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Anapeg (Page 1)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Anapeg (Page 1)
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| This topic is 2 pages long: 1 2 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Anapeg |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 30 August 2001 02:49 PM
Restart. Handmade in Australia, Anapeg steel guitars are widely considered to be among the best in the world. Recently Sveinung Lilleheier of Oslo, Norway received a new one, generating a lot of interest in this Forum. |
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Chris Lucker Member Posts: 421 |
posted 30 August 2001 02:59 PM
What are the Anapeg's similarities and differences with other guitars? Are they known for having a certain sound or other characteristic attributes? Chris |
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jerry wallace Member Posts: 759 |
posted 30 August 2001 04:08 PM
I would very much like to see the pics of one of these PSG'S... Please post them!!  ------------------ |
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Jeff A. Smith Member Posts: 807 |
posted 30 August 2001 04:11 PM
Well, I'll state what a lot of people on here already know; Tom Brumley played one (as I was told anyway,) on his recent C.D. "On Time". They are one of a few guitars that have a changer designed in such a way as to minimize or eliminate string breakage. I'll also restate the request that was made on the other thread, in response to the offer to display pictures; Yes, please show pictures! Jeff S. |
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Steve Frost Member Posts: 262 |
posted 30 August 2001 06:02 PM
I was lucky enough to get a look at the pix this morning before the insanity started. What an elegant, immaculately appointed instrument. Please, Please repost so that we can all check it out. I'd love another look myself!!  |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 30 August 2001 06:33 PM
As has been stated, the Anapeg is one of two PSG's (I know of) that has a changer that does NOT break strings. IE, it moves left and right of the axle rather than pivoting on it. Therefore the strings are pulled in an almost straight line. Thus they are NOT bent when the pitch is changed. Result: NO breakage. The Anapeg boasts quite a unigue type of wood for the body. The name of this wood eludes me, but it is my understanding that Noel Anstead travels to the back country in Australia to find this rare wood and then brings it back to his home where he ages it for over a year before cutting it. This contributes to that sweet warm tone one hears on the aforementioned Tom Brumley CD. Course Tom's hands have a hand in that too! The workmanship on the guitar is incredibly superb. The underside is a work of atistic crafstmanship. And the esthetics are simply awesomely beautiful. I suppose this is why there is a 3 yr waiting list for them. If I could afford one I would buy one, but they are upwards of 6 grand now. And there aint no discounting on this baby. God bless Noel for keeping the OLD European craftsmanship still alive. Would to God we still had that in this country. carl |
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Bob Mainwaring Member Posts: 918 |
posted 30 August 2001 08:44 PM
Years ago whilst still living in England, I saw in a music shop - a steel that purported to come from Japan with a similar kind of changer mechanism. Although I didn`t study it for long, the fingers were in a straight pulling mode, which meant that higher up the neck the intonation would have been way out with the fingers staggered in different forward directions. It`s great that there are guys out there with a different thinking mode other than the tried and tested way of building steel guitars for all these years. I`d love to see a good close-up picture of the changer mechanism as I`m thinking that the string gap would alter the picking "space" alloted to that particular string being picked??? Would it also have effect on varience with strings being dragged away from the pickup pole pieces? Bob Mainwaring.Z.Bs.and other weird things. ------------------ |
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SveinungL Member Posts: 161 |
posted 31 August 2001 02:01 AM
Well a few words about the Anapeg. I just got mine, so I'm quite new to it, but I'll try to give a few facts: This instrument is a keyless U-12 with 7 + 6. I run it through a Mesa studio preamp, lexicon MPX500 and a MosValve 500. Speakers are 12" EV Black Shadow in half closed Mesa cabinets. It's right that the Anapeg has a different kind of movement at the changer compared to most other brands. I believe that approx 30% of the movement is rolling over an axle and the rest is pulling/pushing. This gives very little wearout on the strings at the changer. The strings don't get very bent, only just enough to keep the preassure over the angle - in order to not loose sustain. As Noel Anstead (the builder and inventor of Anapeg) said: "All guitars will break strings, but possibly some guitars don't break them as often as others...." I've had the instrument for three weeks now, and no stringbreakages yet.... I usually change my strings approx every 8-10 weeks, so hopfully I will never break strings. Most of us would wonder if this movement at the changer gives an intonation problem, but lower than the 24th fret it won't. If you are able to play in tune higher than the 24th fret.....well than there might be a problem. The Anapeg sounds extremly clear and open and I havent been able to discover any areas on the neck that sounds different than other areas. Compared to my other PSG (Sho-Bud the professional) which doesn't sound very good at the 12th fret, this one is indeed "keyless" ha ha. (Don't matter wath key you play in, they all sounds good.) Earlier I tried to avoid the key of A, because of the dead 6th string in the 12th fret with pedal B down, but now this note sounds good too. The pickup is also made by Noel, and it's a very low impedance single coil. Very little noise for a single coil! And I get that nice vintage single coil sound! The overall finish is incredible! The guitar is almost to nice to play, and I bring both my guitars to all my gigs. If the place is messy, I wouldn't even open the Anapeg case, but head direct for the good old Sho-Bud. It's right that the wood is native Australian (I don't remember the name of it). I actually have a picture of the tree where Noel cut the timber from. "The guitar with leaves on it." I put up a few pictures at my homepage, but have my appologies for the medium quality. I'll probalby put up better pictures later. Questions are welcome!
