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Topic: I don't understand this |
Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 16 Oct 2016 8:16 pm |
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The people downing the Sierras.
I had the pleasure of working on Andrew Wright's Olympic D-10 Saturday evening.
Plays like butter, sounds great. Other than the screws clamping pulls to shafts being extraordinarily tight, it was a joy to work on.
The only downside I see is the avoirdupois.
Or, is it impossible to mount a mechanical half-stop?
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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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Storm Rosson
From:
Silver City, NM. USA
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Posted 16 Oct 2016 9:11 pm
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| I don't get it either Lane. I haven't had much experience with Sierra's personally but my schooldays friend and eventual bandmate brother, Kenny Trantham, told me his Sierra S-14 was by far the best made steel period at least at that time (80-90's). |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 16 Oct 2016 11:01 pm
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It was Shakespeare, in his play Henry IV (1597), who first used "avoirdupois" to mean "heaviness." (Yeah, OK, I had to look it up!)
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Emmons & Peavey
Last edited by Steven Paris on 18 Oct 2016 5:23 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 1:43 am Re: I don't understand this
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Lane, in 1978 I worked in a music instrument store in North London here in U.K.....I asked the owner to import some steels. U.K. was already flooded with ZB's and Sho-Buds, so we thought we'd try Sierras. We ordered 8 of them and sold the lot. A S-12 extended E9th is still doing the rounds in Scotland...the first to buy it was Archie Nicholls a Forumite. I thought they were hard to adjust, but I'm no way a mechanic on steels  ...we delt with a guy called Don Christenson in Portland Oregon.
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 1:54 am
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I don't think Joe Wright would have used one if they were no good.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 3:19 am
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I've had three D-10 Sierras since I began playing and found each of them to be excellent steels except for the weight. In the future, I will go after another.
Buddy Emmons had a Sierra, and from what I've read, very much enjoyed the sound of the C6 neck. I know for a fact he wanted one I made a deal to buy so I said he could have first choice. As it turned out, he tried it and decided to pass on it and it ended up in my lap
Perhaps it goes to showi no two steels of the same brand are necessarily the same, Stevet |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 3:24 am Re: I don't understand this
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| Micky Byrne wrote: |
Lane, in 1978 I worked in a music instrument store in North London here in U.K.....I asked the owner to import some steels. U.K. was already flooded with ZB's and Sho-Buds, so we thought we'd try Sierras. We ordered 8 of them and sold the lot. A S-12 extended E9th is still doing the rounds in Scotland...the first to buy it was Archie Nicholls a Forumite. I thought they were hard to adjust, but I'm no way a mechanic on steels ...we delt with a guy called Don Christenson in Portland Oregon.
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
Hard to adjust? At least for the Olympic, just different. The only task I'd dread is monkeying with the knee lever linkage. The rest of it was a cinch, but with a slightly different mental approach.
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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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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 8:01 am
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The Olympic is hard to work on, but the Crown and Session models are easy. Lots of space underneath. I played Sierra pedal steels on all of my gigs for about 20 years, hot-swapping pickups between songs. They're great. Quasar Steel Guitar, the album that launched my web site, was recorded on Sierra Crown,
I'm currently re-rodding my 1978 Olympic S-12 as extended E9th. It's been through a lot of changes, but never actually gigged. I recorded my Diatonic Adventures on it, and the highly experimental Fuse Blue.
More traditionally, I recorded 4 gospel songs as steel guitar duets on a Sierra Session extended E9th https://b0blee.bandcamp.com/album/the-grace-of-god. I love Sierra guitars.
My next pedal steel will be a Sierra.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 8:12 am
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From my point of view their appearance is against them but that's purely subjective. They look as if they're made from a Meccano set (Erector set - US).
I have no doubt, though, that they're well built and a satisfactory instrument. I just enjoy a more traditional look, as shallow as that might seem.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 8:30 am
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I do wonder, with the permanent legs, whether one would gain much from a set of split cases.
Roger, perhaps Andrew will post pics of his, but the copper anodized and walnut/rosewood mica of his was utterly beautiful.
