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Topic: Early Obscure Builders 1945 -1970ish?? |
Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 5 Jul 2024 6:42 am Early Obscure Builders |
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There's a twenty year old thread just brought back to life in "Steel Players" titled "Steel Brands - update". In the last week I added quite a few things to it and I'm sure there will be more to come.
MLA
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone." |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2024 3:11 pm Re: Early Obscure Builders
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| Michael Lee Allen wrote: |
There's a twenty year old thread just brought back to life in "Steel Players" titled "Steel Brands - update". In the last week I added quite a few things to it and I'm sure there will be more to come.
MLA |
That is an interesting one, always funny to see these ancient threads re-appear. I guess I am talking more specifically about the older obscure pedal steels. That thread is pretty broad, I am not really interested in new steel guitars, but I will check out some of the names I have not heard of. Thanks |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 6 Jul 2024 4:27 am Selected listing...
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From the full listing posted these are most or all of what would be considered "older" or "obscure"...
And "pedal steels"...
Baggett, Be Jay/Ben Jack, Bigsby, Blankenship/Blankenship & Wheeler, Bossan, Capri, Carvin, Domland/Edwards, Electradair, Fender, Gibson ElectraHarp/MultiHarp, Guyatone, Hise. Howard, Marlen, Miller, MultiKord, National ElectraChord, Norwood, Pierce, Red-Kizer, Rickenbacker, Sahara, Teisco, Wright Custom, ZB.
MLA
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone." |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2024 5:07 am
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| Okay thanks! The older and weirder the better. New pedal steels are cool, but as a builder I am more inspired by the old janky looking contraptions that I look at and say "I could build that". Some of the newer steels look almost like something coming out of the Tesla factory. If I were a highly trained machinist with a full modern machine shop, it might be a different story. Most of my favorite steel music was made before 1970 so that is what I am talking about. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2024 11:57 am
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This is what I am talking about. Old weird funky cool!
These Kord Kings have really got me interested. Staggered pedals, both feet on the pedals, an old idea. I am very curious to know more about tuning , if there are any recordings.
Just found the copedant it actually looks pretty useful.
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Daniel Flanigan
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2024 8:17 pm
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One somewhat obscure builder was Lee Wheeler in Portland, Oregon. Lee had a little shop in which he built his 'Ped-All' guitars. They were built like tanks, super heavy, and sometimes a little bit ugly, but neat guitars. Mr. Wheeler was an interesting guy, and he was one of the first to build 14-string pedal steels in any real numbers, and he even made 16-strings and I think at least one 18-string. His shop was in Portland till around '78 or so, at which time he moved, but I can't remember where to. Nashville, maybe? I'm not sure whatever happened to Lee, but he did make some pretty keen guitars.
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I'm waitin' for the pardon that'll set me free,
But this ain't the movies, so forget about me. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2024 4:13 am
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| Daniel Flanigan wrote: |
| One somewhat obscure builder was Lee Wheeler in Portland, Oregon. Lee had a little shop in which he built his 'Ped-All' guitars. They were built like tanks, super heavy, and sometimes a little bit ugly, but neat guitars. Mr. Wheeler was an interesting guy, and he was one of the first to build 14-string pedal steels in any real numbers, and he even made 16-strings and I think at least one 18-string. His shop was in Portland till around '78 or so, at which time he moved, but I can't remember where to. Nashville, maybe? I'm not sure whatever happened to Lee, but he did make some pretty keen guitars. |
Thanks! Here is some info I found. Seems like he experimented a lot. Really interesting designs.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=191936
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=2382866
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