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Topic: Short Keyhead LeGrande
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Bruce Bouton Member From: Nash. Tn USA
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posted 11 September 2005 08:01 PM
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A friend of mine has called me about a short keyhead LeGrande. The body and hardware are in mint condition with one exception. The changers are frozen. Is this particulae model LeGrande known for its tone? It's about 25 years old and looks mint. It just doesn't work. Can new changers be instaled . Would it be worth the agravation?It's also got the old style three hole bell cranks which could be replaced. I can buy this for a pretty good price. Any opinions? Thanks! BB |
Damir Besic Member From: La Vergne,TN
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posted 11 September 2005 08:09 PM
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I had one of those in rosewood mica and it sounded great (to me).Not sure about changer problem.Db ------------------ "Promat" ~when tone matters~ http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne2/PROMAT.html |
John Macy Member From: Denver, CO USA
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posted 11 September 2005 08:22 PM
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Hairdryer?(Sorry, couldn't resist ) |
Chris Bauer Member From: Nashville, TN USA
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posted 11 September 2005 08:44 PM
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I had one that was the only guitar I've owned that recorded great but was a dud live. I've had several guitars that have done the opposite and I never did figure out why this LeGrande did what it did.As for the frozen changer, I have no clue. Checked for wads of gum in there? Decades of broken strings? Cat hair??? |
Steve Dodson Member From: Sparta, Tennessee, USA
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posted 11 September 2005 11:24 PM
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Bruce if you can get it for a good price,and it has what they called the Webbed type changer in it, which was what was in the first LeGrande's. Get that Bad Boy and put the LeGrande II type changer's in it, and you will be ready to go. Just a thought. |
Stephen Gambrell Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 12 September 2005 01:49 AM
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I had one, sounded great---it had 705's in it when I got it, I put the Emmons single coils back in, and it got HUGE!! Traded it for a push/pull, and I don't have the 705's anymore, either . |
Bob Hoffnar Member From: Brooklyn, NY
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posted 12 September 2005 02:13 AM
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I've somehow been under the impression that the short keyhead LeGrandes do not have the tone or feel of the long keyhead ones and that is why Emmons stopped building them and switched back to the long keyhead. Bob |
Mike Archer Member From: Church Hill, Tennessee, USA
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posted 12 September 2005 06:24 AM
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I just sold one because i went to a pp sd10 the SKH imho is way better tone wise then the new legrandes if i were to get another it would be the skh big tone has a little more mid then the others but great steel changes are a snap plus they dont break a lot of 3rds |
Pat Burns Member From: Branchville, N.J. USA
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posted 12 September 2005 09:01 AM
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Bruce, this topic has been discussed a number of times, you can click "search" at the top of the page, choose the drop-down menu for "pedal steel" topics, and type in "short keyhead" for the search words, and you'll get a bunch of responses, including this one in which Emmons builder Jack Strayhorn weighed in, along with Bobbe and a couple others. http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/006964.html |
JW Day Member From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA
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posted 12 September 2005 09:27 AM
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Bruce: I have one of the short heads that I bought in about 82. The only thing I've ever done to this guitar is change the strings on. It is a D-10 with 8 and 6.As far as mainteance goes, I think I have lubricated it one time.As far as I can tell it is as good as the day it came from the factory. I had a rebuilder look at it last year, all he done was put it back in the case and send me home. at one time I was playing 6 nights a week and I've never heard any complaints on the tone. I still play it 1 to 3 nights a week J W Day |
Chick Donner Member From: North Ridgeville, OH USA
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posted 12 September 2005 11:23 AM
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Bruce, Kevin Rickert out in Portland (TN) has one; sounds like a PP (really!). Also, just take the changer out and drop it in a bucket of transmission fluid for a couple of days, rinse in Liquid Wrench and lubricate; should work fine after that. You MAY need a new axle in it. |
John Cadeau Member From: Surrey,B.C. Canada
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posted 12 September 2005 11:52 AM
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I'm with JW. The circumstances are the same, except I lube mine once a year. It plays great, stays in tune, and I've had nothing but compliments on the tone. John. |
Terry Sneed Member From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA
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posted 12 September 2005 04:55 PM
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I had an 84 model Shorty, and the tone was excellent! Terry
------------------ Mullen D10 /8x5 / session 500rd/ American Strat Highway 1 model steelin for my Lord |