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Author
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Topic: Ugliest steel you've seen?
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John Cox
Member From: Bryan, Texas, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 02:55 PM
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I know opening a can of worms since everyones humor in this differs a bit, but I got to ask,Whats the ugliest steel you've seen? J.C. |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 02:59 PM
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EASY!!! Bobbe Seymour's push-pull----whenever
Bobbe sits behind it  |
Joe Casey
Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
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posted 11 August 2003 03:11 PM
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Oops I thought this read who is the ugliest Steel player I have everseen.(I'll leave Smiley alone)I guess the ugliest steel I ever have seen was Paul Mannings up in New England. He made it himself and although it had toilet chains for rods and a sheet metal hinged cover over the tuning keys, funny as it looked Paul was a super sounding and great player.Many people tried to see what was in his "secret box". He passed on a few years back and his playing is sure missed. I don't know where the Steel wound up at,someone should hang on to it..Damn thing sure was ugly tho.  ------------------
O-O |
Larry Miller
Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA
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posted 11 August 2003 03:21 PM
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An old homemade one with "California Joe" on the front of the cabinet |
David Cobb
Member From: Chanute, Kansas, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 04:35 PM
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The S-10 in one of Jeff Newman's teaching video's, the guitar with the mishmash of colors and stripes. |
Stu Schulman
Member From: anchorage,alaska
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posted 11 August 2003 05:13 PM
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That would be my old Blanton S-10 on a D10 body,It started out bright white,and then I airbrushed a Flaming meteor on it.I got bored with that and painted lizards,frogs and snakes,then painted part of it Orange fading into purple.It looked a little like Dante's inferno.I have a Carter D-10 with only a Woody Woodpecker stiker on it now,Whew! |
Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 05:49 PM
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Dave Frye showed up at a jam once with a bright yellow Sho-Bud S-10 that had been hacked up by some self-styled mechanic back east. That was pretty bad.
But I think the prize has to go to just about any Gibson Electraharp. Those things are hideous, IMHO.------------------
 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax |
BobbeSeymour
Member From: Hendersonville TN USA
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posted 11 August 2003 05:49 PM
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Steve you BIG DUMMY! You are wrong, I'm so ugly, I make my steel look good!
The worlds ugliest steel? I know what it is but how can I say it here? Some times a ugly steel could be a great one, Sometimes a beautiful steel can be a horrible one.
Hey Joan, are we talking ugly to see, or ugly to hear? Possibly both? |
Roger Rettig
Member From: NAPLES, FL
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posted 11 August 2003 05:49 PM
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No, but I can!Any Sierra, but Robert Randolph's in particular, although I have a bit of film of Buddy playing a white one that's nearly as bad.....
PS: Sorry, b0b, but it wouldn't do for us all to like the same things![This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 11 August 2003 at 05:54 PM.] |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 06:37 PM
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Bobbe, I'm not gonna argue with you. It's a philosophical issue anyway. OK, I'll give you that it's a beautiful ax. How about if we just say, it keeps you from looking so pitiful???
Oh yeah, will it play LOUD???? |
Frank Parish
Member From: Nashville,Tn. USA
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posted 11 August 2003 06:41 PM
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Charlie Day (Jimmys nephew) had and probably still does have an old Blanton very much like the one described above. ( Maybe they're the same guitar!) I think it was a double neck and then made into a single and painted blue over something else. He had coat hanger wires and all kinds of stuff under there but it played and didn't sound too bad. I seen an old Sho-Bud once at Duane Marrs that had been under water and they were trying to iron out the body for refinishing. The finish was all gone and it was warped bad. Seems like Jeff had a wet towel over it and was using an iron to get the body back to being straight. I'm not sure if that one ever turned out or not. A guy came in the bar once with one of the basket weave Emmons p/p's and it was ugly for sure and I don't think there was anything wrong with it. It was just born ugly! |
David Mullis
Member From: Rock Hill, SC
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posted 11 August 2003 06:54 PM
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Hands down, without a doubt, the ugliest steel I ever saw was a green formica Marlen. The mica had a matte finish to it and had sort of a leather grain look to it. Maybe fugly would be a better word................... |
Eric West
Member From: Portland, Oregon, USA
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posted 11 August 2003 07:07 PM
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Other than mine, I've been trying to place the guy that was here in the 80s, worked quite a bit, and did jingles for radio stations. It'll come to me. He had a leather overlay for a fender that made it look like a capgun. Other than that Richard Edge had a 63 FTSB that had a carved overlay, but the way the guy played, hey... Just enlisted my neighbor to make some mother of pearl hearts clubs etc for my winter project. EJL |
B. Greg Jones
Member From: London, KY USA
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posted 11 August 2003 08:34 PM
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I once saw a Sho-Bud Maverick that was painted robin egg blue. Then had fish all over it and covered with a clear shellac. Pretty ugly!!!!Greg |
Gary Walker
Member From: Morro Bay, CA
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posted 11 August 2003 09:27 PM
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At the Napa CA steel show in May of '68 Zane Beck was playing what looked like a 4 X 10 plank with pedals and was playing the coolest chords. If your eyes were closed, you would bet he was playing the most beautiful steel ever made. There could've been termites inside and splinters were also a danger but he was soothing the ears. |
Winnie Winston
Member From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ
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posted 11 August 2003 09:28 PM
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Ugly?
