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Was there a Bigsy Pedal Steel Guitar in 1948?
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The Steel Guitar Forum
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Was there a Bigsy Pedal Steel Guitar in 1948?
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This topic was originally posted in this forum: Wanted To Buy |
| Author | Topic: Was there a Bigsy Pedal Steel Guitar in 1948? |
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Al Gershen Member Posts: 432 |
posted 06 August 2000 11:15 AM
Hi SGF members: I just glanced thru a well written article about Speedy West written recently by Paul Vidal at the URL: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/rockin.paul/steel_guitar_whizz.htm In the article, Vidal says that Speedy took deliver of his Bigsby pedal steel in 1948. A while back here on the SGF when there were discussions about a 1963 triple neck pedal Bigsby being sold for around $10,000, I seem to recall that someone made a statement that Bigsby pedal steel guitars were only built for about 10 or 11 years from around 1952 to 1963. Do any of the SGF members have any information about what year Paul Bigsby actually started making and selling his pedal steel guitars? I look forward to your comments. ------------------ |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 06 August 2000 12:55 PM
The date should be correct. Speedys Bigsby was made earlier than Merle Travis' standard Bigsby. And that one predates the 1st Fender Broadcaster/Esquire/Telecaster prototype so 1948/49 sounds quite okay. At least a 1951 publicity photo of Bryant and West shows the Bigsby so it's earlier than 1952.... Andy |
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Terry Wood Member Posts: 1205 |
posted 07 August 2000 06:36 AM
Hi Al, Speedy got the Bigsby in 1948. I have heard some interesting stories about it, but rather than stir up a controversy on the Steel Forum, from which I think it would, I tend to not elaborate. Why don't you telephone Speedy himself and hear his side of the story. Remember he can't write, because of health problems, but he will most certainly talk to you on the phone. He always enjoys hearing from steel players. His number is 918-455-0831. God Bless, Terry Wood |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 07 August 2000 09:06 AM
Al, you should contact him. I've been in touch with Speedy and he's a true gentleman with a heart of gold. I'm sure he'd be very interested to hear from you and he is of course a very intersting person on pretty much every level. |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 07 August 2000 02:41 PM
What about Noel Boggs triple neck Bigsby? I hope I remember it right but I think it had one pedal on the front neck...must have been another 1940s PSG Andy |
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Mike Black Member Posts: 528 |
posted 07 August 2000 04:09 PM
Speedy's steel had pedals that raised. His memory is still sharp. His steel was built in 48. Frank Jurisek's was an early Bigsby and I think it had 1 pedal. I've not seen Boggs with a pedal model but I have seen him with a non pedal. I heard he had 2 of them tough. Bigsby would build what ever you'd pay for and pedals didn't really take off till Slowly so my guess is he built more non-pedal ones up till then. Arnold Nelson ordered his Bigsby in 50 and had it set up for pedals but didn't have them added. He took delivery of his in Feb 51. |
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Bob Maickel Member Posts: 260 |
posted 07 August 2000 06:52 PM
Joaquin Murphy owned the very first Bigsby triple neck ever built. He played it while he was with Spade Cooley's band in the late '40's-early '50's. We printed a cover photo of him playing that guitar in our November 1999 PSGA Newsletter Upon checking my sources, I learned that Joaquin took delivery of that 1st Bigsby triple neck in 1946! Joaquin did not use pedals. (He didn't need them) [This message was edited by Bob Maickel on 08 August 2000 at 09:38 PM.] |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 08 August 2000 12:58 AM
here's the Boggs guitar. I know it is a bad scan but if you look real close you cood see the pedal rod |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 08 August 2000 01:00 AM
hmm the picture turns up even worser than I thought. So if you KNOW that there is a rod you'll see it  |
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J D Sauser Member Posts: 1240 |
posted 08 August 2000 06:44 AM
I talked to Speedy West last March in Dallas, or better, HE talked to me and I just tried to shut up and listen. As said above, he is a truly great guy with a BIG hearth of gold. Anyway, his guitar seems to have been the first pedal guitar Paul Bigsby built, but then, although it already incorporated the look of future Bigsby guitars it is debateable if it can be called a "Bigsby" (brand), as it was (probably) the last guitar not to have a "Bigsby" logo on it, instead it had an engraved plate in the middle of the front apron which read: Built for Speedy West by Paul Bigsby It had no changer, but little barrels that would push up the strings in the key head (like a backward coat hanger job). I then replied to Speedy, that so, he couldn't have had lowers on his setup and (if my memory serves me right) he replied that he did. He'd tune open with the barrel up and then the change would lower the barrel and release string tension, thus lower the pitch of the particular string. ------------------ BTW Tele, I think that what you think could be a pedal rod, on the left side of your picture, is just the right rear leg of that guitar. I have a good print of this picture (SG-Mag #6-7, page 45) too and I can't see any more "rods" or such there either. In other words, that picture was maybe just pulling a leg on you [This message was edited by J D Sauser on 08 August 2000 at 09:58 AM.] |
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