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Author
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Topic: Tradewinds Frypan's
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James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 08 March 2004 06:14 PM
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For those of you looking for a really nice inexpensive 7 string to add to your collection of lap steels, look no further...This little guy has a 22 1/2" scale ( not the 25" scale of the original) and has tone and sustain for days !!....This is really a sweet sounding steel with plenty of tone , and a shorter scale for ease of slanting the bar ...They are built by a guy Elva West ...He is truely a craftsman and a gentleman and a true pleasure to deal with ....I had some tweaking to be done on mine, and I can tell you that he went the extra mile to do the right thing by me, and made the whole lap steel buying from him a total pleasure ...You'll get a great sounding lap steel with a high quality padded gig bag for under $500, and it's worth every penny...
I have a couple of pictures if you would like to see this steel ...I will be glad to send them to you ... I don't work for Elva, nor do I get anything for mentioning these steel's...
This thread is simply to put quality lap steels in the hands of folks who want them !!
Try them , you'll like them ....Jim |
Bob Tuttle
Member From: San Angelo, Tx, USA
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posted 08 March 2004 08:27 PM
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Jim, I sure would like to see the pictures. Also, how about ordering information....... |
James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 08 March 2004 08:41 PM
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You can email Elva at elvawest@hotmail.com
He is in CA. ...Please let him know that I sent you to him...I like helping folks get started that deserve a good push, and can make great instruments ..Jim |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 08 March 2004 09:29 PM
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Hey guys, I've been telling anyone who would read my threads on the Forum all about Elva West and his TRADEWIND guitars for the past couple of years now. I have 5 of his guitars, one is a neat double-neck. Elva will make a guitar to your design, (any shape), or his, and he stands behind what he builds. I can only reiterate what has been written above...he's a nice guy, easy to deal with and his prices are very reasonable. A number of years ago, Ian McLatchie came through Edmonton. I had a broken wrist at the time when he popped in for a visit. Ian tried one of Elva's guitars and from all I could gather, he was quite impressed with it. Elva is not a BIG business guy...he operates small-time out of his home and garage in Anaheim, CA., and builds custom guitars ... single, double, frypan, (any design), 6 - 7 - or 8 string...just let him know what you want and he'll accomodate you.[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 08 March 2004 at 09:31 PM.] |
Ian McLatchie
Member From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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posted 09 March 2004 03:08 AM
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Right you are, Keoki. That Tradewind of yours I tried was one sweet sounding guitar (I can still recall its distinctive tone quite clearly). Anyone wanting a high-quality steel at a very reasonable price would do well to consider one of Elva West's instruments. |
David Friedlander
Member From: New York, New York, USA
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posted 09 March 2004 05:32 PM
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 jim says "check out these Tradewinds frypans"[This message was edited by David Friedlander on 09 March 2004 at 05:35 PM.] [This message was edited by David Friedlander on 09 March 2004 at 05:35 PM.] |
Andy Volk
Member From: Boston, MA
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posted 10 March 2004 03:30 AM
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Are these metal bodied or painted wood? |
Alan Kirk
Member From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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posted 10 March 2004 07:10 AM
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And if they are metal-bodied, do they suffer from what I've heard about the original frypans: that they go out of tune at the slightest temperature change? |
Bill Willingham
Member From: Southbury, CT USA
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posted 10 March 2004 03:54 PM
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Hi everybody. I tried to send a message to Elva at this address: elvawest@hotmail.comAny other way to reach him? Thanks,
Bill |
JOZEF SMITH
Member From: WESTMINSTER - CA - USA
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posted 10 March 2004 04:27 PM
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Elva West number is 714 637-4084 and resides in Anaheim Hills, Ca.
Body and neck are made of wood. Elva will build them to your specifications. Elva and I built one to my spec's and I love the action and sound of it. When ordering, specify what string spacing you want, .38 and .43 are common. |
James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 10 March 2004 07:04 PM
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I went with 7/16 at the bridge , and 3/8 at the nut ...It hit's the poles dead on and the tone is very balanced string to string , and has plenty of zing !!....Jim |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 10 March 2004 08:38 PM
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No metal guitars...all of Elva's guitars are made from wood...usually ash. |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 11 March 2004 02:55 AM
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James , thanks for posting this ! Does Elva make any seven string models other than the frypan design shown ?
