Miller D-10

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 1 May 2017 1:55 am

A friend of mine here in Maine found this guitar in a storage unit. Anybody care to comment on its age, originality or value?
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

I'd guess it's an early one. I have a D-10 that's probably early 70's and it's a pretty well built guitar. I had one that was a lot older; the machine work was fairly crude. This one is older. Maybe early 60's...? I'm not certain when Mr. Miller began building, but he stopped in the mid-to-late 70's.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

It looks like the Model T of pedal steels. Rolling Eyes

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

Heavy & pull release.

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

It looks all-original. Obviously, it is a Sho~Bud Permanent rip off. Notice the very few changes available on each neck. It was either built that way as a custom guitar, or the "standard" changes were not common yet. It wouldn't surprise me to find out it was one of the first built. I think the guy started in his actual garage. This one certainly isn't one of his better ones.

My two guitars had fingers for each string on both necks and came set up for basic E9 and C6 changes.

It could be a pretty cool guitar for someone with an alternative way of thinking about steel-playing. Modern playing would be hard to do. It's in pretty rough shape and the tunings are "permanent" so it's not worth a bunch of money, maybe $500? Maybe.

Most folks hate them... Rolling Eyes

...but I don't see anything wrong with them. You can't expect a Miller to play like a Bud, Emmons, Mullen...ect. It is what it is. They sound great!!
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Daniel McKee · From: Corinth Mississippi

Oh wow that is an early one. Mine is a 1965 model and this one looks even older than it. Due to condition and all I'd say 5-600 dollars. I will say that I really like these guitars and I play my Miller more than any of my others. This one looks to be all there so with a little cleaning I bet it would be a great guitar.

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

Here are a couple of pics to show you how much Miller changed in a decade or so. Still, you have a cool guitar, though it is primitive.

_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

I remember that years ago Tom Bradshaw put out a collection of the steel guitar articles from Frets Magazine.
If memory serves me right the series was called "Pushin' Pedals" and was by a man named Paul Graup or something very close to that.

Was very interesting reading written during the time that pedal steels were a new thing and there was so much excitement in the air about them.
Paul was in the Air Force when he wrote those.
In one of those he interviewed the fellow who built these guitars.

Now that looks like a pull release.
Strange is that the E9th seems to be on the rear neck with just three pedals, no knee levers and no F# & Eb on top so it is a very early one. Like a Sho Bud Permanent so late 50's or very early 60's PSG.
Also looks like quite a contraption set up to lower a couple of the strings on the C6th neck.
An interesting part of our history, but doubt it's worth much today because there is very little it will do.

From posts before mine it seems he like all the other builders was advancing quickly and seems his later instruments would have been much better to own.
A lot of these older ones had terrific tone.

If you get a chance to read that booklet Tom put out it was a fun read and puts you there in that time in our history. It's a time I missed except for that reading.
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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.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

I haven't heard from Paul Graupp in years, but he was a member of the Forum early on. I think he last posted here about a year ago.
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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?

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Thanks Herb,
Thats is the right spelling for his name.
I'd forgotten the way it was but remember most of his writing because it allowed me to get a feeling for how things were in the days that the steel was such a new thing.
I hope he is still an active member?
Perhaps I'll look him up for a PM to thank him for all the writings.
_________________
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.

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Dan Hatfield · From: Columbia, Mo USA

I started on a Miller in the early 70's. Played it about ten years, then went to Zum. My humble opinion: Millers make great boat anchors.

Daniel McKee · From: Corinth Mississippi

Over the course of them being built, a lot of changes occurred in the guitars. As man have stated the late 60's and 1970's models seemed to be of a bit higher quality. Also the scale length changed at some point and went from 24 and 1/4 to 23 inches. I've also seen some that had sliding/ adjustable pickups but I don't believe this was standard but it was an option when the instrument was ordered. Also the early ones didn't have roller nuts, mine just has a solid nut and I like the sound but I have tuned it down to D9th so I really never break strings. I'd like to hear opinions on the 23 inch scale models, did you like the sound or would the longer scale have been preferred ?

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

My first one was 24-1/4 scale. It had better sustain but broke 3rd strings more.

My "Model A" above is 23 inch. The sustain is acceptable. The only issue I have at all with it is up in the 15th-17th fret range it gets tricky to stay in tune just because of how close the frets get; it's hard to visually get where you're going; it's all ear.

For the jokers on the matter: if you haven't played a Miller set up by Mr. Simmons, you haven't played a Miller at all. I have 3 and 3 on the E9 and 5-1 on the C6, they play and stay in tune, it sounds as good, or better, than any steel I've played.

AND, a whole lot of truly great music was made (in fact the entire foundation of steel-music) on guitars with fewer changes than the Model T that started the thread. Just sayin'
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

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