If I had to choose between the two, it would be the NNY.

I always thought these were nice, I'm not a MOTS guy but...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2366123213&category=2384

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Ricky Davis

My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

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but wouldn't let myself have one until I learned to play it.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 14 December 2003 at 04:00 AM.]

... and some of the blue guitars that Scott Chinnery commissioned.
http://www.seriousacoustics.com/monteleone-4.html

Ah, the 50s....modern times. I think I have a vaccuum cleaner somewhere that looks like one of these.

My vote for MOT guitars goes to the Iolana as shown in one of the above posts.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 14 December 2003 at 07:28 AM.]

I thought of mentioning the National Dynamic, but the Airline Deluxe Pro makes it look pretty bland.

Andy, the "Rocket" seems to me, to be Flash Gordon inspired. I can't help thinking about Emperor Ming whenever I look at it. I really like the fact that these steels were based on a theme, even if loosely based.

As far as the bottom line goes, the Ultra Tone looks better than it sounds, the New Yorker (it has 2 pups w blend control) is one fine sounding steel, and the Rocket really wails when cranked & overdriven...great for blues/rock.

Oh, and Russ, it's a good thing my last name doesn't begin with an "S". That would be a real bummer...

[This message was edited by HowardR on 14 December 2003 at 08:17 AM.]

But I think that the most beautiful is the Gibson EH series. Guitar Player put out a couple of magazines back in 1993-1994 that had gorgeous shots of vintage instruments. They had a series of EH-150s, including a rare 10-string.

I have the same 7 string NYKR as you, and yes, the nut is set up the same way. I will read your other thread and continue there.

I don't want Ed to think we're hijacking him....

And John, good thing you don't fish for bass....

[This message was edited by HowardR on 14 December 2003 at 11:28 AM.]

I saw a great picture of of Johnny Cash standing next to Bob Foster's early model blond triple Stringmaster at the Opry last week. Man, those are good lookin' guitars! But I think the long scale makes the double neck look to long and thin, so that's why I'm saying only the triple's and four's.

Asthetically(and that's what this thread is all about) I don't really care for the later, black pickup covers, or the oval shaped Kluson tuners.

2.A Fender Dual Professional or Custom. Preferably a blond double and a walnut triple(don't ask me why, just my preferance). For some reason, the Deluxe from that era is a little awkward looking to me. I like it, but it just doesn't grab my eye like it's double and triple necked cousins.

3.A six string Rickenbacker with chrome covers. Now, I would rather PLAY a seven string, but visually, the six looks more balanced.

4.A late fifties/early sixties Fender Champ. I don't care for the sound of these student models, but they look so cool. I think the asthetics of this guitar are responsible for it's recent price inflation. Three years ago I saw them everywhere for $300.00. Now everybody wants $600.00 for them .

I also like Bigsby's and Gibsons, but the exotic woods always look a little too fancy for my taste(But I do really like my friend's 1948 Gibson BR-4).

But it's really about the sound(well, on a record, anyways ),

Chris Scruggs

He lived only 10 blocks from me and I remember seeing his ads in The Village Voice for lessons back in the 80s.

I was only into bluegrass dobro then.

I also really miss having a New Yorker anymore, particularly as the one I had was such a beautiful example of my favorite of the many variations Valco made of that instrument: ivory-colored top panels, shield logo and black metal fretboard with multi-colored Roman numeral markers. There were lots of other beautiful Valco instruments too, especially the early Dynamic with stairstep fretboard design and multi-colored markers, the Supro Airline and the National Triplex Chord Changer.

Thanks for posting the pictures of the Vega, Kerry. I haven't seen one of those in some time. Vega made several extremely beautiful steels, most fairly rare.

As for the three Yanuziello instruments Brad posted, I've had the chance to play all of those, and can attest that they're not only even more beautiful than the photos suggest, but wonderful sounding as well. Those are Joe's personal instruments and were all made well over a decade ago. He's made only a couple of laps since then, and I'm told they're even more beautiful than these.

Okay, so there are so many gorgeous non-pedal steels that one can go on forever proposing which is the fairest of all, but here's another question: what's the UGLIEST lap steel of all time? My vote goes to the Blue Star Lapmaster. Gawd, that thing's ugly!
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/LM-PURP.htm

[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 20 December 2003 at 06:29 AM.]

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My vote goes to the Blue Star. Gawd, that thing's ugly!"

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I couldn't say it any better, Ian. Make that two votes for the Blue Star ...

[This message was edited by Russ Young on 20 December 2003 at 06:29 AM.]

Some other front runners in the homely contest include the brown-on-brown Harmony with stairstep body and built-in cord, and of course the incomparable Twang, the ultimate plank-with-a-pickup. That's quite literally what the Twang is, a 30 inch length of 1 by 8, as I recall, with control panel, bridge, pickup and nut set at various intervals and the fretboard floating like a piece of debris in the vast sea between them. For those who haven't had the pleasure to actually hold a Twang in their hands, there's a picture of one on page 136 of Lorene Ruymer's book.

[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 21 December 2003 at 05:33 AM.]