|
Author
|
Topic: Are the looks of SG becoming more important?
|
Ken Thompson
Member From: Great Falls, Montana, USA
|
posted 11 May 2006 02:01 PM
profile
I have been looking at all the new steel guitar web-sites and have noticed the beautifull styling and finishes that are going into these fine instruments. Does it seem to you that more emphasis is being placed on the overall look of the instrument given that they are all mechanically similar and have excellant sound and tone?The new Mullens & MSA's with their sunburst finishes are absolutely beautifull. I especially love the purple sunburst out of the black finish on the MSA. I have always thought that Sho-Bud had the nicest looking guitar and then you add to that the finishes that guys like Duane Marrs is putting on them and they become truly an awesome looking guitar. I have to say it makes my black mica look somewhat simple even though I think it looks great. Just wondering what everyone else thinks of the efforts that the manufactures are putting into the looks of their guitars and if it really makes any differnce to you. I am afraid one of them is going to get some of my money one of these days and I have to say that it may be the one that looks the best to me. |
Larry Bell
Member From: Englewood, Florida
|
posted 11 May 2006 02:32 PM
profile
I think there have always been beautiful guitars around. Most builders will make you whatever you want -- there are cabinet makers who can use any wood or inlay or trim you want. I consider a well built pedal steel a work of art, even without the fancy stuff. I enjoy the simplicity of black mica and aluminum.Some people go for sports cars with custom finishes. Others like ornate natural wood furniture and woodwork. It's a 'style thing'. Some guys spend more time polishing them than playing them. My guitars are tools. I like for them to look nice but wouldn't be willing to pay a big premium for an exotic wood or custom finish. I usually don't even pay extra for polished hardware. My guitars are attractive 
but nothing special. Just my personal preference. I keep my guitars for a long time and don't like for them to get too nasty so I clean them up -- polish the endplates and stuff -- periodically. But I figure they're there to help me make music as a primary purpose, so I don't personally obsess in the looks department. If I had an exotic wood lacquer guitar or a vintage Bigsby or whatever, that cost me 5-10 grand I'd be afraid to gig with it. That kinda defeats the purpose for me. Guess I'm a player and not a collector. Some folks are both and more power to them, but I just don't have that kind of spare change floating around. ------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 11 May 2006 at 02:35 PM.] |
ed packard
Member From: Show Low AZ
|
posted 11 May 2006 02:32 PM
profile
Ken...that is better than the idea of instrument makers only selling to good looking players so that their instrument is shown off to best advantage....lets see, where did I put my Botox? Oh well, it would not help that much. |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
|
posted 11 May 2006 05:57 PM
profile
quote:
I especially love the purple sunburst out of the black finish on the MSA.
I’m glad you feel that way, because that’s how I ordered mine. Here’s Lonnie Bennett with his.  I think my green maple/lacquer guitar,  is a better instrument than my white dieboard/mica one  but I think the white one looks better.
------------------
My web site
|
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
|
posted 11 May 2006 06:19 PM
profile
From what I've seen and experienced, a person can get flamed around here for focusing on the looks of a guitar. But I think visual appeal is a very important aspect of a steel guitar. It's not about what others think of your steel; it's how you feel regarding its look. There's a certain amount of pride that goes along with owning a handsome instrument, whether it's a brand new steel or a beat up 50's tele. I do think more steel players care about visual appeal than they care to admit around here. There are always dissenters in these threads who make it clear that it's shallow to dwell on such nonsense. I asked about a brand's logo style one time, stating I had a preference for the older version. Boy, did the snarls pucker.  |
Tom Quinn
Member From: Sacramento
|
posted 11 May 2006 06:35 PM
profile
As long as they are black and say Emmons on the front, they're beautiful! |
James Morehead
Member From: Durant, Oklahoma, USA
|
posted 11 May 2006 07:26 PM
profile
Well, To me visual apeal is extremely important. When people hear me play, they say "At least the guitar looks halfway decent!"  Larry, I like the guitar in the middle---that's my favorite look! |
George Redmon
Member From:
|
posted 11 May 2006 07:53 PM
profile
