What influences the brand of guitar you play?

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Do we tend to play what our favorite pro plays, what we found on sale, or do we search until we find the one that fits? What influenced your decision to buy what you are playing now?

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Price.

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

I had a good friend that passed away about a year ago, back in 1975, he actually let me sit down at his brand new Marlen D-10 with 8&5, showed me how to hold the bar, puts those little metal pic's on my fingers and let me push the A&B pedals on the E9th neck, now, that little incident has cost me a small fortune over the years, but low & behold I bought that Marlen D-10 & boy is it a sweetheart, always heard how tought they were to tune, but someone here on the forum told us all how tune those suckers, and once you get used to that, your on your way to a great sounding guitar. I also have a S-10 Marlen with 3&4 that I use in church all the time. The D-10 is natural wood finish, very pretty guitar. I have had a chance to go back & play some of my earlier guitars, and it has been fun, specially the Marlens & the shobuds!!

Ernie Pollock Laughing

http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

When I first started playing (1979) I called up 5 players, and 3 of them recommended MSA, so I followed their advise.

The primary reason I chose a Millennium was the weight. I live on an incline and have to climb stairs to get from my house to the street. Now, every time I carry my steel to the car, my back thanks me.
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Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I've owned about 8, D-10's and 2 single neck steels in my picking life all of which were good guitars. I've aways chosen my guitars by first, tonal qualities and second by the feel of the guitar and third, the price. I really have never cared what other players play and have only once been talked into buying a guitar. It was a very good guitar and a major brand that alot of the pros play but just never could get what I wanted out of the guitar. Had no string separation. The guy that I sold it to, loves it.
I wound up with the 2 I have now and am very satisfied with either.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

I'm going to paraphrase something Herb Steiner once described regarding the connection between PSG and picker: "Lets make some music together". That sums up best, what does it for me. If a guitar "begs" me to sit down to it, and when I do, it feels and sounds right, that's the prime criteria.

For me, it's an Emmons "Original". I didn't realize that at one time, but I know it now. Laughing

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

I picked the first thing that came along and went from there. In this case it worked. In other cases I haven't been as fortunate...

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

My favorite sounding guitar is an old ZB,So what I look for is a wood neck guitar that sounds pretty close to that.I know most forum members are Emmons push pull fans and although they are great sounding guitars,it's not the sound that fires my rocket.I also look for an "Alive "guitar..what I mean by that is some guitars you can play lightly and ,harmonics just jump out of them?Other guitars that I have owned needed to be played too hard for those things to sound.I owned a guitar a few years ago and the 7th fret harmonics were almost non-existent?I don't know why.I never seem to influenced by what others play anymore.I also MUST have friendly customer service.The guitar that I play now sounds great direct,and sounds great thru every amp that I play out of,I'm pretty content...it's taken at least 30 years to find that. Cool

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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Price. But I'm lucky I was able to afford my Crown. I got a pretty nice guitar for a reasonable price.

Allan Thompson · From: Scotland.

1 Tone, 2 comfort, 3 easy to maintain, 4 price.

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

Quality and is it easy to work on. When I say, "Work on", I mean is it easy to move things around on and make pedal/KL changes. Is it easy to adjust to where it plays quiet and smooth. Colors or brands don't matter to me, as long it meets my requirements and has a good solid, full tone and stays in tune.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Hey Roger, good thread.

For me it is always about bang for the buck, unless it is a Telecaster, then it must say Fender on it. In that instance it's about HISTORY as much as it is about the actual Instrument.

For Steel, well, I've owned many brands , never had a Push Pull but that doesn't mean I won't ever.

Sho-Buds, MSA, Emmons etc...I liked them all..but..

Considering it is 2007, I want a Steel that is configured to do what ever the heck everyone else is playing on records,shows and more. And I want the ability to make changes fast should I desire to make them.

I want quality and I don't want to pay a premiuum or wait a year or two..

I like fooling with the mechanics but I dont want to make a career out of it.

I want to spend most ( over 90% ) of my time on top of the guitar not underneath it.

