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Topic: Carter guitars-Cast or stamped? |
Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 1 Jan 2004 3:55 pm |
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| Does anyone know if Carter guitar have cast endplates and keyheads, or are they stamped? |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 1 Jan 2004 4:33 pm
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Kevin,
The endplates and keyheads on my Carter appear to have been machined from solid stock. Not sure about the necks, I am guessing they are forged. Extremely high quality whatever the process used. Maybe John Fabian or Bud Carter could jump in here and explain, or an e-mail to them at: psgbuilder@steelguitar.com would get you an answer to this question. Use the word Carter as the first word in the subject line or you won't hear back from them.
John Drury
NTSGA #3 |
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 3:04 am
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Our endplates and keyheads are CNC machined from solid stock.
The only castings used by Carter Steel Guitars are the pedals.
As an interesting side note, the keyheads are made using 4-axis CNC machining techniques as opposed to the traditional 3-axis method.
John Fabian
Carter Steel Guitars[This message was edited by John Fabian on 02 January 2004 at 03:07 AM.] |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 3:26 am
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John,
What about the necks? How are they made? That is one of the features of the guitar that really appealed to me, I like the lower profile necks. Thanks again to you guys for this great guitar.
John Drury
NTSGA #3 |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 5:24 am
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Funny you should mention that you like the necks.
I do too. I like the "rolled corners" and the shine.
I heard others say they don't like that look.
They perfer the "sharp corners" that most other guitars have.
It's just a matter of personal taste. I like both but am glad different brands keep a unique look.
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 5:53 am
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The necks are LASER cut from aluminum plate and then formed.
John Fabian
www.steelguitar.com |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 11:02 am
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| I would never own any steel guitar that didn't have CAST endplates and keyheads. The castings resonate like a bell and add to tone. I find that most modern steel guitars don't cast their parts. I wonder why. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 11:28 am
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| I find that most modern steel guitars don't cast their parts. I wonder why. |
I asked this question of Bruce Zumsteg, Bud Carter, and Jerry Fessenden. Their universal answer was that although casting is less expensive and uses less metal, imperfections in castings... bubbles, pockets, etc.,... produce more waste/discarded pieces than does the milling process, where each piece is more uniformly perfect. So a good part of the decision is a dollars and cents one.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Steve Stallings
From:
Houston/Cypress, Texas
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 1:06 pm
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| Quote: |
| The necks are LASER cut from aluminum plate and then formed. |
The necks are hollow allowing them to be formed with the rolled edges. I believe this is one of the areas Carter saves weight on. Even though I loved my Carter, I never did like the rolled edges of the necks. Of course tons of folks really do like that feature.
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God Bless,
Steve Stallings
www.pedalsteeler.com
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 2:13 pm
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| Thank you Herb. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 10:29 pm
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What brands of steel cast there endplates ?
thanks, Bob |
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David Friedlander
From:
New York, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2004 11:41 pm
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Hey Bob,
I asked Lamar about this- he said he uses aluminum extrusions.
This is a process where the metal is forced thru a die. Makes for a very dense piece of metal.
Maybe others use this method as well. |
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stingray
From:
maplewood ohio
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Posted 3 Jan 2004 1:11 pm
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Carter steels!
John: due you have to remove neck to service neck switch? or can it be removed ,alone !
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Gary L.Converse
(teach a kid how to play steel) KEEP PICKING!
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jan 2004 1:28 pm
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The bank switch can be removed and replaced without removing the neck on the newer model Carter Steel Guitars. (Those made within the last 8-9 months or so.)
John Fabian www.steelguitar.com |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2004 3:30 pm
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John,
Nice touch on the new style bank switch. Mine was the first I had seen and I like it.
John Drury
NTSGA #3
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Jeff Peterson
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2004 7:42 pm
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| Edited for opinion severity...... [This message was edited by Jeff Peterson on 03 January 2004 at 08:15 PM.] |
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Steven Black
From:
Gahanna, Ohio, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 12:46 pm
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| I have a carter D10 built in 94 or 95 and I still play it today, sounds really good, needs BCT done but stays in tune,I like it better than my MSA D10 I use to have cause of the weight diference. steveb. |
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David Langdon
From:
West Bridgford, Nottingham Notts, United Kingdom
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 2:27 am
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This thread has some interesting points, particularly over the cast or wrought ali. question. I actually cast my own, because I can guarantee that there will be no pits or inclusions within the casting. This is because I am doing a very small 'melt' and I take great care over the metalurgy, de-gassing and using a 'nucleant' which helps to coagalate the 'dross' in the melt. However, even when the metal is this clean I will never be able to polish the finish to as high a sheen as wrought or extruded ali. The silicon content is higher in cast, an it is a different material being alot less ductile. So it's a toss up which way to go. If I were a pro-manufacturer I would machine from solid. Even with a casting there's still quite a bit of machining to be done, and I would think the finishing/polishing would take longer on a casting.
It's about cost of manufacture and quality in the end, and although 4 or even 5 axis cnc milling machines are expensive, you can be polishing an end plate while the machine is running. Dave. |
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Hans Holzherr
From:
Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 5:28 am
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What is a bank switch?
Oh... I think I got it. bank switch = neck switch.[This message was edited by Hans Holzherr on 13 January 2004 at 05:40 AM.] |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 8:11 am
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Hans, I think a "bank switch" is something like a "wire transfer". Call your local banker to confirm.
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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 8:16 am
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John,
What are the "4 Axis"?
carl |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 8:51 am
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With all respect to Mr. Hatton's opinions, it's my own belief that the casting vs. machining (or forging) issue with end-plates is a smoke and mirrors argument. I think any "resonance" the end plates may have is lost once they are bolted to the body and the legs are attached. In my own experiments with end-plates already installed on guitars, they both (cast and machined) go "clunk" when tapped with a hard-plastic mallet. I feel that the keyhead, nut, and changer assembly (being the primary string load-bearing parts of the guitar) have much more effect on the sound, and that it's primarily the mass and stiffness of these pieces, along with the body's mass and stiffness, that affects the sound.
The bakelite Rickenbackers have excellent tone and sustain, but no metal at all (other than the pickup, keys, and bridge assembly).[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 13 January 2004 at 08:52 AM.] |
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Tom Olson
From:
Spokane, WA
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 8:56 am
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Carl,
I think the "four axis" on a milling machine refers to the standard x,y, and z axes, plus a rotational function that allows the work piece to be rotated relative to the milling head. I might be wrong, though. |
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Tom Olson
From:
Spokane, WA
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 8:58 am
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| Donny brings up an interesting point -- I wonder if any manufacturer has ever used forged parts on a PSG? Seems like forged parts would be the strongest (if there's any need for increased strength). |
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Bob Farlow
From:
Marietta,GA,
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Posted 13 Jan 2004 11:46 am
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Carl:
Take any 3-axis (longitudinal,vertical,depth) and add a rotary axis such as a rotating table and you have a 4-axis mill. Add still another rotating table and you have a 5-axis mill. |
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