Emmons P/P tone from different years

Greg Readling · From: North Carolina, USA

Hi all,
I have been playing an LDG for many years but have always wanted to own a p/p Emmons. I have the opportunity to buy one that has been completely rebuilt by Billy Knowles. It is a D-10 8/6 from 1982. The pickups were rewound to around 18.5 (as specified by the current owner). I know tone is utterly subjective, but most of us know what we like about the classic Emmons p/p sound. My question is, assuming you use the same pickup in different guitars, how does the Emmons p/p tone change through the years? Does an â€˜82 stand up to a â€˜70 tone-wise, etc? Is there an era of p/p to steer clear from? Itâ€™s a big purchase and I want to get it right. I have a chance to play this beautifully restored â€˜82 this week so Iâ€™ll know more soon.

Thanks for your consideration,
Greg

Dave Diehl · From: Mechanicsville, MD, USA

Greg, that 82 will stand up to any of the Push Pulls. I have a later 70's bolt-on, a Promat Push Pull, and an 83 and that 83 sounds just as good as the others.. maybe even better. I have also played some 60's models and my 83 sounds just as good. No doubt if Billy has reconditioned it, it will be done right and that tone will be there.

Greg Readling · From: North Carolina, USA

Thanks Dave,
Iâ€™m just doing my due diligence. There is no doubt Billy made that steel look new again. And the seller is a friend and has meticulously taken care of it. Good to hear that Emmonsâ€™ p/p tone stayed pretty consisent over time.

Thanks,
Greg

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

When all's said and done, there's more difference in sound between individual guitars than there is a difference in sound between different vintages. There are great, better than great, and thoroughly so-so sounding guitars from pretty much every year.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

I'm not sure I'm confident to say either way, Jack. Seems like every model of every brand has some that are terrific, some that are magical, and some that - at least by comparison to the magical ones - don't measure up.

That said, that doesn't necessarily have to do entirely with manufacturing inconsistency issues. Sometimes it's strings, changed parts, differing pickups, bad set-up issues, etc. Even so, though, steels aren't entirely unlike electric and acoustic guitars - line up ten of the same model and some are just gonna sound better than others. No different, in my perhaps limited experience, with p/ps.

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

I had two '75 p/p's a few years ago, a white mica, and a black lacquer. They both sounded and played good, but I think the mica one had an edge on the other one. I still think the best steel sound I ever got was with the white mica guitar and a '68 Fender Twin that had been "blackfaced" and converted to a 15" JBL D130.

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

FWIW...I have read 82 was generally a very good year for P/Ps.

I bought an 82 for that reason and I was very pleased with the guitars tone until I changed around the coped, and now I need to learn how to setup a P/P properly. I figure if it takes a p/p expert 3 days.. i could possibly do it wrong over a month.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

the Push Pull changer and parts don't know what year the guitar is ! I have an 81 / D10 , compared to all other Steels that I have owned, including the Legrande II that I have, it's different, identifiable. Once you learn the sweet spots of these guitars you can distinguish the tones. I;m not saying they are BETTER than others , but they are different. They may not be all the same compared to each other but they all have a uniqueness.

If Billy Knowles worked on a Steel and brought it top condition, thats adding extra gravy ! Grab it, don't look back.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The difference in the p/p's might lie more in the changers than in the different years of production.
There was the wraparound, the bolt on and the cut tail.
Erv

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I ordered an Emmons S12U PP from Clem in July 82 and took delivery in Sept 82.
It's not a D10.
It's the original 12-string Emmons pickup, not sure of the Kohms.
Here's and example of an '82 for comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkrRxv66tog

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

In my experience there is a greater tonal difference between PP and Legrande guitars in general than the differences between individual guitar is each particular genre to each other.

IOW, the tonal difference between PPs and LeGs is much more pronounced than the differences between one PP compared to other PPs or LeGrandes compared to other LeGrandes.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Greg Readling · From: North Carolina, USA

Nice playing, Pete. That Emmons sounds great to my ear. Thanks for sharing!

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Pete has some great vids on YouTube! I hear he may be booked into the Phoenix show.. Seriously good picker and very supportive contributor to the steel guitar community as well.

Justin Emmert · From: Greensboro, NC

I have an early 80's SD12 push pull. The tone still makes me smile. Can't believe I can make sounds that beautiful sometimes.

Dyke Corson · From: Fairmount, IL USA

My favorite sounding PP from my heard is a early 80's D10. It has 108n humbucking pups and the Legrande style pedal rack. It's the loudest and most responsive PP I've ever played.

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

I like the 80â€™s guitars. I like pretty much all push pulls with the exception of the lacquer body ones. If they have wood necks (bolt on), the lacquer bodies are fine. All of the metal neck non Formica bodied guitars Iâ€™ve owned have been lacking. They sound like a blanket is over the amp.
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Emmons/Sho~Bud/Blanton, Fender/Peavey.
Telonics pedal

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

I've played the Emmons p/p guitars since 1986 and the newest one I've owned was a 72 flatback. I prefer the early 70s models but for other reasons than tone. Just my opinion but when these guitars were built Ron Lashley and the others that worked at Emmons didn't tighten all of their screws the same. If it's too tight your tone is going to be choked so the wood doesn't resonate as much. Just a nice firm tighten on the screw is all you need. As a drummer I know that gripping the sticks extra hard makes the drums sound much worse. It's relevant! Check your screws in your endplates and see just how tight they are. I think these are the ones that matter most but your tone resonates through the whole guitar. Attach a Shark tuner to the leg of your guitar and you can tune it from there just like an acoustic instrument. If it can pick up the vibrations there it affects your tone right down to the floor. Just my opinion but see for yourself if there's a difference.

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

Is there any difference in the composition of the metal in the changer axle over the years? High carbon? Stainless steel? General hardness?
I've never owned a p/p. Is there felt on the bottom of the body?
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8.

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

I can't compare my 83 PP to any other PPs, but it sure sounds different than every all pull guitar I've every played or owned. It's my main guitar because it sounds great.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

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