A modern era Steel, a reasonable price, a configuration that is way beyond my means and I am a happy camper. Tone is important but not #1. It is equal with the rest of the list.

this was the short answer Sad

tp

Robert Leaman · From: Murphy, North Carolina, USA

I want quality construction, engineering sophistication, factory support, long scale, excellent sustain, no cabinet drop, fantastic sound, long string life, and outstanding appearance.

Price is the last consideration.

I choose a Sierra Session D10, 8+7, Gearless.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Tone, playability, looks.

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Robert,

Sounds to me like you want an Excel Superb.
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Western Swing Music HOF, Sacramento 2006
International Steel Guitar HOF, St.Louis 2007
Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
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Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

Maybe I'm strange, but who plays what never enters into my decision to buy any guitar.If it had, I would have owned an Emmons among one or two other brands along the way.

Tone is low on the list because I have always been able to find an acceptable tone no matter what steel I bought.Playability,tuning stability,workmanship and looks are what I look for when I decide to buy a guitar.

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

Reliability and ease of maintenance were always my primary concerns. For so many years I had only one guitar, so having to send it off for repairs or adjustment was simply out of the question.

I've never had a problem getting any kind of tone I wanted, and looks don't mean a whole lot to me, either.

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

tone.....
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Chris Allen Burke · From: Signal Hill, CA

This is a good subject!
Until recently I have had only 1 steel at a time. I choose carefully and got mostly great results. I think tone comes first, then ease of maintenence. I could always depend on the Sho~Bud tone. I have done a lot of short gigs ( 1-5 nighters)(lots of showcases and sessions as well and didn't need mechanical issues or tuning hassels). I always worked on them myself, and have have a mechanical background and tools to do so. I now repair many brands. Love Sho~Buds!

1975-83 Sho~Bud professional 8X4
1983-99 Sho~Bud Super Pro 8X6
1999 to present Carter D10 8X6 Upgraded last year to 9X7
Also now, My old Super Pro coverted to S10 5X5 w/a 6 string Marrs/ Fluger RGS on the back neck. (This is presently my favorite Ax).
In addition, a Carter the same way as the Bud for road travel.
For the home studio, A very sweet Emmons blond laquer PP 8X7.
Keeponapicin'
CAB

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

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

Reputation & Reliability

Bill Cunningham · From: Atlanta, Ga. USA

Good topic Roger.

Tone is a given but is subjective and very controversial.

For me reliability and maintainability are key attributes. I am a mechanical klutz and could never own a P/P Emmons.

Availability and instant gratification are also key. When I make a decision, I want it! I would love to try a Zum but refuse to wait 12, 15, 24 or ever how many months it is now. There are many other great sounding guitars out there. And in the equation of (guitar+amp+talent+practice=musician) guitar tone is definitely not the limiting factor on me. Actually, I just noticed tone is not specifically in the equation!

Before anyone flames me for the Zum comment, I just used it as example because I think it's the longest back order out there now of the major manufacturers.

I recently got a new awareness of color. My guitar is green. I am subbing for Tommy Dodd in Always Patsy at 14th St. Playhouse. Looking at my guitar on that particular set from the seats , it is too distracting. The show is Always Patsy, not Always Steel Guitar. My next guitar will be a more neutral color. And the black ones sound better anyway Smile

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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA

Ulf Edlund · From: Umeå, Sweden

Around these part of the world it's pretty much a question of what you can manage to dig up.
It's not the hottest of markets.

Uffe

Randy Beavers · From: Lebanon,TN 37090

In 1978 when I went to Scotty's I made plans to privately check out every brand of guitar there. I wanted a guitar that sounded like an Emmons but had the mechanics of an MSA. I needed something I understood and could work on. (For the record, every push-pull that came through Tulsa was so far out of adjustment that I thought all of them were that way.)

After a few months of pondering I decided on the Zum since it seemed to have the best combination of everything. So.. I had to get on the waiting list. Back then it was 3 weeks! (Remember, it was '79.) I played that guitar 25 years with only operator malfunctions.

Now I've learned how to keep a push-pull up and running, and I own a great one, but after all the years playing a Zum, nothing else feels like "home."

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

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