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Author
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Topic: Excel Pedal Steels
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Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 08 June 2005 04:54 AM
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HI GUYS,
I'M CONSIDERING BUYING A NEW, MODERN, PEDAL STEEL GUITAR.
ANY COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR BRAND? "EXCEL PEDAL STEEL GUITARS"
THANKS
CARLOS |
Chippy Wood
Member From: Elgin, Scotland
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posted 08 June 2005 05:02 AM
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Hi Carlos,
Have a chat to Bill Stafford on the forum, he has the nicest Excel 14 string I have ever seen and he is a nice guy as well. also have a chat To Scotty of Scotty's Music. He will put you right.------------------
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Emmons D12 |
Ron Steenwijk
Member From: Greensburg,PA
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posted 08 June 2005 05:09 AM
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Ask "Jimmy Gibson".He's a member here and has a D10 for sale.Ron |
Billy Carr
Member From: Seminary, Mississippi USA
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posted 08 June 2005 02:35 PM
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A very good choice. EXCEL guitars I've seen and played have all been nice. Even though I'm a CARTER man, I really like the EXCEL's. |
George Redmon
Member From:
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posted 08 June 2005 04:13 PM
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Excels are excel-lent! of course i am partial to their keyless myself Tops!------------------
Whitney Single 12 8FL & 5 KN,keyless, dual changers Extended C6th, Webb Amp, Line6 PodXT, Goodrich Curly Chalker Volume Pedal, Match Bro, BJS Bar..I was keyless....when keyless wasn't cool....
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Michael Johnstone
Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA
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posted 08 June 2005 04:27 PM
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I currently play one. It's the best pedal steel I've ever played or owned and I've owned Buds,Emmons PP,MSAs,Fenders,ZBs and Sierras and Marlens. They are far ahead of the pack mechanically.Mine is a keyless single-wide metal neck U-12 "Superb" model with 8+9 and a Wallace TrueTone single coil wound to 17.5. It sounds very Emmonsey with lots of twang and growl. Mine is very small and lightweight and packs up into what looks like a tenor sax case. Because of the unique horizontal motion changer design,they never,ever break any strings whatsoever.They have 6 raise and 5 lower plus a unique,self adjusting cabinet drop compensator built into the tuning head block. There's nothing else on the market quite like an Excel plus Mitsuo Fuji is a fine gentleman and brilliant mechanical engineer who will bend over backwards to please the most discriminating aficionado. You really can't go wrong with an Excel altho most players aren't that familiar with how good they really are because there are so few of them around. The price was right so I took a chance and bought mine brand new sight-unseen from Scotty a couple years ago as a second ax to my main squeeze - a U-12 Sierra I'd played on the road for 9 years. Boy was I surprised to find what a fine machine it was and how close to an Emmons sound it had. Plus it's even smaller and about 15 lbs lighter than the Sierra. A little bird tells me that Jay Dee Maness has a keyless D-10 on order. I say "Go For It!" -MJ- |
Bill Stafford
Member From: Gulfport,Ms. USA
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posted 08 June 2005 05:39 PM
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And don't forget that the keyless Superb model has the 25 1/2" scale. Tighter, lighter and much, much brighter. All the words above do justice for the EXCEL and MItsuo Fujii. Just ask Scotty to order you one and you will be forever satisfied with your choice. NO other steel on the market compares with all the advantages EXCEL has engineered into it by Mitsuo Fujii.Bill Stafford |
Bill Stafford
Member From: Gulfport,Ms. USA
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posted 08 June 2005 05:44 PM
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PS: After I received my new EXCEL two years ago this coming Sept., Mitsuo gave me the honor of naming the model. After playing my new 14 string unit for a few weeks, the only word that came out was SUPERB when I was conversing wilth Mitsuo about the guitar. This pedal steel named itself. "That is it, Mitsuo" was my next utterance and that is it now - SUPERB!!
Quite a big honor for me to have been allowed this priviledge by Mitsuo Fujii. A first class gentleman and business man in all respects. |
Damir Besic
Member From: La Vergne,TN
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posted 08 June 2005 07:41 PM
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bought a new one from Scotty in 1991 and played it for years on the road in Europe and US.Never had a single little problem.Great touring guitars.Go for it.Db ------------------
"Promat"
~when tone matters~
http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne2/PROMAT.html |
Al Marcus
Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA
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posted 08 June 2005 08:17 PM
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Bill-Do you know if they ever changed the pull train?
