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Topic: How many new PSG's this year? |
Niels Andrews
From:
Salinas, California, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 6:27 am |
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I wonder how many new from manufacturer pedal steels were delivered in the last 12 months? Any ideas?
_________________
Die with Memories. Not Dreams.
Good Stuff like Zum S-12, Wolfe Resoport
MSA SS-12, Telonics Combo. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 11:22 am
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I don't imagine there were many. Only real professionals order new ones nowadays. The rest of us are happy to play used machines. The days of the mass production of pedal steel guitars are behind us, unfortunately. The majority of steel guitars produced nowadays are cheapo imported six-string lap steels made with leftover parts made for electric guitars, which is why they're all 6-string and aimed at the "slide" players.  |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 1:06 pm
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I bet it's well under one hundred.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 1:07 pm
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For pedalsteel there is a waiting list for most builders now so I would assume at very least a couple hundred. I see new GFI steels showing up all over the place. With the Zum and GFI beginner guitars the number may be higher.
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Bob |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 2:15 pm
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Well I know where at least one new Zum Hybrid is residing 
_________________
14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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DG Whitley
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 3:23 pm
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Jeff Scott Brown
From:
O'Fallon Missouri, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 8:14 pm
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| Roger Rettig wrote: |
| I bet it's well under one hundred. |
That would surprise me. I know that volume has to be low, but I didn't realize that it might be that low. If I take a stab at what "well under" might mean and say it means something like 25, that means that something like 75 new PSGs were delivered in the last year on the whole planet.
I am not saying that I believe you are wrong. I really don't know. I hope that the thread evolves. I am curious now.
_________________
GFI Ultra S10 Keyless
Peavey Nashville 112
Goodrich L120, BJS, Peterson StroboPlus HD |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 8:41 pm
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I bet every maker you can think of averaged 1 a week, and Doug doubled that. And Bent much less
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 14 Oct 2014 8:52 pm
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There was a thread about this a couple of years ago... about how many PSGs have been made in total, and each year. I think a lot of steel guitarists over-estimate the number of PSGs the companies make each year. My estimate would be about 400 a year Total, including the student models. Not including lap steels. When Carter was in business they sold a lot of student models.
Back in the 1970s I was told by a very reputable dealer/player that most of the companies sold less than 100 per year. He said "the big 3" at that time, Emmons, Sho-Bud, MSA sold more than that each year, but the smaller companies didn't. I would guess that fewer PSGs are made now than were made in the 70s and 80s. Many players don't realize that most of the steel companies are small family business with just a couple of employees and there is very little demand for pedal steel guitars, in general, in spite of what we think. 
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Mike Mantey
From:
Eastern Colorado, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 9:56 am Mullen
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Well some are off. I just counted for amusement. We delivered 130 in the last calendar year.  |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 10:19 am
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Thanks to my friend Mike for sharing that quite proprietary information. Since Mullen has among the highest presence in most steel shows I've attended in the last more-than-several years, I'd venture to say they are the top producer of late, averaging a little over 2 guitars a week, but with more than one person doing the fabrication and assembly.
I'd estimate that most of the one or two man shops who promote at steel shows, and through word of mouth, probably average two or three guitars a month, maybe four on a busy month.
I'd certainly welcome more information if any builders or players more knowledgeable than I would care to be forthcoming.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Mike Mantey
From:
Eastern Colorado, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 10:58 am
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Herb buddy I believe you have it nailed. We have been reduced to a skeleton crew more than once and our output suffered. Whether we are the top I don't know, doesn't really matter.
Steel Guitar is not dead, it may be headed in different directions and such, but this information I provided was so our great community can get a better idea of what is going on. Knowledge is a powerful tool.
Most importantly is to push the instrument itself in whatever direction you can. We are very Blessed and appreciate all the great support.
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 11:04 am Thanks Mike
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This thread comes up almost every year. I talk to lots of builders and usually do not comment.
From knowing how many Matching seats I sell and know all do not buy new seats I usually wonder how people come up with the numbers.
The other one that tickles me is that there are no young steel players. I have talked to 3 this week so far. There are lots of young players but they do not come to steel shows - many are out making a living.
In Dallas every year there were several.
My observations from selling seats.
Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 11:14 am
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When you look at the number of pedal steels that have been built over the years, and you add this year's number into it, I have to ask where they all went. 
Is it just that there are ten times as many people on the planet as there were in 1950, so the proportion of steel guitars per thousand people has gone down but the total in existence has gone up? Allowing for those put away into storage, how many have been dumped? I myself can't imagine anyone discarding a pedal steel, although I have at least one that has encountered so much corrosion to the woodwork, having been submerged in a flooded cellar for ten years, that its restoration might not be worth undertaking.  |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 1:06 pm Who Knows?
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Who Knows for sure...
The numbers of 100 to 200 seem very very low to me.
Just look at how many forum members there are.
Many of them are buying new steels and many have two or more guitars.
Many people selling steels on this site are moving up to a better guitar.
I'd bet the numbers are at least a thousand or more even in a slow year.
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 1:19 pm
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Andy, I'd say that just Mullen and Doug Earnest alone DOUBLE that 200 guess.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Doug Earnest
From:
Branson, MO USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 1:24 pm
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| I have a pretty good idea that GFI makes quite a few more than anyone else. |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 1:46 pm Who really knows
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I know nobody is selling huge numbers of steels like the big companies that build 6 string guitars, but a total of 200 seems to be way low even for something like this.
A friend who was working at Gibson Montana for years told me they did 50 per day in just the acoustics.
I'd bet Tom Bradshaw or maybe B0b would have a very good estimate if asked.
Maybe Dale Mullen or one of the others bigger companies would pipe in with an estimate? Maybe not?
I do remember years ago that Sierra and MSA both did a lot of airplane parts to help make ends meet.
For a lot of steel builders it's a labor of love because these guys have the talent to make a lot more money doing something else.
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project. |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 2:27 pm maybe a start
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Maybe first you need to list all the builders - then are you talking USA only?
15 or so in the US alone
Joe
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 3:15 pm Re: Who really knows
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| Andy De Paule wrote: |
| ...For a lot of steel builders it's a labor of love because these guys have the talent to make a lot more money doing something else. |
Andy is absolutely right. All the steel guitars I've made since 1963 have been because I wanted to. As an accountant I could earn a lot more dealing with clients' accounts, as I did before I retired. If I priced out the labor I put into them at the rate that I used to be charged out at they would be prohibitively expensive.
I would follow that up by saying that I've been a participant and organizer of the Northern California Association of Luthiers for about twenty years, so I know most of the string instrument builders in the western states. People ghasp at what they charge professional musicians for hand-built instruments, but most of them only build a few each year. If you were to work out their charge per hour most of them could earn more selling hamburgers over the counter. I've never seen a wealthy instrument builder. They all do it for the love of the art, and the satisfaction of knowing that they've created something that's going to be making music long after they're gone. |
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W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 3:54 pm
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| It is my understanding that rains has produced quite a few guitars. Just something to think about re: one/two person operations. Gary told me he was building 14+ hours a day when he was in the thick of it. |
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Jeff Scott Brown
From:
O'Fallon Missouri, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2014 8:33 pm
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| Alan Brookes wrote: |
Is it just that there are ten times as many people on the planet as there were in 1950... |
I think there were around 2.5B humans around 1950 and are currently around 7B humans. Those aren't numbers that I keep in my head (thankfully). Your comment caused me to do a quick search and numbers like those seem to be the consensus.
_________________
GFI Ultra S10 Keyless
Peavey Nashville 112
Goodrich L120, BJS, Peterson StroboPlus HD |
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