[This message was edited by SveinungL on 31 August 2001 at 02:05 AM.] |
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Tony Palmer Member Posts: 1022 |
posted 31 August 2001 03:51 AM
I'm sure it's a great guitar, but why buy a guitar that has no U.S. dealers, never advertises, and has a 3 year wait??!! Most of us have never even seen a picture of one, let alone the actual steel. Imagine if you needed service or parts? |
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P Gleespen Member Posts: 751 |
posted 31 August 2001 03:52 AM
That is one VERY fine looking steel you've got there, Sveinung! Thank you for reposting the pics. |
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Martin Abend Member Posts: 878 |
posted 31 August 2001 05:45 AM
quote: Yeah, that's really unbelievable since Sveinung lives in Norway... Sveinung, thanks for sharing this with us. The guitar sure looks great and it's always nice to have something really special. ------------------ |
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SveinungL Member Posts: 161 |
posted 31 August 2001 05:51 AM
I actually got a few spare rods, bellcranks, screws and stuff from Noel, in case I want to change anything on it..... ...and yes I live in Norway, so getting parts from the US is just about the same as getting them from Australia. ------------------ |
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Larry Bell Member Posts: 4116 |
posted 31 August 2001 07:18 AM
Great pictures, Sveinung! Thanks for sharing them with us. ------------------ |
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HowardR Member Posts: 5735 |
posted 31 August 2001 07:34 AM
What is the weight of your Anapeg? |
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Jeff A. Smith Member Posts: 807 |
posted 31 August 2001 09:40 AM
Awesome instrument! I'd love to hear how that wood neck influences the sound. Does Noel perhaps not ever use aluminum necks? Thanks. Jeff S. |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 31 August 2001 09:50 AM
What a beautiful instrument, and a well-designed web page, too. Thanks for sharing with us, Sveinung. ------------------ |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member Posts: 6016 |
posted 31 August 2001 09:51 AM
That is a very fine lookin Axe Sveinung ! rather innovative, i must say. you are gonna have a real good time Steelin' now huh ? ain't that peculiar that' it comes from Ausralia ? Kinda like Wiesner ( or is it Weisner ?)from Switzerland. Thank for sharin' w: us. Outback Steel is Hip ! |
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Steve Feldman Member Posts: 2983 |
posted 31 August 2001 10:08 AM
A REAL BEAUT! I'm especially impressed with what I can see of the undercarriage, etc. We need MORE PICS!! |
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Bob Mainwaring Member Posts: 918 |
posted 31 August 2001 10:47 AM
SveinungE (hope that`s spelled right) The pictures are very nice and a lot of the guys where the modern steel guitar might be heading. If I get it right, they are still changer fingers (to speak of) albeit in a horizontal plane rather than the accepted - over the years vertical type. Would it be possible to get a close up of the undercarriage directly under the fingers??? It sure looks like the veritable Rolls Royce of steel guitars.................I`m jealous!!!!!!! Bob Mainwaring.Z.Bs. and other weird things. ------------------ |
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Dave Robbins Member Posts: 718 |
posted 31 August 2001 12:36 PM
Looks like a great guitar with interesting ideas. But, I too would like to know how much it WEIGHS, both in and out of the case. Having never seen one or heard one "live" I would be particularly interested in hearing one and comparing it to the others. Goodluck with your new guitar! "All" new guitars are fun, aren't they? Keep us posted on any findings you may have as you "break it in!" Dave |
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bob drawbaugh Member Posts: 636 |
posted 31 August 2001 04:36 PM
I read some place that the bulider only make single necks,10,12,13,14 string. He use the same body and just changes the neck. I think He only use wood for the necks. I don't think that would be a problem for me. |
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Jeff Peterson Member Posts: 822 |
posted 31 August 2001 07:21 PM
