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 The Steel Guitar Forum
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 Your first electric steel (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: Your first electric steel |
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Jody Sanders Member From: Magnolia,Texas |
posted 30 March 2004 06:34 PM
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What was your first electric steel guitar. Mine was a plastic 6 string Supro. Came with an amp. Both for $59.95. (1947). Jody. |
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Bill Stafford Member From: Gulfport,Ms. USA |
posted 30 March 2004 06:55 PM
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HI Jody, mine was in the same era. Silvertone six string with amp for basically the same price. Great tone-- and it was amazing that this steel taught me how to get the same tone with all the other steels I have had since then.. I got mine in 1945 right after WWII. Bill Stafford |
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Ryan Giese Member From: Spokane, Washington, USA |
posted 30 March 2004 07:11 PM
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I have a 1947 Supro. I got it a couple years ago from my Dad... I like it a lot. Then about 6 months later I got a GFI and then (my favorite) A Super-Pro. Is pretty cool. |
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Al Marcus Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA |
posted 30 March 2004 07:22 PM
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My first electric was a plastic coated National Supro and Supro Amp. Just as soon as I could afford it , I bought a National AC/DC 20watt tube amp with a 12 inch speaker. I was in steel guitar heaven. That was the best of its day. I still used the little supro guitar. That was their second line cheaper guitar. I got it free by taking 60 lessons from a Guitar teacher for $1.50 a week in 1937. So I got the Supro and one year lessons for $90.00. After taking lessons for a few weeks, he said I was showing him different licks and ways to play.LOL. But I had already been playing a wooden hawaiian guitar for a year or less, I can't remember. That is a long , long time ago........al ------------------ [This message was edited by Al Marcus on 30 March 2004 at 07:27 PM.] |
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Bill R. Baker Member From: Clinton, MS USA |
posted 30 March 2004 07:32 PM
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My dad bought me a six string Electromuse in 1947. Still have it. |
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C Dixon Member From: Duluth, GA USA |
posted 30 March 2004 07:46 PM
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Interestingly, my dad did the same for me in 1946. I sold it in 1952. As I recall it had a plexiglass fretboard with painted frets underneath it. Solid wooden body. As I recall the sound was kinda klunky, But that was 50 yrs ago. carl |
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Fred Shannon Member From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas |
posted 30 March 2004 07:54 PM
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Mine was a Rickenbacker, 1946 Model, $31.85 paid out in lay-a-way. Sold a lot of soda pop bottles.  It hangs in our den. The fretboard and mounting plate has been replaced and rechromed. Probably the wrong thing to do, but-------.
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Mike Perlowin Member From: Los Angeles CA |
posted 30 March 2004 07:58 PM
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I jumped into the deep end of the pool without learning to swim first. My first steel guitar was my MSA U-12, which I still have and use. It had 7 pedals and 4 knee levers when I bought it. It's a great guitar. I will never sell it as long as I live. |
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Billy Wilson Member From: El Cerrito, California, USA |
posted 30 March 2004 10:10 PM
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Fisrst electric steel was a cheap old arch top standard guitar with a pencil over the nut and a Kent pickup which I attached. Late seventies. Worked fine. Then an Ohau Diana. Great guitar, wish I still had it. D8 Stringmaster after that....... |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 31 March 2004 12:10 AM
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mine was a Gibson BR6 i found in a pawn shop in 1969 for 50 $ (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) kept it for 34 years replaced it last year w: an EH150 |
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David L. Donald Member From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand |
posted 31 March 2004 02:58 AM
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My Mosrite Dobro had a pickup on it, so that counts. I inherited that from my dad's studio in 1970. But my 1st strictly electric Steel was a 1960 Supro 6 also, white mother of toilet seat, I got in in NYC from blues player Big Ed Sullivan around 1991. |
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Carl West Member From: La Habra, CA, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 05:30 AM
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Like Billy and Jody, my first was a flat body look-alike Martin with that pencil at he nut. Then the Silvertone and a borrowed amp that had to be kicked now and them to make it work. Carl West |
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Jody Cameron Member From: Angleton, TX,, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 05:51 AM
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Well JB, my first steel was a Blonde laquer Deckley D-10 with 8 & 4...my parents bought it for me from Clyde's Music in Clute, TX and YOU gave me lessons on it! Remember that? |
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Erv Niehaus Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 07:53 AM
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I did a repeat of CrowBear! I started on an acoustic Oahu and then graduated up to a Gibson BR6 and Gibson amp. This was in about 1950 so Jody is maybe a little bit longer in the tooth than yours truly. I also traded it off a few years ago for a mint, 7 string Gibson EH150 w/Charlie Christian pickups. I wish that I still had the BR6, but maybe some day???. So many guitars, so little time! Erv |
