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Topic: Help identify old steel |
Smokey Fennell
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 11:19 am |
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Can anyone tell me about this steel a friend bought recently. These name on the front says ESTATE. Is it a one off home made or was it production?
Any ideas on what those white buttons were for?
Does anyone have ideas for making it playable again?
_________________
Smokey
2 Carter guitars and some Peavey stuff and a Hilton pedal and picks and a bar too
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs... There's also a negative side." -- Hunter S. Thompson |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 12:12 pm
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Looks homemade to me. Looks like paper clips were used to connect the rods (and cables?) to the changer fingers. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Smokey Fennell
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 12:15 pm
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I think somebody replaced original parts with any odd thing lying around. The cable pull looks original to me.I'm not sure about the paper clips. They may have been special order.
_________________
Smokey
2 Carter guitars and some Peavey stuff and a Hilton pedal and picks and a bar too
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs... There's also a negative side." -- Hunter S. Thompson |
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Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 12:24 pm
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looks like it's meant to be a lefty, but set up backwards in the pics. Pedal cranks are on the back apron (but so is the knee lever)
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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 1:46 pm
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Looks like a Frankensteel to me. 
Erv |
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Smokey Fennell
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 2:38 pm
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It absolutely is a Frankensteel. A friend bought it and wants to make a project of getting it working again.
_________________
Smokey
2 Carter guitars and some Peavey stuff and a Hilton pedal and picks and a bar too
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs... There's also a negative side." -- Hunter S. Thompson |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2021 5:28 pm
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I see one part that you would find on a Roberts the crank near the changer, but that is it. I cannot recall what Roberts fingers looked like. I thing the rod hooks come from the pedal steels made by Office Depot.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2021 8:21 pm
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I remember seeing a Lawn Mower/Small Tractor with a model name of ESTATE. Not sure if it was in the USA or Canada. The name plate looks familiar.
For the 3 white buttons I would guess from the wiring in the photo. The pickup has been tapped for 3 different OHM resistances for the pickup. By pushing each button down in some order would change the tone of the pickup.
If you could hook the amp, jack to a Multi/OHM meter may show resistance changes by pushing the buttons on and off, 1 2 or all 3 at once. Just a guess. |
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Ron Carter
From:
New Zealand
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Posted 10 Apr 2021 9:24 pm
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| The basics are there ,just needs a few radical modifications and a ton of patience. ok to learn on perhaps. a spare time mission |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2021 4:24 am
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| Ian Worley wrote: |
| looks like it's meant to be a lefty, but set up backwards in the pics. Pedal cranks are on the back apron (but so is the knee lever) |
Ian,
It could possibly be a special pedal setup for someone right handed but had a leg disability of some sort necessitating shifting the pedals off center like that. I remember Jim Lindsey had wanted something similar after he had his stroke
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Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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