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Post new topic Guys, can you help a friend of mine?
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Author Topic:  Guys, can you help a friend of mine?
Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 24 Jan 2007 10:17 pm    
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Guys and gals, a buddy of mine works at a local pawn shop, and he got this homemade steel in. It's a real mishmosh of parts, it's left handed... he has no clue what to ask for it. I can say this much; it does tune. I got it that far. Can you guys and gals look at the pics, and tell me what parts are involved? I can tell the Emmons fretboard, and the MSA floor pedals; the rest I'm at a loss for. He stuck a price tag of $399 on it; I'm really not sure it's worth that, even. Any help and advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Here's the link for the album:

http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/strange%20steel/
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/
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Murnel Babineaux


From:
Mermentau, Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 24 Jan 2007 10:38 pm    
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The keyhead is either an MCI or MSA. It looks that way to me.

Murnel
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Jim Palenscar

 

From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
Post  Posted 24 Jan 2007 10:42 pm    
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Lots of MSA stuff- esp undercarriage(bellcranks, pedals, pedal brackets, crosshafts, stops), ~ as well as keyhead and alum. end of neck mounting changer.
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Ron !

 

Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 1:40 am    
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looks like a Sho-Bud changer to me.

Ron
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Mike Wheeler


From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 4:46 am    
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Well, the undercarriage, changer, roller nuts, and keyhead look to be very early MSA parts. The body looks homemade.

Both my children are left handed and I know the lengths they will go to when they need something "changed" to work lefty. This looks like a lefty's attempt at a conversion.

It would be quite a project for someone to build a new cabinet, but probably not worth the effort....maybe someone would want it for spare parts, though.
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Best regards,
Mike
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 5:04 am     IMHO
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Yes, playability aside, there seems to be at least a couple of hundred dollar's worth of parts there. If it comes with a decent case, it's probably worth $399.
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Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 5:16 am    
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I didn't see the case, but he said something about homemade plywood... Crying or Very sad I'll ask him...

What kind of PU is it? Can you tell?
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Mike Wheeler


From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 6:08 am    
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Can't identify the pickup, but I can tell that it's the wrong one for that steel's string spacing. That PU was made for wider string spacing.
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Best regards,
Mike
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Mike Sweeney


From:
Nashville,TN,USA
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 10:33 am    
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That guitar use to belong to Jeb Baldwin who moved back to North Carolina. I know he had a lot of tuning issues with the guitar. The parts are probably worth something though.

Mike Sweeney
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Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2007 3:48 pm    
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Mike, that's amazing that you know the guitar, and the previous owner. I will pass the info that all of you have supplied along to my buddy. Feel free to add more, if you can.
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
David Mullis

 

From:
Rock Hill, SC
Post  Posted 26 Jan 2007 7:38 am    
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ooops!

Last edited by David Mullis on 26 Jan 2007 7:40 am; edited 1 time in total
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David Mullis

 

From:
Rock Hill, SC
Post  Posted 26 Jan 2007 7:39 am    
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Judging from the mount and the spacing. I know Emmons spacing is wider than MSA (owned both). I'm thinking that may be an early Emmons pickup because, the early ones had solid black top plates, not the black/white/black that came later. The only reason I'm not 100% sure is, because it's hard to tell if those are 3/16 magnets or 1/4".
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