They used to screw the pull rod into a plasic bushing.
I have heard they now have hooks now which would allow faster pull changes? Like Mullen, Carter and Emmons.I never played a Superb Excel. I would sure like to try one out sometime...al  ------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/ |
Steve Spitz
Member From: New Orleans, LA, USA
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posted 08 June 2005 09:12 PM
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Don`t foget GFI. |
Michael Johnstone
Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA
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posted 09 June 2005 08:52 AM
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Take a look at one here:
http://www.fuzzypsg.com/ go to the vertical row of buttons on the left side of the screen and click "What's New" |
Alan Shank
Member From: Woodland, CA, USA
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posted 09 June 2005 11:08 AM
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What does a Superb D-10 go for?
Cheers,
Alan Shank |
Michael Johnstone
Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA
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posted 09 June 2005 11:37 AM
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They're in the same ballpark as the average high quality modern steel. |
Larry Hicks
Member From: Alabama, USA
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posted 09 June 2005 11:22 PM
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Carlos,
I recently acquired an “Excel Superb” U-14 from a very reputable forum member who said he hadn’t had it out of the case in “nearly two years.” (He had two Excels!)I brought it home, set it up in my practice room (a new environment), and it came out of the case “dead-nuts” in tune from end to end! After two days of fairly hard practice I noticed a little bit of “intonation” . . .
but, turns out that my left foot had gotten lazy on the pedals (they operate like warm butter) and the guitar was still dead-on. You can't go wrong! It sounds wonderful, it’s effortless to operate . . .
Now if I could just figure out how to play PSG!
Larry |
Jimmy Gibson
Member From: Cornwall, England
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posted 10 June 2005 01:49 AM
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For Michael,Not sure what you mean by average,if it`s up there with the high quality made steels how can it be average?i have a beautifull D10 Excel that i would concider above average.They are superbly designed steels,the detail is stunning,it`s IMHO up there with the best in the world not average.If you find one Carlos grab it quick they are fine guitars.If i were not retired ,i would never concider parting with my Excel,but i AM going to to try and PX it for a SD10 W/PAD or a Straigt trade for a 12 string universal
just to use at home and maybe the odd gig.JG[This message was edited by Jimmy Gibson on 10 June 2005 at 08:42 AM.] |
Ulf Edlund
Member From: Umeå, Sweden
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posted 10 June 2005 09:27 AM
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Where can i hear one? (recorded)
Never seen any clips anywhere. Not even at Scotty's. Uffe |
ed packard
Member From: Show Low AZ
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posted 10 June 2005 09:39 AM
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An Excel isn't an Excel, isn't an Excel ... there are generational differences. The latest generation (the SUPERB) does the job! I tried to get Mitsuo to build the BEAST before Sierra came back to life ... because the BEAST is so different, there was too large a communication problem involved. |
thurlon hopper
Member From: Elizabethtown Pa. USA
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posted 10 June 2005 11:01 AM
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Never played the EXCEL series but i did buy a FUZZY S-10 about 1970 or so and it was very light and easy to move around, but i don't think that Mitsuo had solved the cabinet drop problem at the time and my guitar really suffered form detuning when the pedals were depressed. They were new to
the psg world at the time and mr. Fuji has fixed the detuning problem very handily. Mine sounded great for tone after i put a ZB Jim Murphy pickup on it. |
Michael Johnstone
Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA
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posted 10 June 2005 11:45 AM
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Jimmy - by "average" I was not referring to the quality of the Excel or other guitars but of pricing. I was providing an answer to the previous poster who asked: "What do they go for?" I was using the word "average" to convey the idea of an intermediate figure between two extremes. I would also second the notion that although the Excel Superb is in a class by itself,previous generations of Excels were a bit more generic in nature. I think Excels really got good in the mid 80s or so. The late great West Coaster Leo LeBlanc played an S-10 w/8+4 with his own version of a universal E13 tuning - an odd thing with a single high chromatic string at the bottom instead of the top.His Excel was not keyless,probably an 80s vintage and it sounded great. I never asked him if it had any cabinet drop problems. He did say he loved it and it was the best guitar he ever owned. The Superb has a pivoting headblock assembly that can be microscopically tweaked by geared down secondary tunable linkages connected to any or all pedals which actually pulls the whole guitar sharp by infinitesimal degrees to counteract cabinet drop. This particular device could only work on a keyless guitar BTW,but it allows the guitar to be uncannily in tune. Once mine was dialed in,it took several weeks to get used to being that in-tune - it just didn't sound right after decades of tuning comprimises on other guitars. -MJ- [This message was edited by Michael Johnstone on 10 June 2005 at 12:14 PM.] |