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Robert Thomas Member From: Mehama, Oregon, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 08:20 AM
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My first electric steel guitar was a Gibson BR-9 with a Gibson Amp. The Guitar case and Amp case were matching as in a set. I believe the amp was 32 watts with an 8" speaker, if I remember correctly. I bought it new with my paper route money in 1948? and started playing for grange hall dances by myself when I was 15, using sheet music, cause I couldn't play without it yet, and my Mom and Dad transported me to the grange halls to play. Sure does bring back a lot of good old memories. Thanks for letting me reminisce. |
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Rick Aiello Member From: Berryville, VA USA |
posted 31 March 2004 08:28 AM
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Here she is ...  ... a Silver Hawaiian ------------------ [This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 31 March 2004 at 08:57 AM.] |
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George Keoki Lake Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada |
posted 31 March 2004 08:30 AM
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What a thrill it was for me back in 1946 to receive this wonderful thing...an actual "electric" guitar! Wow, after 3 years of playing a flat-top round hole acoustic, I was in 7th heaven. This guitar was made by (the late) Bill Jantz of Winnipeg, (Manitoba, Canada). 6 strings with an amplifier for about $110.00 . It was a thrilling experience which I'll never forget.  |
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john buffington Member From: Owasso Ok USA |
posted 31 March 2004 08:40 AM
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6 - string lap steel, made by Gretch. My dad gave $10.00 for it. Fret board was silk-screened onto the body. Cord was the old style cloth wrapped coming out of the body. John Buffington |
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Ray Montee Member From: Portland, OR, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 08:51 AM
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In about 1944-46, my wonderful dad purchased a brand new Gibson 6-string w/matching amp. I don't recall the cost but it was expensive. I have no idea what model it is but it can be seen on www.jerrybyrdfanclub.com site. I sure wish I had it now.........it was a beautiful instrument; nothing tinny or plastic about it. |
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Gere Mullican Member From: LaVergne, Tennessee, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 08:57 AM
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My first guitar was pawned to my Daddy for 7 dollars and he gave it to me. I had never seen a guitar of any kind. That was in 1944. It was an archtop strung left handed and totally out of tune. I have no idea why but I used a flashlight battery and tooth out of a comb for a pick. Since I had never seen any kind of guitar, why did I start playing it like a lap steel? Any way I learned to play it out of tune and strung backwards then some smart guy said it was wrong and restrung it right handed and I had to lear all over again. I could go on and on but to get to the question at hand, my Mother and Daddy soon bought me a Silvertone 6 and amp and I played on it for a while then we took it to L.C.Tiller Piano Co. in Nashville and traded it for a double neck 6 Supro with a sort of gray and white marble look. Played it for a long time and traded it to a guy for a 7 string Gibson that looked like the one Cousin Jody played except mine had 7 strings. In 1954 while stationed at the Naval Hospital in Charleston SC I saw a local band and the steel player made some kind of lick that I couldnt find and went and asked him about it. He asked if my guitar was rigged for it and I said I have 7 strings. So I took my steel to the machine shop where he had his modified and had the one pedal that raised the 2nd and 3rd strings from E to A and I was hooked on pedals. Later I found a Fender 400 and thought I was in hog heaven. Played that one for a long time then while visiting North Carolina met Leonard Stadler and got him to build me a S10 Marlen, and I played that for a few years. Then in 1974 Leonard built me a new SD-10 and I thought surely I was Lloyd Green. The only difference was Lloyd could pick. After the airline lost that Marlen I was without a steel for 5 or 6 years and finally my dear friend Bobby Hicks gave me a brand new GFI SD-10 for Christmas last year and thats where I am now. Didn't mean to bore you folks but wanted to spout it off. Thanks Gere |
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Roger Edgington Member From: San Antonio, Texas USA |
posted 31 March 2004 09:02 AM
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My first electric steel was a Fender 400 with 6 pedals. It was a very nice steel for it's day. Had it about a year and traded it for a Fender 1000. |
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Ray Minich Member From: Limestone, New York, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 09:18 AM
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My dad built me a six string in 1963. Pickup was from an old Gibson guitar, upper nut was 1/4 cross section of an ACME threaded stainless steel stem from a large gate valve, lower bridge was an electrical contact block. Body was 3/4" oak, all bolted to a piece of 1/4" plate steel to eliminate cabinet drop (without the plate the oak body tended to curl up into a "U"). In 1970 I bought a 6 string Supro, still have it, no idea what year or model. It's black with white trim and has the black & white case. |
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c c johnson Member From: killeen,tx usa |
posted 31 March 2004 09:28 AM
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1937Rick with 12 watt amp and a huge 8" speaker. My dad paid $52 for the rig. In 1935 he bought me a plain dobro sunburst for $65 that I still have today. |
