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Topic: Early Black Emmons Advertising |
Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2016 11:26 am |
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...just came across some advertising sheets of the early Emmons steel guitars.
I understand the early guitars were finished with "black isinglass" __ anyone familiar with isinglass?
The early guitars were "stereo". Can anyone explain this? |
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Tom Quinn
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Posted 5 Mar 2016 1:26 pm
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I thought from another of your posts that you liked straight steels, not pedal steels?
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I need an Emmons! |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Tom Quinn
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Posted 5 Mar 2016 1:31 pm
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Give Greg a cigar...
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I need an Emmons! |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 5 Mar 2016 1:59 pm
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i thought originally they planned on 'mica glass' but for some reason ended up with formica.
and this may be why everyone refers to 'mica' when it may not even exist. |
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Mule Ferguson
From:
N Wilkesboro NC,
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 6:24 am
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http://www.isinglassvillage.com/mica-mining.php
_________________
Emmons La Grande D10, Zum Encore, Multicord,Marlen S10 1972, Nashville 112, Evans HVP #2, Peavey Profex ll, Martin, Merle Travis D28M Bigsby Neck.
D28 Henderson, Dobro and Tut Bro. Fender Tele, Stelling Stagehorn Banjo |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 9:14 am
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| Tom Quinn wrote: |
| I thought from another of your posts that you liked straight steels, not pedal steels? |
Indeed, I do like non-pedal steel guitar best; but I own and play pedal steel guitar. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 4:45 pm
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The two versions of the Stereo pickups were soapbar-looking -- think Mosrite pickups. Through the clear plexiglass bottom of the pickups you see a pair of coils wrapped on bobbins that look like file folder weight paper -- a little lighter than found in a Bigsby pickup. The coils have rod magnets and are dedicated to different strings. The bass side coil picks up what is going on with strings ten through six. The treble side coil does the same with strings five through one. The coils are offset in two straight lines. The bass coil is farther from the changer fingers than the treble side. There are black dials attached to pots to control/blend the Stereo functionality of the pickups. These dials are mounted into the sides of the cast aluminum necks. in addition, there are Stereo defeat and other switches as well. I am going to be vague about the dials and switches, because Frankly, I have not seen two STEREO Emmons guitars where the dials and switches work the same.
There are very few STEREO Guitars. I think Number Three, restored by Mike Cass, may be the only remaining one. Number TWO, a guitar older than Number ONE was never STEREO, yet it has dials. It also has a unique Emmons pickup. It is the guitar Buddy Emmons is playing in the 1964 Emmons brochure. Notice that the brochure copy talks about Emmons STEREO features, yet, Buddie Emmons (spelled that way then) is shon playing a non-Stereo guitar.
The STEREO did not work, so don't get too wrapped up in it. The coil fields did not balance. For example, the field for string six on the bass coil overlapped with the field for the fifth string treble coil. The STEREO defeat switch was the handiest feature of the STEREO system.
I have been told that the pickups were made by Stratosphere or whatever that correct name is. But I think they are Mosrite-made. Buddy Emmons said that the pickups were made by the same California company that made the early Sho-Bud pickups. I think he had to be wrong, because "California company" does not match "early Sho-Bud pickups." Stratosphere made the early Sho-Bud pickups, but they were not in California, were they? Anyway, I have never seen any Stratosphere pickups that resemble the Mosrite-looking Emmons Stereo pickups and also three of the other four early Emmons pickups, the mini-soapbars and the diagonal magnet pickups.
It is a mystery to me why the Stereo pickups are not extremely microphonic or radio signal receivers. The coils are suspended in air with a lone coil wire stretched between them. No shielding, not potting, no epoxy filling the cavity.
_________________
Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 9:25 pm
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Thanks Chris.
Seemingly a stereo steel guitar could be made to work well.
Top six strings and bottom six amplified separately would seem the right approach. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 10:13 pm
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Work well doing what?
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Mike DiAlesandro
From:
Kent, Ohio
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 10:23 am
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Was Neil Flanz's guitar a true stereo Emmons?
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 10:53 am
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| Chris Lucker wrote: |
| Work well doing what? |
Chris, obviously stereo sound (to me) would be producing two separate, complementary sounds to the right and left of the listener.  |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 11:00 am
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Yes, but I've talked to OODLES of people who want "stereo," but have no idea how they want the two channels to differ. If your left and right channels are identical, you don't have stereo, you have two-point mono.
_________________
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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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 11:19 am
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| Lane Gray wrote: |
| If your left and right channels are identical, you don't have stereo, you have two-point mono. |
...no revelation there!
Lane, I had an old Jeff Newman video cassette in which he was playing stereo, by using a delay with one of the two amplifiers. Of course I couldn't tell if it was stereo on the (then) VCR. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 1:06 pm
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| Mike DiAlesandro wrote: |
Was Neil Flanz's guitar a true stereo Emmons?
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That is Emmons NUMBER SIX, and It was STEREO, but it is no longer. Here is how it looks today with its single coil pickups. The STEREO pickups were switched out. Notice the unoriginal switch. Buddy Cage's teacher did the same thing with his Emmons NUMBER FIVE.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Mike DiAlesandro
From:
Kent, Ohio
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 1:32 pm
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| Thanks Chris, is this one of your guitars now? |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 1:53 pm
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No, I turned it down. Not because of the guitar, but the owner's terms. I was prepared to make a deal on the guitar and have it shipped to Mike Cass for a complete restoration and return to STEREO.
He was in Canada, and I am in California, so Customs inspection would be an issue.
He did not want cash. He wanted a Bolt-on in trade. Good deal for me.
He wanted me to send my Bolt-on -- a perfect Mike Cass restoration -- to him to try out. That is fine. But he objected to my insisting how he repack my guitar with my box and materials if he did not want to complete the deal. He said if he could not drop off the guitar at his shipping service, no deal. So, no deal.
I found a guy who would travel to pick up the guitar in person and he did the deal.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 2:03 pm
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Here is the oldest production Emmons -- Number Two -- January 1964 guitar. Notice, not STEREO, it never was. Number One, from April 1964 is likely to have been STEREO. Number One still has the dials in the necks but it has newer Emmons single coils and a new control panel on it now.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Mike DiAlesandro
From:
Kent, Ohio
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 2:10 pm
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| Wow, that is a cool piece of history, I had wondered what year the first production model was. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 2:25 pm
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There are a couple of prototypes that still exist that never made it out of the shop. They are crude. Forgot to add that they would surely be 1963s, but since they never left the shop, 1964 is the date used for earliest production guitars.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 2:50 pm
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Thank the lord for Chris Lucker and Mike Cass, two fonts of information that have made my life better for knowing them.
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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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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 3:14 pm
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I learned so much from you, Herb. Thank you.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 3:42 pm
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...'gawdiness is at a minimum'...
i like and trust chris and mike alot.
it seems occassionally they don't get the respect they deserve. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 4:13 pm
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...'gawdiness is at a minimum'...
Except maybe the red flocking underneath.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2016 9:02 pm
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| My first PP had red flocking. I always hated that. |
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