Jimmy Gibson
Member From: Cornwall, England
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posted 10 June 2005 11:56 AM
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Thanks Michael,point taken,i just miss understood,but thats nothing new for me im just a silly old f'#t.God bless Jimmy. |
RR Womack Jr
Member From: Wrens, Georgia, USA
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posted 10 June 2005 03:47 PM
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MJ. I would sure like to see the 8/9
chopedent you have on your U12 Excel. I keep
toying with the idea of a U12 but can never come up with anything that suits me. Could you post it or send it to my E mail. Either one would be fine. Thanks
Buddy W |
Tom Jordan
Member From: Santa Maria, CA, USA
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posted 10 June 2005 03:58 PM
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I let my Excel go before I was really able to appreciate what a nice guitar it was...it took acouple more to realize this. My D10 was smooth and sounded great. The only weak point on it was that the "string roller" part of the changer seemed to be somewhat soft and my bottom few strings on each neck were wearing groves at a pretty fast rate...this guitar was late 80's?Tom Jordan |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 10 June 2005 05:47 PM
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keep on.............
i'm listening.
thanks
carlos |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 12 June 2005 06:21 AM
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THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR IMPUT ON THIS TOPIC. YOU HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.I GUESS I NOW HAVE A BETTER VIEW OF THESE GUITARS AND THIS WILL HELP ME CHOOSE... WHAT "KIND"..."BRAND" OF GUITAR, "IF I MAY" I SHOULD BUY. THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT MAKES THIS FORUM SO GREAT. BILL STAFFORD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS. "A MAN OF YOUR CALIBER SHOULD KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT".
BY THE WAY , I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND DOING WELL. THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU WAS AT THE "PSGA" STEEL GUITAR CELEBRATION IN ARMONK ,NY ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. AGAIN, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, CARLOS |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 13 June 2005 08:39 AM
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hi b0b..
you may close this topic now.
thank you.
carlos |
Roland Buras
Member From: Kiln, MS, USA
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posted 13 June 2005 07:09 PM
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Hi Carlos, I to Own and play an Excel SD12 universal. I ordered my Guitar in 2002 Custom ordered for leg and pedal rod length. i have the keyless, i change string approx; every three months. I have never broken a string on my guitar, not even the 3rd (11) my guitar stays in tune and not any noticeable cabinet drop. I ordered my Copedant to that of Bill Staffords. I love my Excel and recently ordered another one just a different color. Sincerely; R J Buras |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 14 June 2005 11:48 AM
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hi roland,
thank you for your positive imput. i will take it into consideration.
best regards,
carlos |
Bill Stafford
Member From: Gulfport,Ms. USA
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posted 15 June 2005 06:15 AM
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Thanks Carlos. Hope your search is successful and you wind up with a new steel of your choice that makes you so happy.
Ulf, if you will email me your address, I will send you a cd of one of our projects we din in Nashville with Scotty and Mitsuo Fujii both on the session with me. That way you can hear Mitsuo's S-12, Scotty's EXCEL fry pan, and my S-14 plus all those great Nashville session players on the cd with us. The guitarist, Gene Breeden, is one of the very best there in Nashville and you will really enjoy his playing too. Thanks guys.And by the way, Ulf, there will be no charge. Just stay in touch and come see us.Bill Stafford |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 15 June 2005 08:42 AM
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GEE... BILL,
THIS IS SO GREAT...............
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR E-MAIL
THANK YOU.
CARLOS |
Steven Black
Member From: Gahanna, Ohio, USA
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posted 16 June 2005 01:05 PM
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Does Excell make wood sprayed lacquer bodies? |
Doug Seymour
Member From: Jamestown NY USA
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posted 16 June 2005 03:05 PM
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Isn't there a photo of one on their web site? |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 17 June 2005 06:16 AM
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hi doug,
try this web site. WWW.FUZZYPSG.COM
carlos |
Ulf Edlund
Member From: Umeå, Sweden
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posted 17 June 2005 05:07 PM
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Hi Bill, and thank you!
Looking forward to listening.Regards
Uffe |
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