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Topic: Williams Keyless.. ANY info..??? |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2005 7:58 pm |
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| there is one on FleaBay.. and its priced right.. I may bite, but I'd like to know if anyone has ANY knowledge of the Williams keyless guitars they can share with me...I'd sure appreciate it... bob |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2005 8:10 pm
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| My main axe these days is a keyless Williams DX-12. What kind of "info" are you looking for? |
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Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2005 8:45 pm
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| I have played Williams exclusively for nearly 20 years. Always keyless. They are super guitars with super sound. Bill Rudolph's single coil pickups are as good as any I've played. The setup is easy as pie to change if you want. Very well made instruments. [This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 20 June 2005 at 09:46 PM.] |
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Ron !
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Posted 20 Jun 2005 11:11 pm
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Bob,this Williams has been on there atleast 4 more times.I think that the seller has a price in mind that is a little higher then what's on there right now.
Hope you get lucky my friend.
Ron |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 3:22 am
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b0b.. just general info I guess.. Easy to change set up? I guess parts would be no big problem as Williams is still around..
This is a wood neck guitar and its an old model. Supposedly,it has bee "upgraded" with late model components.. What do they sound like?? .. The seller states its "mellow like a Sho Bud"..
Ron.. Yeah I guess he's having some trouble selling it... I wonder why it keeps showing up? It sure looks ok.. I may go for it.
I keep wanting a lacquer guitar, Bobbe just bought a Bud from me, so I have the money, and this Williams interests me.
I guess I would prefer a late model Williams w/standard peghead, but the price on this one looks very enticing!!! bob |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 3:26 am
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Bob,
I play a Williams U-12, keyless, laquer finish. Had it now about 10 years. It's my only steel. Great sound, good string separation, easy to change pedals/knees around, excellent mechanics [tho, a bit cramped for space]. The weight factor [about
42lbs/w case] is also a plus.
Bill Rudolph is a great guy to deal with and he makes sure you get just what you want. |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 6:32 am
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Having owned both, I like the keyless better. I can change strings faster, and there's much less hysteresis than on a keyed guitar. Like maybe 2 cents compared to 5 cents with tuning keys. Hysteresis is not audible on my keyless Williams.
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 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 6:45 am
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You won't be disappointed with a Williams. It is an excellent guitar and Bill Rudolph is a super guy to do business with. After all, he's Minnesotan! You know what they say about "Minnesota nice". 
Erv |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2005 8:37 am
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You betcha!  |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 8:06 am
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| I'm REAL close to jumpin' ALL OVER this, but the seller has NO feedback which makes me pretty skittish!... Looks like a NICE guitar!... bob |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 9:57 am
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| That is a very nice guitar. I'd say it's worth well over $1k. |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 10:24 am
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I agree with everyone else here, I had a Williams keyless for about 8 years, it was a great playing and sounding guitar and extremely lightweight, I wish I still had it. It seemed to take me longer to change strings on with the keyless tuner, so when I bought my new Williams 400 series in '99, I got the conventional tuners. The guitar on Ebay looks like a good deal so far.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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mike nolan
From:
Forest Hills, NY USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 10:33 am
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Bob,
I know the guitar... and the guy selling it. The guitar plays well... but is a bit cosmetically challenged. It is very light and portable. I like the tone... it is different from my 2004 Williams... I probably want to say more MSAish. The young man selling the guitar is a good guy. I have played with him. He is doing some interesting, non-traditional, stuff on C6. I wouldn't worry about his lack of feedback. |
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J Hill
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 12:06 pm
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Where is this guitar on ebay? I can only find 2 in the previous 30 days and one is not keyless and the seller of the other has one feedback, a negative.
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Ron !
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 2:53 pm
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| Who's the lucky winner? |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 5:01 pm
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Bob,
Forgot to mention that my U-12 is a first series Williams and not a 400 class.
I ordered it sight-unseen. Saw a picture of Wally Murphy playing one in a P.S.G.A. frequent flyer. Inquired with BR over the phone on many occaissions. Listened to steelers' comments here on the forum, and finally said [price was a big factor as well - very reasonable - compared to, UH, Sierra] "I'll take one". Even had Bill make the legs 1" shorter to accomodate my body size.
