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Topic: Marlen S-8 |
Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 2 May 2018 7:04 pm |
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I've played guitar for ages, but never a steel. I just got this old Marlen 8 string and have a few questions about it. The underside is so crude (wooden bearing points!?!). Has this been gutted and "restored" at some point or is it just extremely early? There are other odd things like screws in the inside of the head/key casting that don't do anything and a ton of small holes on the underside as well. I have the pickup out to rewind because it's dead. So, is this a rarity or a lost cause?
Thanks!
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 7:20 am
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You've got more of a project there than I'd care to take on.
It looks like it's been rode hard and put away wet too many times!
I suggest turning it over and use it to plant flowers in.  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 May 2018 8:33 am
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| Looks like an early-to-mid '60s Marlen...except for the cabinet, fretboard, pedalboard, and the pull mechanism underneath. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 8:37 am
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| It looks like someone turned a woodpecker loose on the underside! |
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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 8:44 am
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| At least the legs are legit! Hahaha. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 9:24 am
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| To spend any more money on this "guitar" would be throwing good money after bad. |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 3 May 2018 9:42 am
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Good luck with your project. It looks a bit overwhelming, but I have seen some guys on here restore some basket cases in the past. You just have to have the tenacity to stick with it and see it through. 
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 3 May 2018 11:21 am
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| No roller nut = a recipe for disaster |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 3 May 2018 11:38 am
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Perhaps this might be a good candidate for converting to a non-pedal console steel guitar.
How do the strings attach to the changer fingers? |
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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 12:41 pm
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| Hi, Lee! I haven’t strung it, but I believe the strings insert through holes behind the pickup and wrap around the top. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 3 May 2018 12:53 pm
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This is a very early Marlen, very early. It has all the characteristics of an early S~B Permanent, like crude assembly, welded bellcranks/crossbars, and no roller nuts. No roller nuts were common on old Sho~Buds and Bigsbys, and that hasn't hurt their value any. If this were a Sho~Bud, guys on here would be encouraging you to restore this guitar.
Parts can be found to make this guitar whole. It'd be a project but I bet it would wind up as a cool guitar for retro-style gigs. If I owned it at the correct price I would do a restoration. But that's just me.
I don't think it would be anyone's first choice as an everyday driver, but it's a curiosity piece that would be historic, IMO.
_________________
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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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 12:58 pm
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| Hi, Herb! What confuses me is that every pic I find of a four pedal 8 string Marlen has a completely different mechanism underneath. There are certain flaws that seem to be inherent in the design (like not enough room to install the top screw in the top tuner because of the "curly cues"). |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 May 2018 1:24 pm
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| richard burton wrote: |
| No roller nut = a recipe for disaster |
Herb's right, the early Fenders, Bigsbys, and Sho~Bud permanents were like that, too! (Marlen started using roller nuts sometime in the mid '60s.) Normally, there are pins in the changer fingers for the strings, but I can't tell for certain from the photos if they're still there. It certainly looks like someone has removed them and drilled and countersunk the holes? Maybe to feed the strings through from underneath? Anyhow, Leonard always had nice cabinets, and this one looks too plain for his builds. As well as I can remember, pedal steel cabinets from the '50s and '60s didn't have sharp edges like that.
Puzzling, that's for sure. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 3 May 2018 2:07 pm
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I'm certainly no expert, but I think that perhaps the uncharacteristic plainess of the cabinet and the crude undercarriage is evidence that Leonard and Marvin* had not yet decided on what the guitar should look like, and the Sho~Bud-style welded undercarriage was basically duplicated.
The peghead and endplates are definitely Marlen, no? That's why I'm thinking this is a REALLY early Marlen.
* I never met Leonard Stadler, but I became friends with Marvin Hudson from the ISGC shows we both attended. He introduced himself as the "Mar" in Marlen, but I was never clear on what his involvement was or what he did in the shop. The personality of the guitar is all Mr. Stadler's.
_________________
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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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 3:39 pm
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Here we go: The strings do go through the fingers. The cabinet does have binding similar to later Marlens as well. (Not sure why my pics get turned sideways...)
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 4:08 pm
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If you are mechanically inclined, and had some old pull-release type parts, you could make it work. Miller steel guitar parts could be made to fit, for instance. The copedant would be changeable, not easily, but not like what you have now. We can only guess as to what those parts were meant to do, tuning-wise. And, a lot of the parts are gone.
I think it's a cool guitar. A few like to discourage folks who find such strange guitars, but many of us would like to see something like that thing played. But, realistically, as a pedal guitar it needs everything fixed. If you can't, or don't want to tackle it, pass it on to someone who can and will. I'm with Herb...it's very interesting!
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 4:20 pm
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I probably wouldn't have been interested in it if it was in playable condition. My heart tends to go out to these basket case type instruments. One look at the anything-but-straight pole spacing on the pickup told me that this was as close to homemade as you can find in a "company" built guitar.
I'd definitely like to see more pics of other Marlens of this era to get a better idea of what all has been changed. |
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Russell Adkins
From:
Louisiana, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 5:02 pm
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| This would be a great resto project, ya got end plates legs and a body , a changer and a few other parts could be made without much difficulty, fill all the holes up with some tooth picks sand them down a little paint or whatever and you would never know they were there.A couple hundred buck would probly do it if you did it all yourself |
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 3 May 2018 5:17 pm
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Not that different from an early Sho Bud Permanent to my eyes. I like those early guitars.
Dave |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 3 May 2018 6:30 pm
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| Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement! I've got a lot to learn by researching the site to decide what direction to go in. I'd still love to see other examples of original 8 string Marlens for comparison though, so feel free to post some pics! |
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Steven Hudson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 4 May 2018 12:38 pm
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This isn't an S-8, but maybe this will help you date the steel. This is the only photo I have of an early Marlen. I can date this picture to between 1960-1963. I noticed the metal end pieces are straight where your S8 has what might be described as more ornate end pieces. If you look at the guitar in the brochure it has the same end pieces. This might date it around the mid 60's. 65-66. They both share curly maple, inlay, and square Marlen plate. Hope this helps.
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Shane Byrd
From:
Lynn Haven FL, USA
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Posted 4 May 2018 12:46 pm
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| Thanks, Steven! |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2022 12:57 pm
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I just picked up this cute little Marlen 8 string in the link below. I hear it's been making the rounds  ...killer tone!
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=308748
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Andrew Goulet
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Posted 27 Jul 2022 2:33 pm
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If you like the guitar, are handy,and don't mind sinking some money into it, I think it would be a cool guitar.
The simplest pull-release setup doesn't put a raise and lower on the same string, which would help you avoid tuning issues because of the fixed nut.
_________________
Marlen S12 and a ZT Club |
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