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Topic: Eddie Gabbard's Speedy West Marlen |
Ricky Davis
From: Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 9:26 am
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This is truely a cool story of the restoration of this Classic "Speedy West Marlen" Custom made for the late Eddie Gabbard by the late Leonard Stadler.
I just loved every minute of bringing this Marlen back to life for the Gabbard Family in Memory of a Man that was on his way to being a true Legend of the Steel guitar as you will see from the small history of who he played with, in the quote below.
quote: Clarence Edward “Eddie” Gabbard
Born: July 11, 1930
Died: October 8, 1979
Eddie was born in Dardanelle AR. He started playing a Fender Pedal Steel in his early teens. He grew up in San Joaquin Valley during the hey days of California Western Swing scene. He played with Jack Thornhill and The Royal Texans and sat in with Spade Cooley, Billy Jack and Bob Wills’ bands. In 1951 Eddie chose a career in the Army as a helicopter pilot over his music.
He was stationed in Germany twice and served two tours in Vietnam but never gave up the love and dedication for the Pedal Steel Guitar. During this time he played with several bands, Benny Kubiak and The Blue River Playboys, Jim Brisco and The Rainbow Valley Boys. He also entertained his service buddies though out his years in active service. He retired from the Army in 1976 with rank of CW4.
After the death of Paul Bigsby, Eddie was in search of a builder that could build him a second Pedal Steel with the expert workmanship that he had found in his Bigsby. He contacted Leonard Stadler in the early 70's and together they designed this 1971 Marlen Speedy West with the custom tunings and pedal changes that Eddie used. Although Eddie, Leonard and Paul are no longer with us, their Custom Pedal Steel tones and craftsmanship will live on forever.
Thanks
The Gabbard’s
More pics Here>
http://www.mightyfinemusic.com/house_of_wood.htm
Ricky |
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John Billings
From: Ohio, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 10:05 am
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Ricky, it's stunning!! I don't know what else to say. Great job!
JB |
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Guest
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 11:39 am
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What a gorgeous instrument. Is every Marlen beautiful or is it just you, Ricky?
Ha! Thanks for the pix and the great story. |
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Jody Cameron
From: Angleton, TX,, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 11:52 am
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My Gosh Ricky!! This is the best yet! Truly beautiful. |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 1:49 pm
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Wow ! Ricky does it again
that there's a real purty guitar ! |
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Bill Ford
From: Graniteville SC Aiken
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 4:42 pm
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Ricky,
You just keep on gettin them beauties back to where they should be,great job as per usual....
A word on Mr Leonard Stadler if I may,,when we were refurbishing my S12,we used one of his 10 string changers and pedals from a previous take-off,a call was put in to him asking advise on adding 2 changer fingers,he not only advised us on what/how to do it,he sent the parts at no cost to make it an S12.Sorry to say,he passed away before I had a chance to send him pics of the finished guitar.
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Bill Ford |
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Ricky Davis
From: Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 10:45 pm
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Thanks everyone for the kind words.
Bill; what a cool story.....and believe me, Leonard can see your Steel now and he is smiling down upon us.
Ricky |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From: Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 10:53 pm
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Well, this guitar is kind of personal to me, having visited and being a close friend of the Gabbard family. All I can say is, Thanks Ricky, you're da man!!! I hope to visit them soon again and get to play this guitar. What do you think of the tunings Ricky?? We should tell these guys, that they're all but standard. I have no idea, how Eddie came up with them, except he had something similar, only less pedal changes on his Bigsby.
Oh and a slight correction to the story, Eddie didn't play a "Fender pedal steel" in his teens, but a Fender Dual 8.
Thanks again Ricky!!! |
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David L. Donald
From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 16 Mar 2004 2:42 am
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Ricky as usual a beautiful steel leaves your hands, and goes to happy owners.
Reading that bio it's clear anyone raised in,
San Joaquin
was destined to be a steeler. Murph certainly is on the list of steel saints here.
Can anyone post this unusual copedent of Eddie's? |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From: Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 16 Mar 2004 3:29 am
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That's what I'm hoping Ricky will do, since he now knows them better than I do But while he's at it, I can tell you the tunings were Bb6 and E13.
- Edited to say; if there's anyone who can, and is willing to bother and post jpg's here, I can email him Eddie's original handwritten copedants. I believe those papers were the ones he used when he ordered this guitar. [This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 16 March 2004 at 03:40 AM.] |
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Ricky Davis
From: Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2004 9:30 am
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Hey Jussi; I love these tunings....what a nice set up and MAN does this Marlen sure sound good.
Here is the Hand written Setup that Eddie and Leonard did together...and I have made a couple of string guage changes but this is the Set up of this Killer Steel.
Ricky |
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Rick McDuffie
From: Benson, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 9:50 am
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The logo says "Marlen Custom Guitars"- and they really were/are.
I've heard several people say that, while Leonard was building their guitar, they'd check into the local Reidsville motel and that they and Leonard would build the guitar together.
These written notes are also interesting... incidentally, Lenny Stadler says that Leonard used to take brown kraft paper shopping bags, split them open and use them to keep his manufacturing records (serial numbers, customer names, etc.) with an ink pen. When he filled one up, he would roll it up, put a rubber band around it and place it in a drawer... it was just one of Leonard's idiosyncracies. |
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Rick Schmidt
From: Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 4:53 pm
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Just beautiful Ricky!!! You make em sparkle my friend!
I was curious about floor pedals #5&6. How hard was it to "time" the pulls with common pedals on both necks? How heavy is the action on those 2 pedals? Is this a sho-bud kind of bell crank all pull system?
Sorry to ask so many questions bro...
Rick |
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Ricky Davis
From: Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 7:30 pm
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Rick M.> yes indeed "Custom" is right...Lenny has alot of those cool stories about his Dad...and we are truly blessed to get to re-live them from him....Cool story.
Rick S.> I would shut down this server of b0b's if I was to explain in detail of how this system works..ha...>there just isn't enough webspace pal..ha.
Long story short.
This is a pull-release system...meaining you have a single Finger per strings. And the finger sits in a balance free position if it is raised and lowered and holds it's position by the tension of the spring at the other end of the rod that lowers. The pullers(bell cranks as ya'll call'um) are on round cross bars raised off the body of the guitar....so you either pull the rod or release(return) the rod. So you can actually have pullers on the same cross bar for both necks and can function how ever many fingers(strings) per neck for a given pedal or knee. Each finger will time itself by the two hole puller and 5 hole finger; depending one where you have the rod set on both ends.....so eventhough you are functioning several strings per neck with one pedal or knee...It is timed by its own adjustment of the start and stop screws and leverage of the end plate tuning screws.
Gosh non of that makes any sense does it?? ha....
Well when set up right...this system can be as stable and smooth as a push pull...and all depends on the tension of the springs you have.
Basically tunes like a push pull..as you tune the change at the tuning keys; than you tune the open note at the finger...yeee haaaa.
Oh and that 6th pedal is just a little stiff..ha...but it moves man....and this is such a killer set up its Scary.
Ricky |
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Sonny Priddy
From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Mar 2004 3:43 pm
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Jeff Newman Had A Gteat Looking Marlen He Played In The Hank Williams Jr. Movie . I Have Seen This Guitar Down At Jeff's Also. SONNY.
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