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Topic: Strange Seven String Steel |
Ron Landis
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2018 6:22 am |
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I'm just curious if anyone knows anything about this. I acquired it on eBay several years ago and had the non original six pole pickup replaced with a seven pole. It's VERY heavy. The cast aluminum plate has a lot of rhinestones and the border has abalone pieces all around it. The knobs and the case look like it's from the 1940's to me.
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2018 2:25 pm
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No idea what it is, but it's interesting to say the least. An odd mixture of the pedestrian and the sublime, with it's Valco-ish painted and silkscreened body and fretboard combo and the ornate custom mounting plate and headstock attachments.
What is its scale length? How does it sound? |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Joe Elk
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2018 6:51 pm
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I wish I knew. Fantastic steel.
Joe Elk Central Ohio |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 Dec 2018 10:04 pm
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| The name Maestro was used on some plastic coated (MOTS) guitars, which aren't likely any relation to this one... |
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Charles Stange
From:
San Francisco, California
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 9:44 am
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in searching out clues to the "B" logo, this 2013 SGF thread showed up, similar lap (looks to be the same guitar, missing screws in headstock), also no conclusions as to origin....
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=2152954
edit: I see now, same owner, same question..
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Charles 'Skip' Stange |
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Tonu Timm
From:
Estonia
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 1:35 pm
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Not from Baltic region and not from Russia either.
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GFI Ultra SD-10, BearCreek Weissenborn, Herrmann style 4 Weiss, Åberg W2 Weiss, Hermann Baritone Weiss, National Polychrome Tricone, Fender Champ Lapsteel, Epiphone Electar Century 8-string, Quiter Micropro Mach 2 HD, Nashville 112, Zirconia bars, Bob Perry picks... |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 2:12 pm
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My guess would be Germany or Eastern Europe.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 2:55 pm
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The machine heads and pots might be clues to the guitar's origin.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Ron Landis
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 3:33 pm
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Here 's a few more photos...
The designs have a cloth-like texture so I think they're printed on with a silk screen. That, along with the chrome plated badge and cast plate would seem to indicate that this was meant to be repeated, as in production. But the whole fretboard is bound in steel in a way that suggests it's a one-off. I forgot I posted this before and that the eBay hype on it was that is was a house steel for some Chicago radio station. One comment on Facebook was that "it looked like something that slipped through the Stargate".
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Ron Landis
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 3:37 pm
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One more to show the steel binding...
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Ron Landis
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 3:54 pm
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| Jack Hanson asked about the scale and sound. It's only 22 7/8" which is probably why the strings feel so loose. The nut is too low as well. The sound is alright but the pickup could be closer to the strings. I have a new single coil pickup 7 poles but the guy who installed it put in in pretty low. He also had to chisel it out to make it fit and commented on how hard the wood was to carve. It's VERY heavy and dense wood. |
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Ron Landis
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2018 4:55 pm
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| I have come up with a theory. If there's any truth about it's Chicago origins, it's possible this was made by someone at the Bally's -Midway manufacturing. They made pinball machines and slot machines and were based in Chicago. They would have had all the stuff needed to produce this thing. It does sort of look like an antique slot machine in a way. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 26 Dec 2018 1:13 pm
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| I second the pinball theory. |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 26 Dec 2018 3:03 pm
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Just speculating: Has anybody considered that the ´EB´ on the bottom of the cast plate might indicate that this was made by or for Ernie Ball? FWIW, the ´B´ on that plate looks nothing like the ´B´ in the Bally logo.
Whatever, whenever and why ever, it sure is one cool guitar. 
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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