carter starter vs pro model

Alex Piazza · From: Arkansas, USA

Ive been playing for a couple of years on a carter starter. Ive been very happy with it. stays in tune, and sounds great. However,Im ready to make an upgrade to a "pro model" guitar. Im not sure why. Im looking for the same set up (3 pedals, 4 knee levers). This is the first and only guitar Ive ever played. the only problem I am having with it is the knee levers being hard to operate and sometimes not cooperating. the guitar moves around a bit. I guess my question is what can I expect from an upgrade to a pro model? Im thinking about staying with a carter, but any input on other guitars would be great. just a single 10 string. Thanks

Steven Black · From: Gahanna, Ohio, USA

Hello Alex, it is hard to compare a carter starter to a professional model because of differences in the way the guitars tune and possibly set up, a professional model will be 100 times better no matter what brand, the reason the carter starter walks is because it probably has aluminum legs and a carter professional model has steel telescoping legs, so there will be some weight involved to keep the professional guitar in place while you play it, I would say go ahead and get the professional model carter, you might want to consider a single 12 with 7 pedals and 5 knee levers.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

They are not to be compared.

The Starter is for a specific market, built and
priced appropriately.

The PRO models are not similar in any way other than perhaps the name tag.

Very positive action, short throw knee levers..smooth feel, easy to maintain and work on...very reliable..

I have owned 3 and have no problem with recommending one to anyone.

Anyone is welcome to come play mine and draw there own conclusion. Like any fine Instrument, it can speak for itself.

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

RUN don't walk to get a Pro model
i fought with so called student models for way to long before getting a pro model
the pros players can make a student steel sound good but its a lot easier to learn on a pro model. EVERYTHING just works better and SOUNDS better on the pro models
i used to think that there was no differance ( hey a knee lever is a knee lever right ?) .... WRONG there is night and day differance in them...

just call me been there and done that

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Mullen SD-10

[This message was edited by Calvin Walley on 21 May 2006 at 01:45 PM.]

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

As far as I know, the Carter Starter and a professional Carter steel have no parts in common. They are built by the same company, that's all. Totally different mechanical designs.

Alex Piazza · From: Arkansas, USA

cool, this is helping me justify spending some cash.

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Alex the Pro model Carters are great guitars, and everything is adjustable - knee levers etc, to get the guitar set just right for you. They are still a light guitar but they don't move about when your playing because the action is so smooth.
Don't hesitate a moment longer mate --- get one !

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

just my 2 cents here BUT... i would go with a heavier guitar, i don't care what anyone says, a light guitar is gonna move on you and when it does you end up chasing the strings all over the place
with a heavier guitar when you hit a knee lever the string is always right where its supposed to be , you don't have to look down at the strings to find where it's at...
i know someone is going to say that you don't have to hit the knee so hard BUT the weight just makes a more stable playing platform, i have never played a carter pro but someone here just said that they are a light guitar and to ME that has unstable written all over it , best advise is if posable sit down and play it for a full hour then decide if its the right guitar for you

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Mullen SD-10

[This message was edited by Calvin Walley on 21 May 2006 at 03:21 PM.]

jolynyk · From: Prince Albert Sask. Canada

Calvin, you're obviously not in your 70's yet, & I wonder if you'll give the same advice when you are & not able to carry the heavy stuff.. If I was a bedroom player the weight of the instrument wouldn't bother me.. My guitar is an S10, & weighs 25 lbs, & it doesn't walk anywhere.. I play out approx. 4 nights a week.. If I was that rough on the knee levers, a D10 would say ouch..

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

My Carter D10 stayed put just fine. I'd imagine so does Bruce Bouton's and Junior Knight's. That's probably better advice than from someone who has never tried one.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I have three PSGs that all get used on gigs and sessions.
A Carter SD-10, and two vintage Emmons Push Pulls, an S-10 and a D-10.

None of these guitars walk when I hit a Knee Lever.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

HUH ?

A "LIGHTER" Guitar with very positive short throw Knee Levers ain't going nowhere..

chasing strings ? What does that even mean ?

thats ridiculous..