Just a thought......what good is a guitar that doesn't break strings? Strings are dead in a week(good ones). The prettier the finish....the less you want to have it out, so, you can't take it on the road-much less a bar. Sooo, I guess if you got a ton of money, space for an end table, and a pretty long life expectancy....you're there. What if you needed 3 or 4 working guitars all set up the same....and you needed them in this decade? This guitar sounds more like a second wife and a conversation piece to me, instead of a reasonable, working tool. I gotta say, like it's been said on this forum before, looks don't last for long(ask Mike Wierauch). Durability, availability of parts and service, and sound(especially) are the real important points to a working steel. |
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bob drawbaugh Member Posts: 636 |
posted 31 August 2001 08:00 PM
Jeff sounds like you own stock in a string company. Your strings are dead in a week. I'm just getting mine broke in after about a year. . I saw the guitar Tom Brumley played in St. Louis, the guitar looked great but I wouldn't be afraid to take it out to play. I would love to have one. But I do think three years would be a long time to wait for a new guitar. |
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Bill Sharpe Member Posts: 351 |
posted 31 August 2001 08:24 PM
Jeff: I agree that if you can't take a beautiful instrument, like this Anapeg obviously is, out to let others see the beauty, it becomes a museum piece. Damn if it ain't a nice guitar and the workmanship is superb. It's a beautiful piece of work, but 3 years and 6K don't work for me with my Emmons', and Seymourguitars. ------------------ |
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chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 01 September 2001 12:34 AM
What a beautiful guitar, I can easily see 6K worth of work. I have 200 hrs of re-design and machining under my Professional and it doesn't look anywhere near as nice as his work. |
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Andy Volk Member Posts: 2966 |
posted 01 September 2001 04:16 AM
What a beautiful instrument! There are some vey fine design touches - especially the unique fret markers; quite classy. |
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Jeff Lampert Member Posts: 2636 |
posted 01 September 2001 06:46 AM
It's FABULOUS, but IMHO, it's a shame not to play it out and enjoy it. While it may be the most expensive guitar made, there are plenty of players who own guitars that sold for $3000 - $5000 when new, and they play them out. It's like buying a Ferrari, and never driving it. |
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Dave Robbins Member Posts: 718 |
posted 01 September 2001 08:08 AM
Back in the old Sho-Bud days (you know, before the Emmons, when Hal, Sonny, played 'em on the Opry ) there wasn't a prettier "coffee table" built than the Sho-Bud. But we dragged them all around the country and beat those finishes to death! We got 'em to play 'em, not to set 'em up and look at.New guitars sure are pretty, though! Then you get that "first ding" and somehow that finish just isn't quite as important as it was before. That's when you really begin to look beyond the finish and really see what it is made of! Dave |
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Don McClellan Member Posts: 882 |
posted 01 September 2001 10:36 AM
It looks like the frets are very wide. Maybe its just the photo but they look too wide to me although I like what looks like the fretboard painted right onto the wood. That's cool. I also prefer a fretboard with fewer fret marks. Why have 2 at the 12th fret but 3 at the 9th fret? Otherwise it looks a little like a Kline because of the tiny keyless tuning system. The color is beautiful. |
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Samuel E. White Member Posts: 2151 |
posted 01 September 2001 11:34 AM
Gentlemen if I'm not mistaking I do beleave a good freind and Editor of The R.I. Steel Guitar Association has a new Anapeg. I think it is a U-12.It has ball bearings in the pedals and has no play what so ever in the pedals or knee levers.Beautiful workmanship in this steel. And the price is about the 6000 mark.Oh yes the gentalmans name is Len Amaral from Rehoboth Massachucets. Len has a good selection of diffrent steels he trys to see which ones he like the best. Sam White [This message was edited by Samuel E. White on 01 September 2001 at 11:35 AM.] |
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SveinungL Member Posts: 161 |
posted 02 September 2001 10:35 AM
