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Topic: Anyone own an Excel JB frypan s8 ? |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 3 Feb 2014 2:58 pm |
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I was reading about these steels on their web site and was curious if anyone owned one of these models. I know they make a great quality instruments and I am sure they are pricey. I have heard the comment that there were only 2 types of Excel owners...those that are rich and those that are broke ! haha So how expensive is such an instrument as the JB frypan ? I contacted Scottys but no word yet. Its probably like the old cliche..."if you have to ask how much,,,you cant afford it "  and actually I am sure I cant, I am just curious fellow. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 8:24 am
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I have the long scale model when they were a joint effort between Jerry Byrd and Sho~Bud.
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 8:54 am
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| Wow ERv, you are amazing ! I should have known you would have one ! Take care and still (steel) loving your tabs ! As a matter of fact I just used your tab of Lovely Hula Hands last night and made it into an A6th tab for my non-pedal. Thanks so much. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 8:57 am
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Larry,
That's what happens when you suffer from GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome), you accumulate a little bit of everything. 
Glad to hear you're making good use of my tabs.  |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 10:53 am
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Here's the story I got from Alan Akaka, and, I believe, Don Woods. JB worked with Shot Jackson on that model Fry Pan. In the meantime, Excel, in Japan, brought out their Fry Pan without JB's permission. He was getting ready to sue when the Excel folks paid for him to go to Japan and see for himself how it was built and played. He liked it, and approved. He also got his licensing fee. Correct me, folks, If I'm wrong on this.
I have a Shot Jackson one, and my friend, Al Tringali, has an Excel. The only difference that I can see is that the whole back comes off the Shot Jackson steel, while there is a small panel on the back of the Excel steel. The pickups could probably be different, tho. I gotta get off my duff and get a Rick Aiello pickup for mine.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 12:29 pm
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| John Aldrich wrote: |
| I gotta get off my duff and get a Rick Aiello pickup for mine. |
Highly recommended... although I'd recommend going the full Boxcar route instead of the faux Ricky rebuild... the 'magnets' don't have enough chrome on them, it wears off pretty quick.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 12:57 pm
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My Shot Jackson fry pan was one of my best-sounding steels, faux horseshoe and all - wish I hadn't sold it. Big regret.
_________________
Al
My equipment:
One heck of a Wife
The ghost of a red Doberman
Several pairs of reading glasses strewn about |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 1:36 pm
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The way I heard it, there was only sposed to be 300 of the short scale and 300 of the long scale guitars made by Shot Jackson. Shot kept cranking them out and possibly selling them out the back door without Jerry's knowledge. They split sheets and that's when Jerry went with Excel.
Your mileage may vary.  |
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 1:57 pm
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Hey Larry...
I have an EXCEL JB Frypan....Al Vescovo showed his to me on a visit to his home, and I had to have one. On his next trip to Japan, he brought me the 8 string JB Excel Frypan...with a hard shell case. Fuzzy even included a small 8 string tone bar with it. It has the horseshoe pickups and has a great tone.
Billy Easton
_________________
Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Raymond Jones
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 2:37 pm
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I have had a JB Excell frypan for several years now, excellent! It got a lot better with a "genuine" Loller horseshoe pickup. Of all my collection this and my 1934 Ricky frypan I play the most. You can see the original faux horseshoe and the real horseshoe installed.
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 3:01 pm
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I have one. It's an Excel model, which also has a nifty custom stand.
http://www.fuzzypsg.com/index2.html
I believe the new Frypans are in the ball park of $2,000. You could email Mitsuo Fujii at the link on the website.
Scotty is the Excel dealer in the U.S., otherwise you'd have to try to find one used. If you go to the HSGA Convention in Hawaii next year, Mitsuo might be there. He also usually attends Scottys Convention.
I don't know anything about the 'Excel copy & sue thing', but there was a copyright problem on the Jackson side. If you search on the forum history, you'll find threads on the Shot Jackson vs Excel frypans. One is in Jerry's own words, through his brother Jack. That gets the facts from the source.
A lot of HSGA members own one. Sometimes there is a used one for sale on the mainland convention...This year it's in Colorado!
Last edited by Jeff Strouse on 4 Feb 2014 10:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 4:43 pm
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There's an immaculate 1979 Sho-bud Jerry Byrd Fry-pan for sale here (you have to scroll down to see it).
http://cartervintage.com/ukes/ukespage.html
I played it the other day; had never played one before. It sounds amazing, I wish I could justify spending the money on it, as little chance as I would have to use it! |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 5:28 pm
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Thanks very much for that link. No, I couldn't justify that or come up with that much without selling some guitars, but that was interesting. I am learning a lot by searching around. As I have ben searching around on the internet, I have seen some in the past go for much less than that, but there may have been a good reason for that as well. Mandolin Brothers in NY had one that went for less than $1k.
