11 am steel guitars
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Hi all,
I am blessed to have 2 of them
1. an old Vega lap style 6 string Hawaiian
2. A D-10 Derby Pedal Steel
Blessings Marian Jerrell |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2013 9:59 am
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Jeff Newman once told a class I was in that a steel manufacturer was doing pretty well if they turned out 20 a year. He said that after Sho-Bud, MSA and a few others had gone out of business.
So, based on that I figure there have been 4,312 steel guitars made.
Well, maybe a few more. |
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Jay Riddle
From:
Pennsboro, W.V.
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Posted 13 Mar 2014 2:25 pm Bmi
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I had the pleasure of playing a friends U12 BMI and it was the first time I was introduced to the world of steel guitar. My heroes on steel were the session players on Highway 101's albums. Country steel and lap steel at its finest!! |
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Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 13 Mar 2014 3:08 pm
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Anyone know how many Carvin made? Did Rickenbacker make any pedal steels?
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 13 Mar 2014 3:38 pm
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Yes, Carvin made pedal steels, maybe fifty to a hundred, but you couldn't hardly call them a popular brand, or a significant manufacturer. The same goes for Rickenbacker, who made a couple of different models, maybe a hundred or two, total?
Most manufacturers are very tight-lipped about actual numbers, and don't make a lot of money...probably because there are definite tax advantages to claiming you made and sold less than you actually did.  |
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Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 13 Mar 2014 4:38 pm
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Hear you Donny. I asked about those names because I saw one Carvin when I was 11 and only a pic of a Rickenbacker.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
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Johnny Baldwin
From:
Long Beach, California, USA
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Posted 13 Mar 2014 4:46 pm
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| Better not leave out Doug E's Zum Stage One & Encore. |
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Bud Harger
From:
Belton, Texas by way of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Posted 14 Mar 2014 3:54 am How many steel players ?
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There have been threads here in years past that there are only about 50,000 pedal steel players on the planet ! Most own one. Some two...only a handful of collectors own dozens.
Maybe there are a few more players now, but 100,000 PSG's seems pretty close.
bUd |
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Greg Spence
From:
Union, MO
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Posted 14 Mar 2014 5:29 am
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I'm not sure, but...
there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee anthill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And anyone that unpacks his guitar can play
Twice as better than I will
_________________
MSA "The Universal" - Peavey Nashville 112 - Fender Mustang III amp - and way too many guitars |
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Dustin Rigsby
From:
Parts Unknown, Ohio
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Posted 14 Mar 2014 5:37 am Capri
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Craig, do you know the Capri story ? Never heard of it before? Now I'm curious !
_________________
D.S. Rigsby |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2014 7:34 am
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| Greg Spence wrote: |
I'm not sure, but...
there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee anthill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And anyone that unpacks his guitar can play
Twice as better than I will |
Complete with pedal steel courtesy of the late Zalman Yanovsky, played on a cable-operated Fender.
"pick it..." |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2014 6:15 pm
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| 57,479 |
Doug, I parted out a Fender 1000 the other day, so you need to update your records. 57,478.
_________________
Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 19 Mar 2014 1:40 am
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| Chris Lucker wrote: |
| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| 57,479 |
Doug, I parted out a Fender 1000 the other day, so you need to update your records. 57,478. |
And I built a pedal steel in 1971 that is not in the statistics, making that 57,479 again, but, then, the mechanism didn't work very well, so I converted it to a non-pedal console steel, bringing the figure to 57,478. Then, again, I restored two Sho-Buds about ten years ago, which have already been included in the "built" figure. Hey, this is getting too confusing for me. It's no good knowing how many pedal steels have been built without knowing how many have been scrapped, and how many are sitting around in people's basements, unplayable but might or might not be restored at some stage in the future, if the Good Lord's willing and the crops don't rise. Maybe some of you should sign up for my Procrastination Workshop... 
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=167784&highlight=procrastination+workshop |
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