My first new steel experience

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

Back in 1992 or 93, I ordered an Emmons LeGrande D10. I was very excited. I think it was maybe six weeks before the steel arrived. A lot of anticipation leading up to playing the new steel. I owned a S10 PP. Wonderful steel, I wanted to learn C6.

The day finally arrived and I got to open up the steel. It had scratches on the endplates and pedal board. I was devastated...

So, I set it up. It plays like a dream! Whoa! Awesome! Loved it!!!

Took it out the first time to a club gig. I believe it was bout halfway through the first set, and the third string tuning key, Grover, departed the headstock... Talk about immediately losing my mind... Luckily, I had the S10 with me. But after that, I never really had a good relationship with the steel.

What about you. Tell us about your first new steel experience.
_________________
Thanks,

Wayne Baker
USAF retired, three wars, 21 years, 18 countries. God bless the USA

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Well, when bought my Rogue lap steel, I knew it was a budget model, but pleased with it. The next steel was a used, dirty, Marlen D10. I knew it would need work, but the labor was worth it. The next steel was a GFI SM-10, used. Very pleased with it. Next was a Regal "square neck resonator guitar". Very pleased and great learning experience.

My next steel will be another Rogue lap steel to match the one I have now. I plan to marry the two together to form the first (at least in my town) Rogue D6 console steel! Shocked

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Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

My first new steel went amazingly well.
So far it's my only new steel.
I ordered it from Bruce, to a copedent arrived at with extensive consultation with Mike Auldridge and some input from Bruce.
The cockiness of my youth (being 26 at the time) had me ignoring advice from Bruce, even being offended that the guy taking my money was telling me that I didn't actually want what I told him I wanted.
When I told him I wanted humbucking E-66s,he said "I don't think you'll be happy with that, I'd recommend single coils for you." It made me mad that he was trying to talk me out of what I said I wanted. I was FURIOUS at myself for not listening, when it had it changed several years later.

With the copedent, I'd decided to use the Auldridge placement of P8 (Mike had it on LKR, which he said he got from Tommy), and Bruce suggested that, if I were to put a C6th pedal on a knee, it should be P5. I stuck with my wishes, but a few years later, it was back in his shop, getting P8 put back on the floor and P5 going up to the LKR.
I've since learned that, if a guy doing a job tries to voice an opinion or give advice, they just might have a point.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Larry Jamieson · From: Walton, NY USA

I was just out of the Army, 1972, and walked into Zampi's House of Music in Vestal, NY. On the floor was a brand new MSA Semi Classic, 10 strings, 3 pedals, one knee. I had been wanting a steel guitar for a long time and NEVER saw one in a store in my area. It had been there for almost a year and they were ready to deal, so I bought it and brought it home and began to learn. It was rosewood mica and worked well. I played that guitar for 20 years before getting one with more knee levers.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

The only brand new steel I ever bought was my purple millennium, which was made by Johnny Cox.

The guitar was perfect. Johnny is a genius, and MSA is possibly the best engineered steel you can buy. It took me only a few minutes to adjust the pedal heights and knee lever angles.

It doesn't get any better than this. Very Happy

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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

I've always liked your purple steel.
_________________
Thanks,

Wayne Baker
USAF retired, three wars, 21 years, 18 countries. God bless the USA

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

She'll be here maybe Friday...

Not my picture, but this is her...

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Hey Wayne.You and I know the truth. Purple steels sound better. Laughing

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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

Yes sir, but this is just to tied me over till I can get a D10 built...

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

My first was a brand new Williams built by Bill Rudolph. It is pretty much as he built it except I have since moved the E's so that they are both on the left leg. I also took off the Franklin change because I never used it. That lever just has a half step raise on the fifth string. I love the guitar so much that I also just bought an S-10,3and 5 from Bill.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Mine was a Sho~Bud 6139 with 3+1, in 1974. I loved it. It was easy to experiment with. I tuned it to D pentatonic, and added 3 pedals and 2 knee levers. In 1978 I switched to an Emmons S-12 Extended E9th and sold the Sho~Bud to Jack Francis. Jack played it for a long time after that. I don't know where it is now.
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Bruce Derr · From: Lee, New Hampshire, USA

My first steel was a brand-new blonde Sho~Bud 6140 6+2. I was a teenager, completely unfamiliar with E9, didn't know any steelers, and didn't have access to instruction material. I mucked around with the setup a lot, trying my own tuning out of ignorance of the way E9 works. The fact that I was able to do so was a testimony to the rack and barrel system. It was noisy and the parts were crudely made, but it was flexible and easy to understand. I eventually wised up and switched it back to E9. But I was never impressed with the workmanship on that particular 'Bud. Even the pedal bar sticker was crooked. Still, it sounded good and it got me started. I still have a soft spot for Sho~Buds.

I have bought only one other new steel, a Kline s-12, in '78. My experience with the 'Bud was one of the reasons I was drawn to the precision machining and inventive design of the Kline.

I still prefer keyless steels and if I ever buy another new one it will be keyless.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I remember my first new steel experience very well-the year was 1999 and my twin brother Brandon had just moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to be a student at Middle Tennessee State University and I had decided to do some research on the internet to see if tere were any steel guitar stores in or around Nashville. I found out the only steel shop was in Goodlettsville, so in November of 1999, I went to the shop and saw many Emmons, Sho-Bud, and GFI steels. I walked into another room to find a man tuning an Emmons GS-10. I got that steel for Christmas in 1999, and it was such an awesome steel! It didn't break strings and had a great Emmons sound and tone. Then, the next steel I bought after the Emmons was a GFI Ultra D-10 in '04, and loved it too! But, my favorite steel I've got is my 2010 Jackson Blackjack Custom with three pedals, and four knees

Karl Paulsen · From: Chicago

My first was also my first new. This lovely 2015 Zum Encore.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=286475&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=50

It (as well as the seat, amp, etc...) was a gift from my brother who essentially picked it out for me, though I found out later it was by reading this forum.