1. The Anapeg weighs in it's case 33 Kg. (I don't know what that would be in pounds) I haven't weighed the case alone so I don't know the weight of the guitar, but let's say about 27 kg....? It's much heavyer than it looks. The timber in it is very hard and heavy. 2. Jeff A. Smith: It has a wooden neck yes, and Noel only uses wooden ones. The frame underneath is aluminium, with the wood covering the front and back. The neck, with the changer and the tuning mechanisms are built as one piece. If I remove all the pull rods and a few screws, I can actually lift up the neck with the strings on it, and play it as a lap-steel (not that I would do that tough). The idea, I think - is to avvoid the noise from the floor and from the mechanisms underneath. 3. Steve Feldman & Bob Mainwaring: I will post better and more pictures later. I'm not really sure how the changer works in detail, but give me some time.....(I like to think of myself more like a musician than a mechanic, and spend most of my time above the guitar and not underneath it...ha ha) 4. Bob Drawbaugh: Noel only builds 10, 11, and 12 strings in according to Lap-Steels, as far as I know. He as a narrower body for the 10 stringers. The 11 and 12 stringers are 25 cm wide - I guess to fit all the changes under there comfortablly. (I'm not sure if he ever has built 13 or 14 stringed ones.) 5. Jeff Peterson: You're probably a pro, so changing strings once a week would make sence in that situation. I play maybe three gigs a month so to me changing strings every other month works ok to me. It's just that when you're on the stage it's ok to know that the chances for stringbrakage is minimal..... And yes of course it's a musical instrument ment to be played! What I mean is that if you play somwhere say - sitting on the floor without a stage, and some dancing drunks fall over you....than I might go for my other PSG. A friend of mine had someone fall over his brand new Emmons Legrande 3. One of the legs almost broke....I don't like thinking of episodes like that. 6. Don McClellan: I don't know what you mean with a "wide" fretboard...? There are 12 strings on it so the board is so wide that it covers all of them of course....The highest fret is no. 30 if that's what you meant by wide. Thanks for your questions - hope I managed to answer most of them. ------------------ [This message was edited by SveinungL on 02 September 2001 at 10:43 AM.] |
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John Egenes Member Posts: 439 |
posted 02 September 2001 11:54 AM
I worked on an album with Bill and Bonnie Hearne in Nashville a couple of years ago. Al Perkins played the steel on it, and he was kind enough to show me his 2 Anapegs, both 11-string guitars, which I jumped at the chance to fool with. I can't say enough about these things.The workmanship was incredible, their playability was so smooth it was scary. They were really short (normal for a keyless guitar, I guess), and fit into these seemingly tiny cases. I thought they were the coolest steel guitars I'd ever seen, and I still do. Congratulations on getting one! I'm envious... John |
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chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 02 September 2001 11:56 AM
33kg = 72 3/4 lb 27kg = 59 1/2 lb 25cm = 9.842 in just under 9 7/8" |
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Don McClellan Member Posts: 882 |
posted 02 September 2001 12:57 PM
SveinungL, I was talking about the fret lines not the fret board itself. I own 2 Klines and one had the early style Kline fret board with very wide fret lines and the other has the later style Kline fret board with thinner fret lines which I prefer much more. I was commenting on how the Anapeg looks like it has wide fret lines. Other than that it does look very nice. |
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Jim Palenscar Member Posts: 1566 |
posted 02 September 2001 10:05 PM
Actually the fretboard is a decal of sorts and is then further affixed to the neck via a lacquer-type compound. Jeff- you are right about the strings- it probably isn't necessary to have a guitar that doesn't break strings if you wear 'em out first. Bobbe- both the Excel and the Anapeg have changer fingers that actually move toward the nut for lowers (95% of the lowering is accomplished in this fashion in these two changer systems) and roughly 50% of the raise is accomplished by moving the finger away from the nut. I've broken one .011" on my most recent creation with the Excel changer in about 200 playing hours- and that was from a bur that I missed on one of the tuning fingers. I do agree that, in theory, the guitar should be outta tune as you get closer to the changer but if it