Needs Help With Antique Pedal Steel

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I got this in email:

quote:
Hi
My father has an Epiphone Electar Zephyr that he bought used in 1951. We think it was made in 1950. In those days you had to have the pedals and metalwork for the pitch changing added after buying the instrument. His father made the wooden pedals for it. He still plays it. Lately, it seems to need some work in the mechanism that controls the string pitches.. these are the little bars that are connected to the chains that connect to the pedals. (the arm bone connected to the shoulder bone
My Dad lives in RI and his teacher was Joe Petteruti in Providence, RI. Rico Turchetti (Prov, RI) was one of his pupils as well.
So we are trying to find someone, hopefully nearby, who might be able to work on it or at least look at it and guide us further.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's a great looking vintage instrument and is worth repairing.
Please contact us at sadhukitty@yahoo.com and pabbatomarco@cox.net
THANKS
Sincerely,
Lisa and Philip (dad)

I never heard of this instrument. Can anyone here help them?

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Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com
-System Administrator

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

What this gentlmen is asking is a homemade
steel guitar. I owned this very same model before the "F" bug bit me.

This model Epiphone Electar Zephyr was top of the Epiphone line of steel guitars at that time. Since Rico Turchetti had the very same instrument which Rico himself claims to have invented, it would be best for this gentleman to do a search for Rico
Turchetti. I'm sure Rico would,and could help him. Other than that I have no clue if anyone knows anything about the technical design of this home spun guitar,and yes there were chains attached to the pedals.
Perhaps this was Rico's guitar. Rico was well known in the New England area for his fine playing and expertise on modification
of Epi guitars into pedal steel guitars. He was the only person I knew of that did this to a steel guitar. It was either modified by Rico or possibly sold to this fellows dad by Rico. Rico told me he used (get this) chain from a toilet to pull the pedals.I'm serious. I asked him,,if you used toilet chain Rico,how do you flush the toilet? to which he replied by pressing my 4th pedal.

Rico was the winner of the Arthur Godfrey show back in 1951 a few years before me.

The last contact I had from Rico was that he lives somewhere in Florida.

He might try a search for Rico on the net or
contact the AFM in Florida for his address.

Rico is one of Tom Morrell's favorite steel players.

b0b,can you copy and paste this to this fellow?

Thanks...edited for "take these chains from my heart and set me free.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 04 June 2003 at 06:00 PM.]

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 5 Jun 2003 2:29 am

bOb,
In the book "Epiphone-The House of Stathopoulo", there is a photo of Rico with Arthut Godfrey.
Here's what the caption says:
"Arthur Godfrey is amazed as guitarist Rico Turcetti puts JosephPetteruti'sRube Goldberg like invention to use-The guitar is a Century Hawaiian"

I've sent you a copy of the photo, maybe you can post it here.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Here's the picture of Rico Turcetti:

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Thats it.
You can see Rico's Epiphone amp behind him.
He played St.Louis Blues the night he won the Godfrey Talent Scout Show. This photo was taken during Godfrey's Wednesday night specials.

Thanks for this..he was, and is a fine player.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

boy that's a funny set up

is that a gibson amp behind him ?

Larry Harlan · From: Hydro, Oklahoma

Well, we see it's got at least 8 pedals!

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Crow
I posted the make of amp.,,Its an Epiphone.
Can you not see the Scroll "E"??

David Doggett · Posted 5 Jun 2003 12:36 pm

Any recordings of him playing?

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

I am bumping this up for the guys that didn't see it. Ricco Turchetti, who died at age 81, was inducted into the Steel guitar Hall of Fame in 2006.

I actually heard his rendition of the "St.Louis Blues" , which was a lot like Alvino Rey's version, that we copied in those days,on the Arthur Godfrey Radio Show, when he won that week, in 1951.

Arthur was highly impressed by his home built guitar and his playing...al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

He's obviously from a northern climate since he's got it set up for landing on snow.

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