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Topic: Build or Re-build Your Own |
Joe McHam
From:
Houston, TX * R.I.P.
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Posted 15 May 2006 11:04 am |
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We would like to hear from those who have built or re-built their own PSG.. What's available on the market in terms of parts...end plates, pedal bars, puller systems, fret boards...pedals.. We have a project that we have been considering.. Am I a crazy ole goat, yeah probably.. since we turned 65 the 13th.. Or maybe this is a project that I can now do since I have more patience..
Hope to hear from as many of you that built or re-built.. rolled their... own Joe in Houston
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Joe McHam (Old Goat From Houston)
Excel Superb S-12 8+6
Vegas 400
Fender Princeton www.joemcham.com www.in-loving-memories.com
[This message was edited by Joe McHam on 15 May 2006 at 04:32 PM.] |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 15 May 2006 1:06 pm
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| It depends on how good you really are at building things, and what kind of tools you have. Rebuilding isn't nearly as hard as scratch-building. Most anyone with a lot of time and a modicum of skill can do a rebuild, but I'm convinced that 98% of the steelers out there couldn't scratch-build something as good as they could buy for the same or even less money. Unless you really enjoy that kind of thing, your time might be better spent. |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 15 May 2006 3:43 pm
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| I am with Donny here, I would rather be practicing, learning and playing than building, maintaining.. etc...why re invent the wheel? |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 15 May 2006 11:05 pm
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Anything "off the shelf" is going to have a convenience factor built in. Having built and re-built a number of guitars, I can promise you that it creates a strong "bond" to the instrument, which is really important when it doesn't work as well as you had planned on.
Patience and obsessive/compulsive traits are going to be a plus along with a basic understanding of mechanics. These are not complicated machines and what appears to be complex is more likely, a lot of the same thing. By that I mean, if you understand the relationship between a pedal, the bell crank and a finger, raise or lower, you understand all of them. It's going to be really helpful if you have access to a Bridgeport Mill or something similar.
My primary guitar is a rebuilt Sho-Bud Professional, where I kept the body (that was split into 2 pieces), keyheads, changers and legs, replaced the pedal board with one from a Fingertip and tightened up the tolerances (like squaring up the ends of the changers and keyheads where they came in contact with the necks.)
Then I spent a couple hundred hours redesigning and fabricating the mechanics underneath. I've been playing it for the past 13 years.
Good luck |
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Ron !
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Joe McHam
From:
Houston, TX * R.I.P.
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Posted 16 May 2006 6:56 am
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Thank you all for replying to my thread...
Donny and Bo.. your comments are well taken.. I may very very well be inventing the wheel with this project..
Chas beautiful job on you ShoBud.. The pixs looks like you did a super design on the mechanics..
Ron we would like to see your project when it is finished.. That is beautiful wood body.. It should sound great..
Again thanks..
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Steven Black
From:
Gahanna, Ohio, USA
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Posted 18 May 2006 4:17 pm
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| I have started building my guitar, but it is looking too much like an emmons guitar, probably because I used Emmons key heads, I had to fabricate my own endplates which turned out pretty good, emachine.com helped cut them for me, and also my new keyheads will be made by them. I an having pictures made of my beast to post here on the forum soon, I have a see thru cherry red lacquer finish on American hard rock maple. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 18 May 2006 4:27 pm
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| Just for giggles, I sat down and did some ball-park guessing at how much it might cost to build my own steel (buying all new parts). For a D10 8+5, the total came up to well over $3,000. Unless you've got some fabrication equipment (or a very good friend who does), it sort of pays to buy a completed steel. |
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Colby Tipton
From:
Crosby, Texas, USA
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Posted 18 May 2006 4:59 pm
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Donny,
I contacted someone that had a lot of parts that I figured I could use, and it came up to $2,500.00 bucks for parts, I would have to make the cabinet. I will just play an old Sho-Bud from now on I guess. If I was young and I could do the machine work it may be a different story. Joe if you have the time and the equipment (machines) it may be fun to try to do, don't count me in. Its to much work just trying to figure out what to play on without building 1.
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Steven Black
From:
Gahanna, Ohio, USA
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Posted 19 May 2006 2:50 am
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| Hello Donny, the reason I started this project is because I have access to a Machine shop that can make most of the parts, all I have to do is create my plans and make the parts, but I can only do one guitar, not many guitars. |
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Joe McHam
From:
Houston, TX * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 May 2006 7:16 am
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Thanks for all your responses.. they are all appreciated.. We have an Excel Superb Universal @ www.joemcham.com which I think is one great, very light weight pedal steel, and it sounds great also.
This is more a labor of love project, and something for the old goat to do, when not doing my Honey Do's.... We are mechanically and electonically also. We spent our entire federal career in electronics and computers. We have also taken a mini milling machine and adapted it to CNC capability... With that all aside, your comments are all appreciated...
Colby is the Palms still there.. we use to jam years ago with Jimmy Blakely and his band. That was in 1972 while at Reese AFB and Jimmy may be gone now..
Thanks,
Joe
[This message was edited by Joe McHam on 19 May 2006 at 08:19 AM.] |
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Daniel J. Cormier
From:
Lake Charles, LA, USA
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Posted 19 May 2006 8:12 am
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Took a Wilcox SD-10 and rebuilt it with an Emmons Legrande Changer Key Head,and Neck. Sounds great looks kinda like a short head LeGrande.
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Daniel J. Cormier Whatever D-10 I happen to have at the moment.
EVans FET 500 LV ,ProFex II
http://www.cajunsteelguitar.com email at djcormier@cox-internet.com 
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Carlos Polidura
From:
Puerto Rico
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Posted 19 May 2006 9:58 am
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i rebuilt my emmons pp about a year and a half ago. very hard work. gentlemen, don't try this at home if you are not serious about it. it's very hard and delicate and dedicating work.
carlos |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 19 May 2006 7:39 pm
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| The first guitar I tried to rebuild was an Emmons S-10 push-pull. I had no idea of what I was doing and I proved it..... |
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bill mitchell
From:
chattanooga, tn usa
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Posted 21 May 2006 7:43 am
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| Joe...I one of those who lets the pros design and tweak the D-10...but it reminds me that you once had a guitar back in E.P. that must have had 20 pedals on it. What was that thing? |
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Joe McHam
From:
Houston, TX * R.I.P.
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Posted 21 May 2006 9:59 am
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Bill good to hear from you.. It was a Wright Custom build by Chuck Wright, and it was a D-12 with 14 pedals and 6 knee levers..
It was a beautiful steel that sounded great, stayed in tune, nice birdseye maple, and was very heavy. Hope all is well for you these days. .. Drop me an email..
PS Your emails are bouncing..
Joe
[This message was edited by Joe McHam on 21 May 2006 at 11:51 AM.] |
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