two come to mind:
* A Wright Custom with a Brads-rack that looked like it was stolen from a garden supply shop that sold trellises and outdoor furniture
* A Wheeler where every aluminum piece was anodized a different color and the pedals were red, white, and blue.JW[This message was edited by Winnie Winston on 11 August 2003 at 09:28 PM.] |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
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posted 11 August 2003 11:01 PM
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The Whitney. They are supposed to be wonderful, and only a few were made, but Lord, were they butt ugly. |
Mike Sigler
Member From: Ohio
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posted 12 August 2003 04:49 AM
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I saw one a guy showed me on the road he had glued indoor/outdoor carpet on, a did a pretty good job of it! Ugly as sin! and you had to vacume it once a week |
Jim West
Member From: Vista,CA
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posted 12 August 2003 06:17 AM
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Any steel in the same picture with either Madeline Albright or Helen Thomas. |
George Mc Lellan
Member From: Duluth, MN USA
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posted 12 August 2003 06:55 AM
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I'd have to say Jeff Newmans' John Deere steel he had at the ISGC. He was wearing overalls. I don't know if that was a gimic or if someone tried to market them. |
Joe Casey
Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
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posted 12 August 2003 08:01 AM
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Come to think of it ,Lee wheeler showed me a multi string doubleneck once that I swear was a d-16 0r 24. probably never sold it because the bar would be too long and heavy to play the darn thing. true story when wheeler had his little shop on (a street corner on lower broad).------------------
O-O |
Greg Vincent
Member From: Los Angeles, CA USA
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posted 12 August 2003 08:48 AM
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Um... check out the Sneaky Pete thread. |
Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 12 August 2003 09:30 AM
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 But it has a great history. |
Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 12 August 2003 09:33 AM
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---> Pedal Steel |
Joe Henry
Member From: Ebersberg, Germany
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posted 12 August 2003 10:02 AM
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ABM, made in Germany! They“re not only ugly to look at, but sound like crap as well! |
Marco Schouten
Member From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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posted 12 August 2003 10:38 AM
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Got to be mine.
Someone removed the C6th neck, and now there are a lot of unused holes.------------------
Steelin' Greetings
Marco Schouten
Sho-Bud LLG; Sho-Bud Pro III Custom; Guyatone 6 string lap steel; John Pearse bar; Emmons bar; Panther amp |
Keith Murrow
Member From: Wichita, KS, USA
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posted 12 August 2003 10:57 AM
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..[This message was edited by Keith Murrow on 26 October 2004 at 04:00 PM.] |
Bud Harger
Member From: Temple / Belton, Texas
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posted 12 August 2003 12:00 PM
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One of the ugliest pedal steel guitars I ever saw was a fairly late model Emmons D-10 (no kidding). It had been special ordered by a Nashville player in a mahogany matte-finish mica. It looked like it was made from adobe mud.UGLY! bUd |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 12 August 2003 01:43 PM
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Well, some people are gonna want to shoot me, but I think fake wood grain formica is tackier than a pink leisure suit at a funeral. Worse than missing teeth in an opera singer. Those classic Emmons "rosewood" push/pulls? They sound great, but are uglier than dirt. The real wood lacquer Sho-Buds and the few lacquer Emmons are the most beutiful instruments on earth. Give me real wood grain, or give me an honest formica color. Black mica Emmons - gorgeous and classy. I've got a red one - red electric guitars of any kind are always way cool. But fake wood grain? Belongs in a trailer park, or a used car lot office, not on the most wonderful instrument ever invented. But each to his own - there's no accounting for taste.  |
John Cox
Member From: Bryan, Texas, USA
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posted 12 August 2003 02:09 PM
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How about the Pea-green finish offered by Emmons in the 70s I thought it made a steel look more like an appliance!