Seem like very nice instruments indeed . Thanks again. I will keep my eye open for one tho, just in case one pops up in my price bracket Ya never know. |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 6:37 pm
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Hey Larry...
I have an EXCEL JB Frypan....Al Vescovo showed his to me on a visit to his home, and I had to have one. On his next trip to Japan, he brought me the 8 string JB Excel Frypan...with a hard shell case. Fuzzy even included a small 8 string tone bar with it. It has the horseshoe pickups and has a great tone.
Billy Easton
Billy, I should have hit you up to see it while I was in Phoenix ! Maybe this spring when I am out in Mesa for April and May. BTW you guys did a great job at the SWSGA show in January !! Lots of hard work by all ! |
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 7:43 pm
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Hey Raymond ,just wondering what difference did the Lolar horseshoe make,I have a 1938 Ricky model 59 with a the 1 1/2 " pickup I thought I might try it in my Excel if I thought it was worth the trouble.
I find my Excel a great sounding steel that sustains forever mine came with 3 legs that screw into the guitar itself so easy to carry and set up.
Cheers |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 9:21 pm For what it's worth..............
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a couple of years back, Shot-Jacksons' family and an unidentified fellow with a new Excel.....
Were both offering them for #1,000 each.
My Shot-Jackson model is a fine instrument. |
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Jim Mckay
From:
New Zealand
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Posted 5 Feb 2014 11:50 am
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Hi Larry
I purchased a new Excel Jerry Byrd frypan about 4 months ago. It cost a little over US$1500 plus frieght. It is a beautiful instrument and very portable. I recomend you email Mitsuo Fujii direct for prices etc. Go to the fuzzy guitar site on internet.
I figured if they were good enough for Jerry Byrd I would not likely find fault, and that proved correct.
The model I purchased is the 8 string short scale which is 22 inches (not 22-1/2) |
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Kekoa Blanchet
From:
Kaua'i
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Jim Mckay
From:
New Zealand
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Posted 6 Feb 2014 12:38 am
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Hi Kekoa.
That guitar on Ebay has a stand with it.I did'nt buy a stand with mine. I think from memory the stand would have cost about $350. It looks in new condition but still a bit pricey for second hand instrument. then again if its in perfect condition and close by I would proberly buy it. |
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Keith Aiken
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2014 3:04 pm measurements
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| what does the round part of the jb steel measure? depth & width? is it hollow? sorry never seen one in person |
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Jim Mckay
From:
New Zealand
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Posted 10 Feb 2014 9:56 pm
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The round base is about 180mm x 35 deep and is hollow.
It is cast alloy
_________________
Canopus d-8
Excel Jerry Byrd frypan
T-8 Stringmaster |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 11 Feb 2014 12:57 am
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From Jack:
| Quote: |
| Here's the story I got from Alan Akaka, and, I believe, Don Woods. JB worked with Shot Jackson on that model Fry Pan. In the meantime, Excel, in Japan, brought out their Fry Pan without JB's permission. He was getting ready to sue when the Excel folks paid for him to go to Japan and see for himself how it was built and played. He liked it, and approved. He also got his licensing fee. Correct me, folks, If I'm wrong on this |
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Not the correct story, Jack. Erv's version is more correct:
| Quote: |
| The way I heard it, there was only sposed to be 300 of the short scale and 300 of the long scale guitars made by Shot Jackson. Shot kept cranking them out and possibly selling them out the back door without Jerry's knowledge. They split sheets and that's when Jerry went with Excel |
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Jerry worked with Mitsuo Fujii for quite some time in order to get the sound that he wanted on the Excel. Jerry would not approve of any production on the Excel until it had met certain specifications. As it turned out, it was a very good instrument and has been a good seller.
I had a Shot Jackson model and an Excel bought from Scotty many years ago. The Excel is much lighter than the Shot Jackson model and slightly brighter in tone. |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2014 7:32 pm Another "Shot" fry pan steel ???
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| I remember after Jerrys & Shots fry pan copy steel came out I saw an ad in some guitar magazine that someone in Nashville was selling fry pan steels for $350.oo . It was the exact same guitar but did not have the "Horseshoe" pckp !! It had a flat 8 string unknown type pckp!! That's all I can remember !! olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C" |
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