A friend of mine, played a Marlin with a formica finish. The drummers cymbal stand with the cymbal on it toppled over after he backed into it setting up. That cymbal cut that formica like a knife into hot butter. My friend sold the guitar. I suggest he have it refinished..nope..he sold it. I have stopped using my Webb amp for playing jobs. Because i am afraid something might happen to it, i cannot replace this amp. So it's going into my studio and staying there. My Whitney the same thing. I am only going to use it for steel shows and special occasions, it to, cannot be replaced. So yes looks do matter. My steels are not tools. They are close personal objects that i use for expression. It's like an expensive sports car, or the yacht that is always docked, and never taken out to sea. I have my dads old sho bud. And he beat that poor old steel to death. I asked him why he didn't polish and clean the cigarette smoke off that poor thing..he told me..why..this way i don't have to worry about putting a scratch or ding on it. I can play it and enjoy it.....go figure |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
|
posted 11 May 2006 10:07 PM
profile
I don't think it's anything new. The old Bigsbys were plain, but the old Fenders had sunbursts, and the Shobuds early on were very fancy and beautiful. Seems like Williams and Fulawkas have always been showpieces. The formica steels can be plain, but Bruce Zumsteg has become an artist in snazzing up his multicolor formica models. I think modern steel makers are following the tradition, and also are reacting to popular demand for instruments that look interesting. |
Kelly Hydorn
Member From: Montana, USA
|
posted 11 May 2006 10:08 PM
profile
Come on guys, Ken is subtle but did you catch the last line of his post, he obviously wants a new pedal steel guitar and he's looking for your approval to get a new guitar since Carol probably said it ain't gonna happen! So go ahead and encourage him because if he does, somewhere along the way I might get a chance to see and possibly play it. Now Ken, my idea would be to sell the bus if you haven't already done that, and then print out all the responses to your post and show them to Carol and just maybe she will relent. Har! Har! If that doesn't work have her call me and I'll give her at least 100 reasons why you should get a new guitar. Kelly |
Tommy White
Member From: Hendersonville,Tn., U.S.A.
|
posted 12 May 2006 06:30 AM
profile
I agree with Chris and James. I think the steel should be pleasing to the eye. I tend to choose darker colors now though, like my black MSA. I seem to be a bit distracted from playing by bright or busy colors.
I started playing in the 1960's on a Sho-Bud that was a beautiful, ornate work of art and ressembled fine furniture. Somehow the beauty of that guitar inspired me to play. BTW, I still have that guitar.
Then my dad brought a black, bolt-on, push-pull Emmons home. Wow. Did'nt even look like a steel to me, or at least any I had ever seen. It was definately a futuristic machine with it's compact, sleek, somehow sinister look, which I still have a fondness for as well. |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
|
posted 12 May 2006 06:52 AM
profile
It's funny you say that, Tommy, because I'm making the transition from birds-eye (Sho-Bud) to formica right now. The Carter I'm getting is basic black, and that detail is somehow helping me in the transition with its stark simplicity. 
|
John Cox
Member From: Bryan, Texas, USA
|
posted 12 May 2006 08:54 AM
profile
I've always loved the Sho-Bud bodies and look. Also thought the Emmons wood-burst was cool too. J.C. |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
|
posted 12 May 2006 09:09 AM
profile
Comparing them to straight guitars, they're very conservative. I'd like to see some rainbow sparkle finishes, flames, or something that's really different. The bland geometric patterns and simple inlays just don't grab your eye like some of the radical rocker's guitars. |
Ken Thompson
Member From: Great Falls, Montana, USA
|
posted 12 May 2006 10:01 AM
profile
Kelly, you got me pegged buddy. I have to sell myself first and then I will work on my wife.Chris, my Carter is identical to yours and I really do like the simple look. However, I am very envious of Mike because I love that purple burst MSA. I can only imagine how that will look with the stage lights reflecting off of it. Good for you Chris, they are beautiful. Larry, I have always believed that the Sho-Bud "style" and look was the best. It is a classic look and I want one just because of that. Now, that being said, I want lots of them and doubt that is going to happen. It looks like the new Sho-Pro is going to include some of the classic "Bud" look with a little of the newer finishes. A match that will be awesome. I believe that the next generation of steel players are going to be more concerned about the astetic value of the guitar than the past generation. Now don't flame me, I know that is a broad statetment and doesn't apply to everyone so don't get too excited about it. I just think the kids today will pay more attention to a brighter, more colorful, sometimes different look than we did. With that in mind, I look for the manufacturers to pay more attention to the look than they did thirty years ago. Of course, technology has made that much easier today than it was then. I still have the bus Kelly, you want to buy it? |
Mike Ester
Member From: New Braunfels, Texas, USA
|
posted 12 May 2006 10:35 AM
profile
quote:
Comparing them to straight guitars, they're very conservative. I'd like to see some rainbow sparkle finishes, flames, or something that's really different. The bland geometric patterns and simple inlays just don't grab your eye like some of the radical rocker's guitars.
