Same goes for most instruments.

quote:

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....on the other hand, this thread is supremely stupid...so, I wonder what the public finds more offensive, negativity or stupidity?

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The references to Heinz might qualify that assessement but I don't believe the original post and several others were made in the interest of the origin of myths and legends.

Yes Paul, you are welcome to your opinion and so am I. You have every right to post that you think "Emmons is the best", just as I have every right to post that to me it seems about the same level as "My dad's Chevy can beat your dad's Ford".

I would agree with you that having the right instrument can inspire a person to play their best, and I already did post basically that. THAT'S not what your original post said. Anyway, you posted your opinion, I posted mine. My opinion may seem like an attack, I'll grant you if we traded places I'd have felt insulted too. Actually it wasn't intended to be a one-on-one personal attack although I do see how it would seem so.

As we go through life, we have many different experiences that get filed away in our brains, to be used at a later date as a comparison to a current experience. As we play on different guitars, we note what we like and dislike about a particular brand or a particular guitar. Those notes get filed away and reviewed the next time we play a different guitar. The more guitars you play, the more information you have stored in your brain for future reference.

I loved my old p/p Emmons, but it wasn't perfect. I love the Mullen I currently play, but it isn't any better or worse than my Emmons was. My first pedal steel was a blonde Maverick. It was a great guitar, but of course it had its limitations. All of the guitars I've owned have had good points and not-so-good points. None were perfect.

What I'm trying to say is, I don't think there can be one brand of guitar, or truck, or shoes, or anything else that can be considered the "standard". They're all different and none are perfect.

During your life experiences you begin to formulate an idea of what is perfect for you. The longer you live and the more experience you have, the more "standards" you will have to compare future experiences to.

Anyhow, I applaud your attitude and willingness to "agree to disagree".

Well, about what kind of steel I have, at present I only have two, a mid-70's Sho-Bud S-10 and a '74 MSA D-12. The Sho-Bud has the sweeter tone, in my opinion. In the last 30 years of playing steel I've had a Fender 1000, Sho-Bud 6139, ZB D-10, early '60's rosewood Sho-Bud D-11 (now THAT was a great sounding steel!), MSA D-10, Sho-Bud Pro II, and a Pro III. Plus a mess of old lapsteels from a '30-something Gibson EH-150, bakelite Ric, Gibson Skylark, etc. That's all I can remember right now. Believe it or not I did have Curly Chalker's black MSA D-10 for a while in about '89, he actually insisted I borrow it cuz at that time I didn't have a steel, had sold them all and quit music. He told me not to tell anyone "so they don't think ol' Curls has gone soft"! I gave it back cuz I couldn't play it set up the way he had it and didn't dare change anything. Nah, I don't play anything like Chalker, not on E9th OR C6th. I consider myself an average steel player.

Nope, never had an Emmons and though I'd like to just out of curiosity, and before we see "Aha, you're just jealous because you can't have one", I just spent more than enough to buy any Emmons on other things I want more than an Emmons.

So, maybe if I'd bought the Emmons I'd say, "hey, this IS the world's best guitar and all the rest are something else". Sorry but I really don't think so. I think I play my Sho-Bud as well as I'd play an Emmons, but maybe I'll buy one someday for the heck of it. Even if I do get an Emmons one of these days and think it's the best in the world, I would NOT put it on a pedestal and put down the other big-name modern steels. I still believe the player matters more than the equipment. I'd rather hear Buddy, Lloyd, Paul, or Curls on the worst piece of crap than most guys on the best.

Just my opinion, and no better or worse than anyone elses. One thing though Paul, if a guy gives an opinion in a public Forum, especially an opinion that such-n-such is best, you oughta know you're gonna get some disagreement!

The only guitars that sing for me are the ones that compliment my picking style. I've had a Sho~Bud, a BMI, an Excel, a Fender, a Multi-Cord and currently a Sierra.

'Buds are beauitful guitars but don't sing for me like they do for Lloyd or Jimmy D.

The Multi Cord had THE sound, but lets face it, the mechanics made pedal playing miserable at best.

I love the sound of someone else playing a Fender Guitar...

I miss my Excel D-10...you don't hear many comments on them but it sang for me.

My Sierra U12 Royalty has a sound of its own. After many months of ownership, I thinks it is starting to sing for me. I'm getting used to the U12 concept and think that it has raised my ability and understanding one whole step. I don't think that it is the guitar that I'll marry though.

Maybe an Emmons next? I've heard Jay Dee play one in person and the guitar do sing.

My hobby now is a Morrell 8 string that was almost "given" to me by a fellow forum member. I'd heared the comments about the "light" pickup but I wanted it anyway. I've played this guitar for a week and a half now and have found the "sweet spot" for the right hand. The guitar will sing. It's sound and vibration is very much like the middle position of a good Stratocaster...one of my favorite sounds...the plastic nut will be the only thing to replace.

Lots of cool hardware but the only keepers are the ones that match my hands and ears.

Long winded and opinionatedly yours,

("Incoming!")

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
;)

Everything food-wise taste like chicken and airplanes fly like a "Skyhawk"...they may be bench marks but they are not really the best?

Chicken eatinly,

Different guitars are . . . um . . . different -- and different players have . . . um . . . different taste and criteria. That's why some will listen to an Emmons push-pull and not particularly like it. Most I've talked to will. From a mfgr's point of view, however, a mark to shoot at is one that's pretty widely (altho not UNIVERSALLY) accepted as good or great. You're never gonna get 10 steel players to all choose the same brand as their favorite, but when the majority say there is something about the sound of an Emmons that is distinctive and desirable, the manufacturers listen. If someone could build an all-pull guitar with a push-pull sound they could name their price. God knows many have tried.

Just my observation -- and my opinion -- I COULD be wrong.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 06 August 2002 at 09:26 PM.]

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"Let's go STEEL something"
If it feels good, do it. If it feels COUNTRY, do it twice
jpp

Makes me think of motorcycles.... (now there's a segue, eh?) In the 70's all the critics blasted Harley Davidson saying all the Japanese bikes were faster, lighter, smoother, more reliable etc. and they were right. Guess who's on top of the motorcycle heap for several years now, Harley Davidson. Still slower, heavier and needing more maintenance than the Japanese bikes, but legendary and all the Japanese bikes now are trying to look like a Harley. Does that mean the Harleys are better? No. Legendary and unique, yes. (And they sound better too but that's beside the point!)

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 07 August 2002 at 10:04 AM.]