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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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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 8:48 am
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I am with Roger, They just don't look right. But I do know they sound right. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Dave Meis
From:
Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 9:32 am
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I loved mine, and the friend I sold it to loves it, too. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't have sold it to a friend!  Great guitar in all respects, and often wondered why they got less respect than others. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 10:01 am
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Many years ago, I gave lessons to a guy who had a Sierra. Played perfectly. But, I couldn't like the appearance, and definitely didn't didn't like the sound.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Gary Cosden
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 10:23 am
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| I had a Session 12 string that originaly belonged to David Wright for several years.I remember David saying in a post about Sierras that he thought it was the most solid feeling guitar that he has owned and I would agree. From my somewhat limited experiance (2 push-pull Emmons, a Performance, and the Sierra) the Sierra beats everything else hands down as far as pure mechanical feel is concerned. Finding my tone was a challenge but I did utimately come to grips with it and really liked the sound once I did. I'm not at all convinced with the design of the keyless tuners even though they work well enough. All just my personal view of course and nothing more. |
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Martin Abend
From:
Berlin, Germany
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 12:56 pm
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| The crown gearless I once had was the best pedal steel I have ever played. It literally played like butter, stayed in tune forever and was super easy to tune. It sounded great, too. It had a certain responsiveness that I have never experienced with another brand. Only problem was the weight. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 6:49 pm
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| Roger Rettig wrote: |
From my point of view their appearance is against them but that's purely subjective. They look as if they're made from a Meccano set (Erector set - US).
I have no doubt, though, that they're well built and a satisfactory instrument. I just enjoy a more traditional look, as shallow as that might seem. |
Many of us identify with the look of steel guitars from the period whence we first became aware of the instrument, especially if we were in our teenage years, and we identify and visualize ourselves with those optic images.
For example, when I first became aware of pedal steels and not lap steels (which I'd already known and played), the popular brands were Bigsby, Fender, Sho~Bud, ZBCustom, and this new upstart company, Emmons. There were Sho~Bud knock-offs like Marlen and Capri, but few were in Los Angeles. These were what a pedal steel was supposed to look like. I was 18 and wanted a Sho~Bud, but started on a Fender 400, which I could afford.
So what do I own now? Emmons, Fender, Sho~Bud, and Bigsby, though I play an Infinity most often on gigs.
The modern, forward look of the post-MSA era Sierra didn't fit my visualization, so I couldn't see myself playing one. A Wright Custom made during the Bigsby era, THAT would fit my self-image.
As far as a Meccano/Erector Set guitar, anyone remember the non-pedal guitar that WAS like an Erector Set? Someone refresh me on the name of this guitar from back in the '90's.
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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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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 6:51 pm
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| Harmos. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 6:53 pm
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Thank you, Jerry. I knew someone would remember that contraption.
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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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Jeffery Self
From:
Spring City,Tennessee, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 7:00 pm
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| Ian Rae wrote: |
| I don't think Joe Wright would have used one if they were no good. |
 SOOO true
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If it's a penny for your thoughts!!!
Why must everyone put in their two cents worth???
Remembering Larry Self (1936-2014) |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 10:14 pm
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| Emmons played a white gearless Sierra. Sounded like Buddy Emmons to me??? Julian Tharpe also played a Sierra. Sounded like Julian to me? Looks? I thought they both looked great. |
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 11:04 pm
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I agree whole-heartedly, with your last statements here, George.
Guess everyone has his own idea of what is best, Stevet |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 17 Oct 2016 11:19 pm
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Buddy's favorite C6 guitar was Sierra, his last guitar he bought before he passed was a Sierra... Sierra was ahead of their time, I believe they went out of business because their guitars were too expensive to make, Sierra guitars are mechanically superior to majority of todays, modern, steel guitars, and thats the fact, I see it every day... and they sound like, well, like whoever is playing it I guess, if someone doesn't sound like Buddy on his xyz brand steel, he wont sound like Buddy on Sierra either, in the other hand, Buddy always sounded like Buddy, even on Sierra 
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www.steelguitarsonline.com |
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Andrew Wright
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 18 Oct 2016 4:28 am
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Interesting discussion. My opinion isn't of any value, as I can't play worth anything, but in my short pedal steel "career" I've had several interesting pedal steels around to try out (Emmons LeGrande, fingertip Sho-Bud, ZB Custom, Williams keyless, Fessenden). I really like the Sierra. I like the feel, and I'm happy with the tone, and the aesthetics aren't a concern. It might be sacrilege, but as I came from the acoustic guitar world and its aesthetic sensibilities, I think the vast majority of pedal steels are pretty ugly. So this one's no worse than most to my uninformed eye! And I'm definitely a fan of the flip up legs...way better than taking 10 minutes per leg trying to hold it at just the right angle so the threads will bite.
I'll try to get a good picture or two up tonight. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 18 Oct 2016 5:03 pm
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Andrew, your Sierra is flipping GORGEOUS.
I'll say this: if someone came to me with a trade deal that would get me a Sierra and be close to equal values (8 & 5 Sierra and a 8 & 5 or 8 & 7 Marlen for my Zum?) I'd have to think about it.
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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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Andrew Wright
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 18 Oct 2016 5:22 pm
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Some quick iPhone pics...
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