I don't feel that is good advice above..especially when the gentleman has never even played one...

3 Carters, 1 Emmons, 1 MSA, 4 Sho-Buds..

Playing gigs regularly ..still...

I also qualify to state this.

Lighter doesn't mean it's made out of Styrofoam.

Balsa Wood maybe

!

just kiddin'....

sorry Calvin...no support from me on this one buddy...

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 21 May 2006 at 04:33 PM.]

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i wasn't talking about it walking... more like wiggling and as i said i have not nor will not EVER play anything with the word carter on it again pro or otherwise
as the old saying goes " fool me once your fault , fool me twice , my fault
never again not even if they gave it to me for free
you know it was the recommdation from many here on this forum that i bought a carter starter .. it was the worst mistake i have made . but it seems that here on the forum no one wants to hear any bad experance's just the good ..i am sure that many here have had good luck with carter but in my case that just not so. the one I had was a lemon ... just don't knock me for telling it as I see it

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Mullen SD-10

[This message was edited by Calvin Walley on 21 May 2006 at 04:58 PM.]

Duane Reese · Posted 21 May 2006 4:03 pm

(sheesh - is there any thread topic that doesn't turn into a flame war these days???)

The difference between a Carter Starter and a pro-level Carter, regarding mechanical feel, is like the difference between a quality old Tower typewriter and a heat vent shutter.

Sonny Priddy · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.

My Guitar Weighs about 25 lb. It Don't Walk Eather Been Played Out Every Week Depends On How They are Made I Think. SONNY.

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Chris House · Posted 21 May 2006 4:21 pm

I bought a new Carter Starter a little over a year ago, I messed around with it three or four times and then it sat in the closet for eight months, until a buddy that was in town showed me a few basics and got me going. I practiced some songs to play with my band, played it out twice and bought an Emmons D-10. It was like going from an old wore out '62 VW Beetle to a brand new Porsche. The tolerances, response, tone, everything about it was sooo much nicer. The Carter was great, it didn't cost me a bunch of bucks to give playing steel a try and see if I wanted to pursue it, and when and if I sell it, I won't lose that much money. Bumping up to a pro model was the best thing I did after I realized I was addicted and there was no turning back. Looking for another axe now to add to the collection. I still have the Carter set up at our practice pad and use it for rehearsals. I think if you step up, you'll be extremely happy.

Gary Shepherd · From: Fox, Oklahoma, USA

Going from a Carter Starter to a pro model Carter will be a huge improvement. I like my Carter D-10. Don't really care for how they handle ordering parts and stuff though. You have to "sign your life away" to get anything from them. But if you never need to add any pulls that will not be a problem.

You'll notice that the Bb lever will probably be on the left knee vertical - which is different than on the starter. That was a good thing for me. A couple of years ago, I had a house fire and lost my new Sierra in the fire. I got a Carter Starter to play on while times were hard financially. The Bb lever was on the right knee and because of that, I learned to use it more. Changing back to a pro guitar with that lever on the Left Knee Vertical, wasn't that much of a change and I still knew what to do with it. Just made room for more pulls.

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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10

www.16tracks.com

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

IMO, the Carter company did a great service toward the future of our instrument by releasing the Starter.

It's no where close to the quality of their pro models, that's why it can sell for a third the price.

Do you understand why it's called a Starter?

Mark Eaton · Posted 21 May 2006 5:43 pm

Right on, Joey.

The Forum would come across as pretty elitist if the only acceptable new/not used S-10 steels sold for $1500 plus.

It would be sort of like saying, for a learning player, that the only acceptable Tele-style electric guitar would be an actual from the custom shop American made Fender Tele.

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Mark

[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 21 May 2006 at 06:44 PM.]

[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 21 May 2006 at 07:47 PM.]