You mean like this? http://www.steelguitar.com/webpix/custpix/s12peacocknavy.html Or this? http://www.steelguitar.com/webpix/custpix/s13yellowblack.html [This message was edited by Mike Ester on 12 May 2006 at 10:37 AM.] |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
|
posted 12 May 2006 11:10 AM
profile
I'll take the yellow w/ black racing stripe. |
Roger Rettig
Member From: NAPLES, FL
|
posted 12 May 2006 11:49 AM
profile
My first two steels were ZBs - one was dark red with a maple top,
and the next a dark brown with the same contrasting top. Both were beautiful, with
highly-figured birds-eye everywhere.Then I went to a Sho-Bud 'Pro 111'. This was highly figured again, but in a grey-blue
colour. So - when I got my first Emmons (an SD10 in mica) it was a rude shock when I
saw how spartan was its appearance!
My first impression was that it was a little cheap-looking! I'd grown to love that old-fashioned 'antique furniture' look of my earlier guitars. Now, though, they both look great! My black Legrande 111 D10, and its new sister,
a '71 'Professional'..... RR[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 12 May 2006 at 11:54 AM.] |
Duane Dunard
Member From: Troy, MO. U.S.A.
|
posted 12 May 2006 12:20 PM
profile
In my business, when selling new or used steel guitars, appearence counts. A pretty steel will always sell faster then a plain looking steel guitar. Color is also very important regardless of brand. As Johnny Cox told me, "a lot of people hear with their eyes". Sad but true. |
Robert Leaman
Member From: Murphy, North Carolina, USA
|
posted 12 May 2006 02:30 PM
profile
Yes ago, I had financial interest in a motorcycle dealership). I asked the guy who ran the shop why he put so many chrome items in the showcase. He told me that people are like crows, if it shines like a mirror, they love it whether it's functional or not. If you want fancy, look at a Lyons & Healey concert harp. You'll feel right at home since the harp has pedals which perform the same function as pedals on a pedal steel. The best harps are covered with gold leaf which is something that pedal steel makers have yet to do. |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
|
posted 12 May 2006 06:19 PM
profile
f I had the bucks, I'd have several Millenniums decorated with fractal art. Here are some examples of the kind of art I'm talking about.    
------------------
My web site
[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 12 May 2006 at 06:21 PM.]
|
Roger Rettig
Member From: NAPLES, FL
|
posted 12 May 2006 06:40 PM
profile
Wow! They'd certainly divert attention from the odd 'clam', Mike! |
Joe Alterio
Member From: Fishers, Indiana
|
posted 12 May 2006 07:12 PM
profile
I personally think that most steels today look boring, bland and plastic. Unfortunately, very few builders are putting out lacquer guitars that don't cost an arm and a leg....and the ones that put out mostly mica guitars tend to look just exactly like every other guitar being made, save for the logo. A black Fessenden looks just like a black Rains looks just like a black Performance looks just like a black Carter, etc. etc. Hardly anyone is going to be astute enough to note minor changes in the keyhead or endplate design. The apron of the guitar IS the look of the guitar. And plain formica, to me, is just YUCHHH!Of course, all of those brands are EXCELLENT guitars, and the primary factor in selecting a pedal steel guitar is how it sounds and feels. That is why people continue to buy them. But, how a guitar looks is also a very strong factor, too.....you want to be happy sitting behind your guitar, and I think a guitar that is beautiful to you will definitely have an influence in your playing approach. For me, if I were in the market for a new steel, I would want something that looks appealing, but won't cost me an additional grand or two.... It is worth noting that both Williams and Zumsteel are making a strong effort from keeping things from being "boring" yet still affordable. Zumsteel offers "split" designs on their mica guitars for $100 or so. Williams offers Sho-Bud style lacquer finishes (with inlays) as the same price as mica (most other builders will charge from $700 - $1,000 extra for lacquer).
