Pedal Steel Prototypes

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Without spending hours searching the web to sate my curiosity, does anyone know where the first Emmons, Sho Bud, etc.,etc. ended up? It would be interesting to see them in 3D or 2D - interesting to me, at least..

Any links would be great.
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--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Billy Cooper has Emmons number zero at his shop. Or at least he had it there last time I visited.
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Bob

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Sonny Curtis owned Emmons number #3, I believe Mike Cass is in possession of this guitar now.
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D.S. Rigsby

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Billy Cooper actually has Emmons number one, 464001, from April 1964. I have Emmons number two from January 1964, so number two is earlier than number one. Number three is An August guitar. Number five is a July guitar. So the guitars did not get completed in order. The (two, I think) earlier prototypes that never left the factory are still with Ron Jr.

Billy Cooper's number one is nothing close to original. My number two is 100% Factory and Mike Cass did the Factory authorized addition of three original 1964 Emmons knee levers -- the original teardrop Emmons knee levers that were used on only the first guitars. Mike has some very special access to parts reserved for special guitars.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

George Seymour · From: Notown, Vermont, USA

Would sure love the chance to play that guitar Chris! I have two bolts but would love to hear the very beginning.
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Old Emmons D-10's & Wrap Resound 65, Standel amps!
Old Gibson Mastertones

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Any information on the first Franklin, Sho Bud, Dekley, Mullen, Rittenberry, Fessenden?

Chris, interesting stuff about the knee levers. I wonder if they are parts BE "borrowed" from Shot!

When I first saw pedal steels I thought they were called Emmons Sho Bud, but it was brand name overload.
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--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

These are a different tear drop shape.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Jonathan Cullifer · From: Gallatin, TN

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

You have to keep in mind that early versions of guitars evolved. The Emmons Push pull did not evolve into what could be called a "normal" Wraparound until after 15 or 16 guitars. With the first seven Emmons guitars there are very evident changes with each guitar.
Ron Sr told me that when they made Number One, the guitar after a couple in house prototypes, Number One did not work. Changes would not return and things were binding. So they took parts off Number One and made Number Two. It worked. A couple months later, they made a Number One that worked. Perhaps Number One stopped working properly and that is why it is non-original. I know that Number Five from Juky 1964 was returned to the Factory to be updated with 1965 Wraparound mechanics, such as the new changer fingers and pull rods with the hooks Etc. By new changer fingers, I mean the fingers commonly associated with push pulls.
Numbers Two and One don't even have real rear aprons. The rear aprons are lower than the cross shafts -- lower when the guitar is upside down. The cross shafts did not fit into both front and rear aprons.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Nice woody tone on that guitar!
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--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Chris, thanks for the info ! My number 13 does seem a bit like a prototype. If anybody wants to check it out I'm playing it at most of my gigs around town. I used it on my last recording session also. The original pickups are suprizingly hum free.
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Bob

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Thanks All for the info. Chris, Is it possible to show us a picture of yours and anyone else as well that has these early models. Would love to see them. Thanks, J.R. Rose
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

This is Number Two before Mike Cass' beautiful restoration. I do not want to send photos of his undersides because they show the original Emmons style tear drop knee levers. There are already too many fake Wraparounds out there.
Look at the rear apron. It is barely a rear apron. Number One was the last Emmons made this way. Look at how the pickup is mounted. Number One was the first Emmons with the pickup mounted the "normal" Emmons way -- the three screws suspending the pickup from the neck. This Number Two guitar, which is a few months earlier than Number One, has the pickup screwed to the top deck of the guitar. Those are single coil pickups, but they have a taller and skinnier coil shape because the pickups are actually taller than a "normal" Emmons single coil. They are taller because they mounted to the top deck -- lower in the pickup cavity. They are mounted over a couple echo chambers -- the holes cut into the cabinet for giving room for and accessing the control pots mounted to the inside of the neck.
Notice also that pull rods connect to fingers the early cast fingers with springs. this is a Bigsby idea, except Emmons used a rod rather than a cable, but the spring evens out pulls such as strings 3 and 6 on the E9. Also, look at the pedal stop bar stops. And the bellcrank shapes. When describing Emmons bellcranks, most guys say the old ones or new ones, or they just say fat or skinny. Emmons used four different styles of bellcranks in 1964 alone.
I have more "before" photos, and I can show the top of the gorgeous guitar after Mike Cass restored it, but I won't show the undersides. But I will say there is a reason Mike Cass is called upon to do all the correct early Wraparound restorations.

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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

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