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Topic: The Techs n our life! |
Scott Henderson
From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2013 7:45 pm |
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Been having some work done and just wanted to publicly thank my friends who keep us up and running. Thanks to Eddie Lane for over hauling my JCH. I love playing it again. And thanks to Keith Hilton for keeping me in volume pedals...
I always say I play em till they break then I find someone to fix them....Thank God for guys like these......till next time....(something needs an overhaul...LOL)
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D-10 JCH Dekley U-12 D-8 Magnatone Mullen RP Evans RE 200 profex 2 BJS bars
Dentyne gum (peppermint) |
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Allen Peterson
From:
Katy, Texas
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Posted 2 Aug 2013 4:59 am
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Scott,
You are absolutely correct. Where would we be without them. Bobby Bowman tweaked my Rains last month. I couldn't figure out what to do. He spent about an hour with it, and it now plays like magic. Most of these guys are not only good techs, they play good too. After Bobby fixed my guitar, he showed me a couple of new things I hadn't considered with split tunings. Forever grateful.
Allen Peterson
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2008 D10 Rains Pedal Steel, 2000 D10 Carter Pedal Steel, BR-9 Lap Steel, Nashville 400, Nashville 112, '65 Fender Twin Re-issue, MB 200, Telonics Volume Pedal |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 1:51 am
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| I'd add Mickey Adams to the list of technicians. He's exceptionally skilled at playing, teaching and fixing pedal steel guitar. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 8:13 am
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yeah these guys are great. however, to answer the 'where would we be without them' question, we'd be figuring out how to fix it ourselves if we wanted to play!
the same as if we couldn't afford to hire a mechanic. |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 1:39 pm Supply and Demand = Steady Work For Mechanics.
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There are some among us who arent particularly mechanically inclined (myself especially included). Sure one can say "Its not rocket science!", then get out the hex wrenches, screwdrivers and thread dies (you'll need to spend a little on tools) and get to work. I did, but I had a helluva time putting my U12 back together when I first purchased a bag of parts and a half assembled C6 setup. I eventually got it to work, but it wasnt perfect. Indeed it was a good learning experience and I know a lot more about the workings of its parts, but there is a great deal of time and effort involved, especially with no prior knowledge or instruction.
Like cars and computers, most folk dont really know how they work, and rely on experts to get them into shape when malfunctioning. Though pedal steels arent quite that complicated, many would prefer spending time learning to play one that works properly rather than about its maintenance and assembly.
I certainly agree that if you cant afford a mechanic, learning how to be one is a great solution! Once you know what you're doing, you can then charge others for the service. 
Last edited by Clete Ritta on 3 Aug 2013 2:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 2:13 pm
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I sure have gotten quite a bit of help from tech guys over the years. I would have been dead in the water many times without them. Just a couple weeks ago Bobby Bowman worked his magic on one of my steels and I ran into Susan Alcorn who was having her guitar worked on also.
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Bob |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 4:11 pm
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When I first started playing I realized I'd have to figure out how my steel worked and how to fix it if I wanted to keep playing. I knew quite a few players who would be out of pocket for weeks when a little thing went wrong. Over the years I've tried to learn at least basic setup and maintenance on many brands, to keep both me and my students going.
That being said, there's no substitute for the knowledge and experience a real tech brings to the table, and some of the subtle tweaks and secrets they've learned over the years can make a LOAD of difference, especially with something like a push-pull. For instance, I can easily set up and maintain a Carter, but I would't have thought of the gear-down idea to bring all the G#s on a Uni up at the same time in a hundred years.
Many kudos to those who have such mad skills! A special thanks to Lynn Stafford for performing magic on my '74 Emmons far beyond my simple skills. We should indeed be glad we have these guys!
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
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Gary Reed
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Posted 3 Aug 2013 4:27 pm
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I walked into Jim Palenscar's shop and had many questions about my GFI.
He takes one off the floor and turns it upsidendown on the bench.
He starts making/showing me adjustments and then hands me the tools and says take what ever you want apart and then put back together. He then shows me how to make adjustments to whatever I had done. Then he goes on and shows me more adjustments I hadn't thought of, and says for me to go and do the same. Great learning experience and a great guy. |
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