Finally caught some down time on this misty cloudy NY gray day.....

First up....a GFI D10/8

Keyless. One neck 10, the other an 8 string standard fretboard ala Thumbs Carlisle

Jeff Strouse....you wanted keyless...keep your eye on this thread

[This message was edited by HowardR on 23 April 2005 at 01:19 PM.]

This is a six string spacing on 12 strings. I can almost put two 6 string tunings on this one neck....

[This message was edited by HowardR on 23 April 2005 at 01:43 PM.]

At some point I would like to put 2 six string tunings and play around with that. A great sounding steel. There were only two 12 strings made according to Tom Baker. I bought this at the Dallas show a few years ago just before Sierra closed.

A note to anyone who is thinking of, or buying one from Sierra.....get 4 legs. This is a little wobbly at the neck with 3.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 23 April 2005 at 02:20 PM.]

yep, this was one of the last that Ted did. I received it from him a year ago this past February. It was a few years in the making. I asked Ted to do this tear drop strat shape for me. I knew that he was going through some difficult times and that he had more "normal" steels to deliver. Anyhow I didn't "need" it right away and had other projects and things swimming around my mind, so time was not of the essence.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 23 April 2005 at 03:11 PM.]

The 10 string neck is a steel neck tuned to C6 and the 8 string fretted neck is tuned to G major. Gene Fields has a couple of double neck pedal steels with one neck set up this way. This was his non pedal but as he was using pedals, he had this for sale. The G tuning is what Gene had it tuned to, and myself being mostly a dobro player (I don't play standard guitar) find that I'm more comfortable with this than I would be with anything else. Yes, I'm playing the fretted neck with my fingers. The action is very low on this neck. I think that is what you were asking me.

Gene can certainly give you the details if you endeavor to build your own.

Bill, I'll be at the PSGA in November. If you decide to come up for that, I'll bring this steel with me.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 23 April 2005 at 03:30 PM.]

If you need a 6" bar let me know...

It won't be the first one I have done.

The Melobar is sweet. I have a Red Ratt and it just sounds so clean.

We should get You and Rick Alexander together and have a Non-Pedal Show.

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JCFSGC member since 2005

Boyett's Glass Bars

(I'll finish the newsletter story by tomorrow)

back to our regularly scheduled program.

quote:

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We should get You and Rick Alexander together and have a Non-Pedal Show.

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That melobar looks VERY cool.

How low do you think the action could be on the fretted neck and still be able to use a lighter weight bar ala Shubb style, or even a bottleneck. Possible to do some slide AND some fretted playing with the right action height?

Also couldn't you incorporate some tapping style guitar like Stanley Jordan or some of the the rock players use. You tried that on it?

I am very intrigued by that neck.

I'm just going to go off and faint, or something.

I always put in my disclaimer that I'm not a "real" player like most everyone here, lest someone think so. I'm a tinkerer. I don't know any tunes on this and have not seriously put serious practice time into this. I occassionally tinker to see how it works, what techniques may be involved, & how it sounds. I'll sit down to this for a couple of hours, sometimes get into a groove if I discover some neat licks and perhaps come back to it several months later, or longer.

This was built by Roy Thomas of Pedalmaster Steel Guitars. It's built cabinetwise like a psg, but non pedal.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 24 April 2005 at 07:28 AM.]

Well, one plays in a skillful & creative way and one builds in a skillful & creative way.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Before Rick Aeillo.....or he would have heard from me with regard to a new pair o' shoes....

ooops, just realized my abreviation

The Sierra 12 - what kind of pickup did you and Tom put on it? I haven't seen one like that on a Sierra.

I bought this at the 2002 Dallas Show. Tom wasn't at that show. There were two of these and by Sunday afternoon they were drastically reduced in price. I really wasn't in the market for a steel but as I was starting to leave, they guy (don't remember his name, wasn't Don Christiansen) lowered the price even more. At that point I knew that I would regret it if I left it behind.

Beautiful shots. Sadly, you aren't in any of them, which is always entertaining.

Reminds me of this classic.

Love to meet you someday!

cheers,
Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden D-10 8/8, Fessenden SD-12 5/5 (Ext E9), Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3

[This message was edited by Drew Howard on 27 April 2005 at 10:57 AM.]