Steel brands - update

Max Laine · From: Pori, Finland

How's Amerloha (made by Magnatone?)
How about this oddball: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2507740784&category=2384
And then there's one named Sherwood: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2507639795&category=2384
Oh yes then there's GES (or is it G.E.S.?)

Sam Minnitti · From: New Rochelle, NY

Bowman Steel Guitars made by our very own Bobby Bowman

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Bethel

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Ian,
On your list you've got Endicote...That should be Endicott. As Herb S. said they were made in SoCal by ol' Rex....JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

I think that brand from Germany is WBS, not WBM.

Allan Thompson · From: Scotland.

There used to be a company in Livingston Scotland that made Springfield Steel Guitars.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thought of two more:

Harmos (made by T. Sage Harmos)

We Need the Money Guitars (made by Rex Blattenberger)

Ian McLatchie · From: Sechelt, British Columbia

All additions and corrections noted and list duly amended. Thanks to all, and please keep 'em coming. Again, my apologies for some glaring omissions - I obviously screwed up somewhere along the line in transfering my original list a year ago, in the process losing such "minor" items as Carter and Emmons, along with Blue Star and a few others. A special apology to Sage Harmos for neglecting to add the Harmos, merely one of the finest instruments I've had the pleasure to play, and one which I've praised on this site a number of times before.

One item on the list which I've certainly never heard of, and for which I'd like confirmation, is a German brand, Weisenborn. The only Weissenborns I know of are neither European nor electric!
Anyone have any info to offer here?

As for the question of why the list includes only electric steels, R.L., I certainly don't argue with your definition of resophonics (or for that matter, any type of acoustic lap guitar) as a steel, but if anyone's going to take on the compilation of a list of acoustic steel brands, I promise it won't be I. From the '20s through mid-century, an untold number of acoustic guitar makers issued what were advertised as Hawaiian or Hawaiian steel guitars, even if in many cases these were just regular Spanish guitars with an extension nut. If these are to be included on a list of steel guitar brands, the list will run to well over a thousand items, I suspect. Beyond that, where do you draw the line on defining an acoustic steel? A fixed, raised nut? Fixed, raised nut and straight saddle?
Some combination of raised nut, straight saddle, square or hollow neck, resonator or . . .? Nah, I'm not touching this one. It's all yours.

[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 11 February 2003 at 03:09 PM.]

Tommy Detamore · From: Floresville, Texas

Unless I'm mistaken, I didn't see the GES, made by George Sell. It was pictured in the Winnie Winston book, and a fine player named Josh Dubin owned one at one time (maybe still does....?)

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Tommy... total recall, my man!

I think I have total recoil!

Winnie should comment since he had a GES guitar. I think they were pull-release guitars, like the Sho-Bud permanent or the Marlen.

BTW, I saw Josh a few years ago and all he had was a Zum, and wasn't playing hardly at all. Working for a computer company and being a good husband and father. One of my favorite people of all time.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

You two boys might have total recall or recoil, or whatever, but you ought to read more carefully in the first place.

See Max Laine's post above.

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

There was a pedal steel guitar built in the North Idaho Panhandle area up until at least the '80's (possibly in Sandpoint?), but for the life of me there's no way I can remember the name of it

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Uhhh...it wasn't "Domeland", it was Domland.

Michael Wilson · From: Willard, Ohio, USA

Herb, Tony Zitnick was a good friend of mine when I was living in
San Diego back in the 70's and 80's. I lost track of him since I've moved to Ohio. Also another very good C6th player out there named Ray Ferguson. Super player on the C6th neck. Sure would like to know where these guys are now. Tony use to bring some of his inventions in to me to try out. I remember one that I kinda got a laugh at with him, and that was a bar with a light on the tip of it. It was a nice novelty thing. Bringing back some good memories....good friends. God Bless them all.

Jeremy JT Young · From: Loretto Tennessee, USA

I see Payne steel guitars on this list. I've owned one for several years. Well built and Great playing pull release guitar. Does anyone know any information on this guitar? Looking for production times, who built/designed and where. Not really interested in selling it. I just like to know the history behind my instruments.
Thanks ahead of time for any info.
JT Young
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JT Young, Living the Dream. Smile, make a positive impact on someone else's life today ! 😊

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Performance, made by Jerry Brightman as I recall. Also, the Growler and Sho-Nuff are some newer entries into the fray.

Terry VunCannon · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

I still have my V-MUSE Lap Steels out of NC.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

Jackson Steel Guitars built by Shot Jackson's two sons, David and Harry

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

Aria (Japan)
Bradway
Conqueror (Canadian rebrand of various Japanese instruments)
Electradair solenoid pedal guitars (Fresno CA 1949 on)
Givson (India)
Herbert Hise (Chicago)
Kalina (Harlin Bros rebrands of various student lap steels, some Multi-Kords, and the Uni-Kord non-pedal console version of the Multi-Kord)
Kord-King alternate spelling of Chord-King (Australia)
McKinney (two different studio/store operations in Peoria IL and Texas rebranding student lap steels)
National ElectraChord 1948 heel and toe pedals
Ren-Kizer is the correct spelling as I have letterhead correspondence
Vorson (most or all from Viet Nam)
MLA
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

Artisan
Audiovox
Danville
Del Vecchio (Brazil)
Dillion
Duesenberg (Germany)
Eastwood
Fouke Industrial
Harley Benton Slider Series (Germany)
Hermsdorff (Germany)
Jackson-Guldan
Jedson (UK rebrands)
Marvel
Peavey Power Slide
Rex
Revelation
Rogue
Stella
SX Rondo Music
Tonemaster English Electronics (Norman English Michigan)
MLA
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"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

A few more that are missing and/or have come and gone since the list was originally compiled in 2003:

LIndgren (Sweden)
Musima (East Germany)
Rellogg (East Germany)
Klira (Germany)
Hudson
Justice
Infinity
Magnum
Desert Rose
Schild
Texas Pedal Steel
Encore
Rittenberry
Show-Pro
Exstar (Japan)
Stage One
Moyo
Clinesmith
BSG
Ben-Rom
Rukavina
Rains
Sheffield

By the way, this should be moved to "Pedal Steel".

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

There is another Australian pedal steel: Perina. I don’t know how many were made but the great Kenny Kitching played one until recently. Also someone in Perth was making an aluminium frying pan stee, Ben Franz has one.

Steve Cattermole · From: California, USA

Infinity,built by Frank Carter

Susie Fine · From: North Carolina,USA

Dennis A Brown · From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Justice
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Justice S10 3x4 > Goodrich L120 > Roland Cube 80XL > MOTU M4 > Logic Pro
Supro Jet Airliner (reissue)
PRS Custom 24 SE
Roland FA-06

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