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Gord Cole Member From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
posted 31 March 2004 11:41 AM
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I have my first electric guitar from around 1949-50 collecting dust under the bed. A "Mason" 6-string. I got it from the Ontario Conservatory of Music when I took Hawaiian guitar lessons back then. ... Gord |
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John Bresler Member From: Medford, Oregon |
posted 31 March 2004 02:11 PM
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1952 Carvin D-6 complete with Carvin amp. The total was less than $100.00 which I had saved up from my paper route. This was around the time Bud Isaacs played "Slowly" and "Buds bounce" and I just about went crazy trying to figure out the tuning, only to find out it wasn't the tuning but pedals was that I needed. |
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Gerald Menke Member From: Brooklyn, NY, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 02:20 PM
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My first steel was a 1983 Zumsteel SD-10. Apparently it lives in Norway now. How clearly I remember sitting down in the store to play it, and not having A CLUE. |
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Paddy Long Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand |
posted 31 March 2004 03:14 PM
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Mine was a S10 Shobud Pro - 3 + 2 - it was in a regular music store, so I grabbed that and Winnies book and I was away !! Added 2 more knee levers soon after. |
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chas smith Member From: Encino, CA, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 03:32 PM
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S-10 Emmons wraparound, sold it for $350 in 1980........need I say more |
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Kevin Macneil Brown Member From: Montpelier, VT, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 06:13 PM
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Fourteen years old, out of school for 2 weeks with a bad ear infection, staying up late listening to WWVA and whatever late-night country I could find--this was 1972. One day I got so bored I built a steel out of an old formica table-top and parts from an old Silvertone 6 string. Tuned to G6 and played along with Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb. It was a terrible instrument really, but I wish I still had it!! |
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Ricky Davis Moderator From: Spring, Texas USA |
posted 31 March 2004 06:22 PM
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Mine was a 1979 Red Marlen pedal steel with 3 pedals and 3 knee levers...I bought from Herb Remington in 1981....yeee haa Ricky |
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Jody Sanders Member From: Magnolia,Texas |
posted 31 March 2004 09:54 PM
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Yes JC. I remember that guitar. I was also playing a Dekley at the time. You done good. JB. |
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Bob Wood Member From: Campbell, California, USA |
posted 31 March 2004 09:58 PM
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Holy Moly, Most of you guys are old Giezers! Bob |
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basilh Member From: United Kingdom |
posted 01 April 2004 02:59 AM
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My First steel guitar I made from White Oak With engraved plastic fretboards and pick-ups made from the coils and magnets out of telephone handsets that I found hanging around in various 'phone boxes.!!!!!! 
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Fred Shannon Member From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas |
posted 01 April 2004 05:31 AM
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OK Baz, you win!!!!
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Perry Hansen Member From: Bismarck, N.D. |
posted 01 April 2004 06:14 AM
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Gray Awahu(sp)with matching amp. |
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Ray Minich Member From: Limestone, New York, USA |
posted 01 April 2004 06:18 AM
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Pickups made from telephone parts, now that's cool!!! |
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Michael Lee Allen Member From: Fresno CA USA |
posted 01 April 2004 06:39 AM
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Ten string Eddie Alkire EHarp and a Supro amp. |
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basilh Member From: United Kingdom |
posted 01 April 2004 07:01 AM
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'Telephone Parts' on reflection it was quite irresponsible.... but at the time !! the late 50's, it was almost impossible to get parts, and us 'Colonials' were living in a bit of a wilderness re. guitar accessories.. The U.K. telephones had a U shaped magnet with coils around each 'leg' and a metal plate on top of the magnet... this magnet determined the ultimate string spacing.. and also gave me the capability of a "trim pot" for each string volume.....as the whole system was quite a low impedance, it also required a pre-amp...this in itself opened up the possibilities of enhanced tone circuitry etc. |
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Wade Medlock Member From: Clarkston, GA USA |
posted 01 April 2004 07:15 AM
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Blonde bird's eye maple ShoBud Maverick. Every time I hoist my heavy-as-lead ShoBud Super Pro, I think of it. One loud guitar! I still have it! |
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Jody Sanders Member From: Magnolia,Texas |
posted 01 April 2004 12:45 PM
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Come on, Bob. How about "age challenged", or "Senior Players", anything but "Old Geezers". Although the term does describe several people I know, including myself. You young whupper snappers hang in there and keep the candle burning. Jody. [This message was edited by Jody Sanders on 01 April 2004 at 12:54 PM.] |
Tee hee!
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