[This message was edited by Joe Alterio on 12 May 2006 at 07:19 PM.] |
Jim Cohen
Member From: Philadelphia, PA
|
posted 12 May 2006 08:39 PM
profile
Hey, Mike, back in the 60's they ALL looked like that to me...  |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
|
posted 12 May 2006 11:42 PM
profile
Jim, a lot of stuff STILL looks like that to me. ------------------
My web site
|
Billy Wilson
Member From: El Cerrito, California, USA
|
posted 13 May 2006 12:06 AM
profile
Tele players have the metal flake. I'm goin' with them on my next guitar. Yep it's cheezy!!! |
CrowBear Schmitt
Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
|
posted 13 May 2006 01:40 AM
profile
Groovy Mike ! imho Looks have been important since day 1
from Sho~Bud to Show Pro
it keeps gettin' better all the time
Looks have greatly improved for mica finishes thanx to the mentioned builders that have innovated
i love wood bodies most & i play a mica split front Zum
[This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 13 May 2006 at 01:42 AM.]
|
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
|
posted 13 May 2006 07:56 AM
profile
If you are into beautiful lacquered guitars, you should give the Fulawka a look-see. Ed builds a beautiful guitar. I feel that if Sho~Bud would have stayed in business, this is what their guitars would have evolved into. 
Erv[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 13 May 2006 at 07:57 AM.] |
Barry Blackwood
Member From: elk grove, CA
|
posted 13 May 2006 09:28 AM
profile
Ken, more important than what? |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
|
posted 14 May 2006 12:06 PM
profile
Yes, Mike E., that's a good example of what I mean when I say that even when steel guitar manufacturers try to get "radical", the results are rather "ho-hum".Sun-bursts and inlays went out in the '50s, and simple geometric patterns were done far better in the '60s. No, I'm talking about something really radical. Fractals and Moire' patterns are closer to what I think of as "radical". |
Alan F. Brookes
Member From: Brummy living in California, USA
|
posted 14 May 2006 03:23 PM
profile
What about holographs cut into metal sides ?
They would certainly be flashy on stage. But most steel players seem to be non-showy fellows who are content to sit in the background and enjoy their own sound while the vocalist jigs around and gets the attention. How many vocalists sing and play steel at the same time ? |
steve takacs
Member From: beijing, china
|
posted 14 May 2006 03:34 PM
profile
Mike Perlowin, how did you spend the bulk of your time in the late 1960s? steve t |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
|
posted 14 May 2006 04:24 PM
profile
Steve, I refuse to answer on the grounds that the answer might incrimnate me. ------------------
My web site
[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 14 May 2006 at 04:25 PM.] |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
|
posted 14 May 2006 04:28 PM
profile
quote:
If you are into beautiful lacquered guitars, you should give the Fulawka a look-see. Ed builds a beautiful guitar.
I have to agree. Ed's guitars are real eye candy. The sound pretty good too. ------------------
My web site
|
chas smith
Member From: Encino, CA, USA
|
posted 14 May 2006 09:21 PM
profile
quote:
The old Bigsbys were plain
Then there's the Cadillac:
 |
James Morehead
Member From: Durant, Oklahoma, USA
|
posted 15 May 2006 04:21 AM
profile
There was a guitar at the Dallas Jamboree that has the end plates engraved---now THAT is a real eye catcher! |
Gene Jones
Member From: Oklahoma City, OK USA
|
posted 15 May 2006 05:43 AM
profile
 |
Al Marcus
Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA
|
posted 15 May 2006 10:49 AM
profile
Here is one I bought from Russ Russel in the 70's.a beauty and great sounding S12 guitar..al page 4 of my Website[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 15 May 2006 at 11:02 AM.] |
Al Marcus
Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA
|
posted 15 May 2006 11:03 AM
profile
OOPS>------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
|
Darvin Willhoite
Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
|
posted 15 May 2006 11:19 AM
profile
They don't get no purtier than this, in my not-so-humble opinion. Now if I could just learn to play-em.  ------------------
Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
[This message was edited by Darvin Willhoite on 15 May 2006 at 11:20 AM.] [This message was edited by Darvin Willhoite on 15 May 2006 at 11:22 AM.] [This message was edited by Darvin Willhoite on 15 May 2006 at 11:22 AM.]
|
The Steel Guitar Forum
