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Topic: What steel is this? |
Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 10:48 am |
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Was just looking at this video of Buddy Merrill and was wondering what steel he's playing.
It looks like a Fender from the fretboard, tuning pans and the diamonds on the front but the body is much thicker than I would expect. Is it a pedal steel? But it's a triple?
I'm guessing it's a prototype that never made it into production? |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 11:06 am
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You didn't include a link to the video to which you are referring.  |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 11:58 am
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| I don't think it's a prototype. The Dual/Custom models and Stringmasters were fully developed at this time. My opinion is that this is a Fender parts guitar in a custom built "cabinet" i.e. tuners look like they are from a Stringmaster, fretboards from a Custom or Stringmaster, trapezoid pickups...perhaps various other parts/wiring (and diamonds on the front) with the woodwork all custom built by somebody. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 12:55 pm
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If you click on the SHOW MORE link in the video Desription it says:
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| Here Buddy plays his custom steel guitar, an instrument that Buddy made in high school shop class using Fender steel guitar parts, but built to resemble Speedy West's blonde maple Bigsby steel guitar. The plaque on the front says "Custom Made By Buddy Merrill." Play it, Buddy! |
The poster appears to be Deke D., an expert in honky-tonk, hillbilly guitar music. The song is "Bye Bye Blues".
IMO Buddy's Quad Stringmaster blows away that guitar and every other guitar he played on the Welk show, including his Emmons push/pull.
Like Welk says... excellent Steel Kut'-tar!
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Last edited by Doug Beaumier on 30 Nov 2014 3:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 2:26 pm
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Well spotted, Doug.
Of course, Deke D. is none other than Deke Dickerson...
And he talks about that very guitar in his latest book "The Strat In The Attic Volume 2"
In fact, that part of the book is available here as a free extract...
Link to Google Books extract. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2014 4:42 pm
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
IMO Buddy's Quad Stringmaster blows away that guitar and every other guitar he played on the Welk show, including his Emmons push/pull.
Like Welk says... excellent Steel Kut'-tar! |
Those You Tube clips of young Buddy Merrill on the Lawrence Welk show are just wunnerful, wunnerful.
I remember being forced to watch that show by mom & dad throughout my childhood and adolescence. About all I could handle was Buddy and Neil (although I did have kind of a crush on little Janet Lennon). |
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