happens, it is not noticeable to my ears. There was a comment by Winnie Winston awhile back in the PSGA newsletter about the Anapeg changer system in which he brought up the very same subject and commented that, in speaking of the theoretical outta tune-ness, Tom Brumley, "who has ears like a bat", doesn't seem to think it's outta tune (he and Al Perkins now have two Anapegs). This is probably not a guitar that you would want to carry to gigs. It is quite heavy and would be like sending your Steinway to the local honkey tonk to have Jerry Lee Lewis do a set for the patrons. I have several other guitars for this purpose- an EMCI and two others that I've built. By far the greatest pleasure I get from playing is late at nite in a quiet house and no other creature stirring in a darkened room and having a guitar like the Anapeg under my fingers, knowing just what has gone into the production of this instrument in the last 3 1/2 years is, to me, the best personal reward that I can give myself for trying to keep it together this long. Noel will be here Saturday and Sunday to complete the final "adjustments" as I just took delivery of my Anapeg at the show in St. Louis this year and he's going to come by my house near San Diego for a day or two just to make sure it's perfect. I'm sure that he'd be happy to answer any questions that anyone has about them. The wood is a native Australian wood called "Gidgy" - an Acacia relative. He searches out the tree for your guitar- about 1000 km from his house- spends some time with it- takes pictures- cuts it down, then brings it home to cure for roughly a year before starting to work on it. The wood is so hard that he hit it with a hammer and it only made it more shiney (obviously this was done befor he applied the finish). Noel and Shirley Anstead are two of the very nicest folks on the planet and I consider myself to be very fortunate to have made their acquaintance. [This message was edited by Jim Palenscar on 02 September 2001 at 10:07 PM.] |
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chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 02 September 2001 11:08 PM
Jim, we live in such a disposable, anything -for-a-quick-buck society that people like Noel should be championed. |
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Michael Johnstone Member Posts: 2535 |
posted 03 September 2001 01:18 AM
I just got back to L.A. from the convention and I played Jim's Anapeg when he had it set up at the Fessenden booth and have to say it's a marvelous machine with a lovely clear, bold,yet somehow mellow tone.It definately doesn't look or sound like any other steel.I also chatted at length with Noel Anstead and really enjoyed meeting the man behind this mystery guitar.I also seem to remember someone saying that Al Perkins may be selling one of his. -MJ- |
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Jeff Peterson Member Posts: 822 |
posted 05 September 2001 08:22 PM
Picks the tree? That's like picking the steer your getting your hamburger from....interesting. I like to stay current with new developments, so I get at least one new guitar a year....hence, no Anapegs for me. No, I don't let 'em pile up, I get a new guitar... I sell an (old?) one. By the way, I don't go a week on strings....I go 3 days. And yes, strings are on their way to being dead as soon as they're made. |
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Joe Delaronde Member Posts: 901 |
posted 06 September 2001 08:09 AM
C. Dixon The early Fender changers raised & lowered a string using a left & right (horizontal) motion, except the bridge was a seperate stationary item. I have tinkered with this style of changer, modified it to accept modern tuning rods and installed a better string attaching device which also acts as a bridge. It can raise and lower 6 frets without any problems. There is a tiny change in scale, but not noticable on a 24" scale. The beauty of it is that there are only two working parts. The bad part is it requires too little pressure to activate it. It will do anything any other changer will do. I think!!!!! I'm planning to install it on an old cabinet. Maybe its the same idea as the Anapeg??????????? Joe [This message was edited by Joe Delaronde on 06 September 2001 at 08:11 AM.] [This message was edited by Joe Delaronde on 06 September 2001 at 08:11 AM.] |
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Mike Weirauch Member Posts: 3528 |
posted 06 September 2001 11:53 AM
quote: ......I think I look OK!!!!! |
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