Rodney Garrison · From: Montague County , Texas (deceased)

Alex, I got 5 yrs out of my Carter Starter. Loved it. Still do. Shows signs of wear but does the job! Last yr I purchased a 10-plus S-10 SHO-BUD PRO I .
What a BEAUTY. I just got my first D-10.
It's a GFI Ultra that I love.
Lots of GREAT MFG's out there. Take a look at the GFI site. Good Luck.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Like Alex, I bought a Carter Starter about 18 months ago, having played without pedals for about 40 years. My immediate thought was that it was too low, so I bought the leg and rod 2" expansion kit that they sell.

The next problem is the bar that holds the pedals, which bends whenever I depress the pedals. The knee levers have very sloppy action. The pedals are very cheaply made and don't have a firm feel.

Yes, the instrument is too light, and moves around. It's a lot lighter than the non-pedal steels I play, and since it has a mechanism inside you would think it would be heavier.

I'm glad someone brought up this subject, because I thought it was just me. Not having played other brands I didn't have anything to compare it with.

Now I'm considering trading up, but it won't be a Carter Professional, it will probably be a Rains, from what other members have written about them.

By the way, is the Carter company owned by the same Carter Family that spawned AP, Maybelle, Sara, June, and Jimmy ?

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i'm not plugging any model steel BUT ...
having played a sho bud mavrick, a carter starter and a Zum... all student models i can speak from experence that the only one that i ( me personally ) had any hope of learning on was the Zum, the Zum was hands down the best of the three ...but when i moved up to the pro model ( Mullen) from the first note i played , i could feel and hear the difference,
i know the argument that a student model is made cheap just as a way to get started and that many do fine with them, but if i had it to do over i would have waited till i could start with good pro model whatever the brand.
a pro model is ( to me ) much easier to learn on , my own playing has improved more in the past couple of months with the pro model than it did in 6-8 months with the student models ( at least thats what my wife tells me )
i firmly beleive that the sooner you can get your hands on a pro model the better

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Mullen SD-10

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

The bottom line is that ALL the companies make fine guitars. A Carter professional model will give you everything you will ever want in a steel guitar. So will a Zum, a Mullen, a Raines, an MSA, a Desert Rose, a GFI, a Williams, an Excel, and every other brand.

But even thogh they are all excellent instruments, they all have somewhat different charaxcteristics. A Fessy is not going to sound or feel like an Emmons or a Fulawka.

The thing to so is to either visit a steel guitar shop, or go to the convention, and try them all out, and see which one appeals to tou the most.

You might decide you love Carter guitars, or you might find that you prefer something else.

But whatever you do, don't pre-judge the Carter pro guitars on the basis of the starter. That's not fair to either you or the guitars.

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My web site

Chris House · Posted 21 May 2006 11:22 pm

Mike - I agree wholeheartedly, don't judge the instrument by what's being said on the forum, judge it by how it feels to you.
I bought my Emmons because that's what our old steel palyer had, and I loved the tone he got out of it and I thought it would be a good all around axe. I'm nowhere near playing it to it's potential, but I still love the guitar and am getting better. Carter did, as far as I'm concerned, do a great job opening a door for me with the Starter, in allowing me to find out if I wanted to pursue the steel an a somewhat "inexpensive" manner. But I still want to explore other guitars. Living in Phoenix, I don't have the variety of guitars to go play and test out as somewhere like Nashville, but I'm headed there in a month or two to find an S-10 to add to the collection of 40 or so dobros, 6& 12 string, banjos, violins, basses, electrics, laps and pedals.

Note to Bobbe - I'm still looking for a red or candy apple red S-10....hint..hint.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Calvin, what the heck are you talking about?

We all know you had a bad experience with an early Carter Starter..

And we know you would never own anything with the word Carter on it...

The question is concerning a comparison between a Carter Starter and a Carter PRO Guitar...

of which there are NONE..other than the nameplate ..oh wait..I suppose they both do come from Texas...

There are WAY too many folks who are well satisfied with there Carter Steels to allow this thread to change direction.

t

PS..the name comes from Master Builder Bud Carter, who has been well known and recognized for decades in the Steel Guitar Industry ( several brands) and he is not associated with June, Johhny , Maybell etc.., or the Liver Pills..as far as I know...

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 22 May 2006 at 03:34 AM.]

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