Is that the famous horseshoe pickup shown on yours ?thanks Kevin |
James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 11 March 2004 07:03 AM
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Kevin,
It's a faux horseshoe pickup, meaning it has a normal single coil pickup, and the shoes that wrap around are for decoration only...The pickup that comes with it is no sloutch !!..
These steels have a GREAT tone !!...I was going to have a REAL horseshoe retrofitted to it , but I am VERY happy with the standard pickup that came with it !!...No little sound here !!...All big and round tone from this little honey !!... |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 11 March 2004 07:24 AM
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Kevin...Elva will even make a 52 string guitar if you that's what you want... 
He makes whatever you ask him to make, (non-pedal only). 6 - 7 - 8 - 10, double, triple, frypan, or your own design.
FYI: Elva isn't the only one using "fake" horseshoes...the JB FRYPAN guitars by Shot Jackson used "fake" horseshoes....remember ?
Elva knows how to wind a great pickup...no concerns there. |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 18 March 2004 09:11 AM
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To be fair ... not all "fauxs" are just decorative. The chrome plated brass ones are "fakes" ... but the steel ones exhibit properties that make them functional parts of the pickup.. Any permanent magnet that has one of its poles "backed" by a ferromagnetic substance will have the opposite pole's flux density increased by around 10% (depending on the thickness and composition of the material). So basically ... by mounting a conventional Alnico 5 pickup on a steel plate (or horseshoe-shaped piece) ... you are "kicking up" the juice above that pole piece. Magnetic lines of force, which are best visualized as "closed loops", don't re-route themselves up and around the horseshoe, as some claim (a simple "pull test" will show that) ... but they are pulled (elongated) upwards toward the top flange. This combined with the "steel backing" phenomenon makes these pickups unique ... This doesn't produce a true "3-D field" as found in Rickys, Fender Traps/Boxcars, Supros, ours, etc. .... They still lack a countering force vector coming from ABOVE the strings ... but the added "gettie up & go" is measurable. My new H-Shoes come with a steel mounting plate (as opposed to the standard aluminum). Along with their steel "shells" ... the mid-gap flux density gets bumped up substantially ... A stand alone 450 gauss set (no steel shells or plate ... just polymer/lanthanide) will jump up over 530 when "backed by steel" ... ------------------
www.horseshoemagnets.com [This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 18 March 2004 at 10:47 AM.] |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 19 March 2004 08:35 PM
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Just a word about Elva West. I have a double neck TRADEWIND which is about 4 years old. As with anything being constantly used, (and perhaps abused ?), for 4 years, something was bound to give or break. Just want everyone to know that Elva has sent me the necessary replacement part at no charge after 4 years of ownership. He's a real gentleman who stands behind his product ! Mahalo Elva. |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 20 March 2004 04:28 AM
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Is Mr. West no longer on line at the hotmail.com address ?
George is there any possibility of a picture of your double neck Tradewind console being posted ?
I'm thinking about saving my pennies for a double neck 7 string console and am going to give Mr. West a call.thank you |
James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 20 March 2004 06:44 AM
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Rick,
How's everything with the baby ??...Hope all is well !!...
That is very interesting news that the shoe is STILL part of the force of a pickup and how it pertains to the strength of the pickup ...
I thought that it would be a decorative item only.... Since one of your threads where you mentioned building a MONSTER pickup with major power, and it still sounded good , I think my next tradewind I will get WITHOUT a pickup and will have you build me a MONSTER for it ...Varitety is the spice of life !!...Thanks for your input on this !!..I learn something new every day !!....Jim |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 20 March 2004 09:14 AM
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James ... the little guy looks just like Dick Butkus  Glad everything worked out with your new "Pan" ...  |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 20 March 2004 10:37 AM
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Kevin...I'm a computer illiterate, better known as a "Computer Dummy". If you have Andy's book, you will see a pic of that guitar in the TRADEWIND section. And yes, to another question above, Elva is still on Hotmail....his address has not changed. elvawest@hotmail.com [This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 20 March 2004 at 10:39 AM.] |
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