J.C. |
Steve Stallings
Member From: Bremond, Tx, pop 876, Home of the fighting Bremond Tigers
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posted 12 August 2003 02:10 PM
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Well...1. Any keyless guitar gets my vote. I know some folks love em... but they ain't natural! 2. Boy, will this get some ones dander up...
I personally think the Zums with those weird Zig Zag or V fronts are pretty tacky looking. They are GREAT guitars and I really do like em... but if I ever got one, it would be in black mica. Now... the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen is my old shobud which Bobbe Seymour has resold at least twice as "The Most Collectable Sho-Bud Ever". I think it went for close to $6k last year. (btw, when bobbe found out it was my old guitar, he offered it to me at what he had in it, but I just couldn't do it at that time...still... it was darn nice of him.) ------------------
God Bless,
Steve Stallings www.thenightshiftband.net
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Matt Brydges
Member From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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posted 12 August 2003 02:43 PM
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HA! I thought the "ShoPal" would turn up somewhere!Matt |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 12 August 2003 03:34 PM
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I think almost all of the Weissenborn styles are butt-ugly! Yeah, I know, they're collectable and worth a lot of money, and they sound great. But they have all the visual appeal of a Ford Focus! |
Roger Rettig
Member From: NAPLES, FL
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posted 12 August 2003 05:00 PM
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I know I nominated the Sierra as my least-favourite earlier in the 'thread', but mention of the pea-green Emmons just jogged my memory!Kenny Grohman of San Antonio has one of these, AND his is dirty to boot! I saw it when I played with him one night, and I didn't think it could possibly have been a factory-finish it was so revolting! He can play it a bit, though!!! |
Roger Rettig
Member From: NAPLES, FL
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posted 12 August 2003 05:03 PM
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PS: ....and I agree with David Doggett - real wood or plain mica. Anything 'in between' is cheap-looking, and reminds me of my old girl-friend's kitchen with it's wood-grain wallpaper....RR |
Buck Dilly
Member From: Branchville, NJ, USA
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posted 12 August 2003 05:39 PM
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I've never actually seen an Emmons with basket weave Mica, but it really looks like .... in the catalogs. I saw Sneaky Pete in 70's. His Fender was hot pink with black lace appied over it. Yeah, he was great; but it really looked like the inside of a Bakersfield whorehouse. Disclaimer-(I apologize in advance for hurting someones feelings.) [This message was edited by Buck Dilly on 12 August 2003 at 05:40 PM.] |
Rick Collins
Member From: Claremont , CA USA
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posted 12 August 2003 09:28 PM
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The "fry pan" will make mice get up in a chair. It's the Phyllis Diller of the Rickenbachers. I would really hate to see one without strings; because without strings it would be nothing at all.I may be the kettle calling the "fry pan" black; but these steel guitars are uuuglyeee! They are so ugly, that if they were the only choice I had, I might give up the steel guitar for the bassoon. Rick[This message was edited by Rick Collins on 13 August 2003 at 09:00 AM.] |
Winnie Winston
Member From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ
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posted 12 August 2003 10:16 PM
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Well, nthev onev that was really ugly was a prototype that Ed Naylor made that I saw at St. Louis one year. I believe ity was made out of fiberglass and he saaid you can take it in the shower and it will stay in tune. Of the 10 tuning pegs, I doubt two were similar. Just cobbled together out of parts....
Just like one I built fropm the steel body I scapped because it didn't glue up right.
Never took any pics of it. Was afraiod I might break the camera.JW |
C Dixon
Member From: Duluth, GA USA
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posted 13 August 2003 07:06 AM
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Steve wrote,"Any keyless guitar gets my vote" I agree with you 100%. THAT is why I would not buy one. UNTIL, I found a builder who WOULD build it where it does not appear keyless. At least in length and a few more esthetics. If you will be in StLouis stop by the Excel booth and see if you still feel that way after you see the beautiful job Mitsuo Fujii did on mine. I think it is gorgeous. But that is ONLY my opinion. Others, including you may still feel that way and I sincerely would respect that. But do stop and look at it if you will be in StLouis. carl |
Doug Seymour
Member From: Jamestown NY USA
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posted 13 August 2003 09:49 AM
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Keith M's post reminded me.....stupid me tried that once! I put 2 Fender 400s together
Never did get the thing to tune up right. One neck or the other would tune, but never both at the same time......must be why I was never a builder, just a "wrecker"! I doubt if I could lift it now.....I think it weighed a ton! I wonder where that picture went??? |
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