It's been 10 years now, and the beautiful natural birdseye maple is mellowing, and so is the guitar. I sense that it now has that mysterious broken-in feel.
And another thing. My Williams is very compact. You feel like you have dominance over this beast. Like sitting down to a dobro on legs.
Before the Williams, I played a Sho-Bud D-10.
I could play stuff, but felt that the knees were so wide apart, that there had to be some other guitar where I could move quicker and without so much stretching. Williams to the rescue. It's a big deal for me.
But....I can't drink as much beer playing the Williams vs playing the SB. With the SB, your legs could wander and nothing really happened. But with the Williams, one wayward
leg stray would cause that instantly recognizable sound all steel players dread - the unwanted P/K contact.
Hope this assists you further, BC
cf |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 7:20 pm
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I BOUGHT IT!!!.. geez I HATE to hear its "cosmetically challenged".. The price WAS right.. I won @ $881... If it plays well, its a keeper..
I really need to add a few more changes, I think I can still get parts from Bill .... It absolutely MUST be able to drop the 3rd down a full tone, as that is a basic part of my copedent.
I'll have to change it from C6 to E9, but I don't imagine these are too tough to work on.. I have no problem with Buds, MSA, Dekley BMI, and one or two others... Anyway, I'll give it a shot,, if I like it, I keep it, if not I pass it on at the same price I paid[thats fair right?] to someone who can appreciate it. Its got to be more tuning stable than a Sho Bud I would think.
I hope its not all beat up looking, the seller didn't mention the cosmetic issues in his description... bob
 .. bob[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 22 June 2005 at 08:25 PM.] [This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 22 June 2005 at 08:27 PM.] [This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 23 June 2005 at 04:12 AM.] [This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 23 June 2005 at 04:16 AM.] |
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Jerry Malvern
From:
Menifee, California, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2005 7:58 pm
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| Congrats on the new axe Bob. I was bidding on it too and had all the same concerns you had. Please post your opinion after you receive it. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2005 9:05 am
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Congrats on the Williams!
This reminds me that I need to dig mine out of my instrument loft and get to playing it. I bought a Williams D-11 (!) keyless many years ago from Carco Clave, but events have prevented me from doing the messing with it required to make it a playable axe.
Mine is an early guitar, and is really "cosmetically challenged" - lots of scratches and dings. Carco told me that the keyless tuner came from Sierra- apparently before mr. Rudolph invented his own? Anyway, the keyless tuner setup is really nice.
Carco did a bunch of custom things to it like installing a BOSS tuner at the switch plate, etc. Alas, that tuner has disintegrated. I plan to rewire it back to stock and refinish it (it has a bunch of "character") and the finish is a semi-opaque black lacquer that pretty much totally obscures the maple.
I figured a D-11 would be really cool because I could have both a high D AND a high G on the c6 neck. And a low E for E9. But then I decided that my little brain can't get used to that extra string- my grips are all off. Besides, I currently have 2 emmons legrandes- so I can keep one set up for practice/studio and the other for gigs.
So the D-11 will be strung D-10, at least for the moment.
Anyway, I think they are great instruments. I hope you enjoy yours.[This message was edited by Lynn Kasdorf on 23 June 2005 at 10:07 AM.] |
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mike nolan
From:
Forest Hills, NY USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2005 11:40 am
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Bob,
The cosmetic issues that I noted were not really bad... It isn't "like new" though. Bar dings, and that sort of thing.....Parts are easy.... Bill has an active business, and is a great guy to deal with. The guitars are very easy to work on. The Williams changer that is in my guitar can do anything that I have tried so far.... so you should be OK. Congratulations...... |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2005 6:44 pm
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| Thanks Mike.. sounds like just what I'm looking for,IF the seller gets in touch!!.. STILL no response after a day and a half... bob |
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Kevin Mincke
From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2005 8:48 pm
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Yah shure......
and I don't even like that stygmatism placed on us |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 23 Jun 2005 9:05 pm
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| And the saga continues... |
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