One year later I still haven't played it out, but I've jammed a bit with familiy and am loving the heck out of it. Really glad I started with a new gig-quality instrument. It'll be a long time before I could afford another so having an instrument I can rely on to play well and have minimal maintenance requirements is a huge blessing.

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

The first steel I bought - a Dekley Slimline bought in -82, has survived some serious modifications over the years...

Of the five steels I have now, this old, modded, Dekley is the only steel I am entirely happy with when it comes to tone, sustain, stability and playability. With all the added mechanics it is a bit on the heavy side for an S10 though... Very Happy

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

My first was a ShoBud 6139 3+4. I traded a Dodge Dart and a few bucks to Lucky Oceans for the guitar he used in the first AATW album. It played and sounded great, plus it was easy to work on. I kept it for 2 years then got the C6th bug and traded it off for a ZB D-10. Ultimately, I got an Emmons p/p and aside from a few brief Zum stints, have stuck with 2 push pulls and a LG2.

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

I think I'd go with a PP... But Im lookin forward to the Show Pro D10.
_________________
Thanks,

Wayne Baker
USAF retired, three wars, 21 years, 18 countries. God bless the USA

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

My Legrande had them, but I really never used them. I look forward to the Show Pro.

The Legrande was very disheartening when the tuning keys would come undone. I replaced them with sperzals.
_________________
Thanks,

Wayne Baker
USAF retired, three wars, 21 years, 18 countries. God bless the USA

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

My first new steel experience was August of 1976. I'd been playing since March (about 5 months) on an MSA Red Baron and was dreaming of my first double neck guitar. What to buy? MSA, Emmons, Sho-Bud, Howard, ZB, GES? I knew virtually nothing about "the big" steels; only that I seriously needed to graduate from that little Red Baron. I was stationed at Altus AFB, OK at the time.

Well, I took off to Lawton to go to a music store (can't remember the name of it) to get some strings ... and as I walked into the store, the owner was just pulling a black plastic hardshell case out of a shipping box ... and that case had a gold MSA logo on it ... I knew it was a steel!

The guy opened the case and stood back perplexed. This was the first steel he'd ever had at his store and had no clue how to set it up, so I offered to do it for him. With the legs, pedal bar and rods now on, I lifted it out of the case and stood it on the floor ... there in front of me was a beautiful brand new red birdseye lacquer MSA Classic D-10 with 8 pedals and 4 knee levers. I asked him the price ... $2195.00 ... and bought it on the spot. While paying for it, I also spied a new copy or two of Winnie Winston's Pedal Steel book (fresh in with the same shipment) which I also bought on the spot.

So, I walked in just to buy a set of strings and left with my first new steel and Winnie's book instead. Very Happy

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1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks)

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Do new to me steels count?

When my six string guitar equipment was stolen... I started my quest for a steel. First stop was to look at a Shobud Maverick.... I had the sensibility to look underneath at the mess of bent coathangers and took a pass.

I asked a music store salesman if he knew of any for sale and left my number. A week later I got a call from a friend of his... I went to find an MSA S10 3x4 with slight water damage to the front apron. He explained the tone and playability was not affected by it. I looked underneath and it was beautiful... straight lines and high quality components.... The asking price was about twice of what the case was worth. ... bought it. .. diamond in the rough. .. a great guitar.

Leo Grassl · From: Madison TN

My first new guitar was also my first guitar. It was a GFI
Single neck. It was fine for getting started on but after improving my
musical skills some the tone didn't do it for me any more and I got
a better guitar. I would say for it being my first guitar that
it was an overall good experience . Everything worked well and
the guitar stayed in tune.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I've owned 9 steels, including a Maverick & Emmons student. The ONLY new steel I bought was my LeGrande II, brand new from Larry Self's "The Music Store" in DeBarry, Florida. It was a toss between a Derby SD-10 & my LeGrande D-10. Liked the sound of the Derby maybe a tad more, but the Emmons was a doubleneck, so I went with that. My first GOOD steel was a George E. Sell D-10, the same one in the Winnie Winston book centerfold showing all the parts of a steel.Here is the Emmons, which I still have, and the GES from 25 years ago.

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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Lavon Chappell · From: The Heart of Dixie

Mine was a 76 shobud Pro III. I miss that guitar , it was a tone monster. It wasn't new,but it was my first steel

Mickey Adams · From: Bandera Texas

My first steel was a ShoBud The Professional D10 8-5
Next a 72 Emmons PP, that I paid 450.00 for.
I traded this Emmons for a Mullen D10 8-6 Rosewood.
I traded this Mullen and cash for a new Mullen HWP..
I'd like to say that this was a good move, but the new guitar
did not sound anywhere close to, as good as the one I traded.
Every now and then, with every product manufactured, you will find inferior examples.
I tried EVERYTHING I KNEW to get this guitar to produce a pleasing tone
but in the end I just had to live with it.. it played great
but was woefully short on tone.
Since that trade I have been blessed with owning literally dozens of steels.
I have owned 7 new G2s provided me by Mullen.
I am proud to wave their flag for them to this day..
I have THE blingiest G2 tone monster money can buy, -
and she is the bomb...
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ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders!

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