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Author
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Topic: What was your first pedal steel?
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Kenny Drake
Member From: Leesburg, Virginia, USA
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posted 28 January 2005 11:45 AM
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My first was an MSA Sidekick I bought in'75. Great axe for learning but a year later I was playing steel full time and needed to upgrade so I ordered a Sho-Bud. I've still got my old mid-70's LDG which I play regularly. I also picked up a new Super Pro in the mid 80's but the LDG is my favorite pedal steel guitar. |
Bill Moran
Member From: Marion, Virginia, USA
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posted 28 January 2005 04:26 PM
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Pepe-Joe You old timers, in the East Tenn and Southwest Va. regon, would remember. Built by Pepe Peeler,of the Bonnie Lou and Buster fame, and Joe Morrell, Morrell music Bristol Tenn. I brought it home in a basket and put it together myself. Great experence!
Wish I knew where it got too. Would like to have it back just to look at.  |
Scott Appleton
Member From: Half Moon Bay, California, USA
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posted 28 January 2005 04:28 PM
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in 1971 I purchased a slightly used Green LDG
3 & 4. Drove me crazy all that year. |
Mike Shockley
Member From: Lufkin, Texas, USA
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posted 28 January 2005 05:33 PM
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A fender 400 I bought in Germany from a man named Eddy Frankum from Drumrite Oklahoma. He was shipping out going home and I never heard of him again. I think it was in 1964/65. |
Jimmy Campbell
Member From: Fayette, AL.
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posted 28 January 2005 06:41 PM
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In 1970, fresh out of the Air Force, I bought a Sho-Bud crossover from Nuncies music store in Birmingham.
In 1974, Mr. Paul Franklin SR, my co-worker at Music City Mfg, built me a beautiful Blue double neck Sho-Bud Pro III with 8X4 and later added an up lever.
I sold this steel when I moved back to Alabama to someone in NC.
Since 1976 I have owned an SD-10 Emmons with 3X4, Thanks to Weldon Myrick.
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Doug Jones
Member From: Canby, Oregon USA
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posted 28 January 2005 08:51 PM
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A long story short: It was a black Fender (Sho-Bud) student model 3x1, came with the Winnie Winston book. I locked myself in the back room every night for hours. Sold it 4 months later for an Emmons S-10 pp. Boy did I think I knew what was going on until I went to Scotty's convention in 1981. Still tryin' to figure the beast out. What a passion! |
Webb Kline
Member From: Bloomsburg, PA
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posted 28 January 2005 09:51 PM
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Mine was also a black Fender Student 3+1. Bought it from the mail man in 1980 for $250. I gigged with it for 5 years. I finally sold about a month ago on Ebay. I got $635 for it. Guess that was a good return on my investment. Actually, my first steel was my old 1930 something Dobro that i still have and gig with regularly. Bought it for $35 in 1978. ------------------
MCI D10 8+5, ZB 11/10 8+3 Early 30s Dobro, Harmony Lap Steel, ad infinitum |
Mark van Allen
Member From: loganville, Ga. USA
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posted 28 January 2005 10:34 PM
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I started on a mother-of-contact-paper Maverick I bought from Forumite Tom Stolaski, so I guess I'm answering for two of us! As others have said, it served me well and paid for itself many times over. I don't wish I had it back. ------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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steve takacs
Member From: beijing, china
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posted 29 January 2005 01:41 AM
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Started with a kit, a Market-Rite ("Market-Wrong") which did not have "that sound" of an Emmons, playability of a Zum, Mullen, or Williams, or the good looks of a wood bodied ZB. It suited my sound and style though which was awful to very awful. I ended up next getting a nice blonde, Sho-Bud, Pro II D-10 from Scotty which helped me drive my wife only half crazy when I practiced. steve [This message was edited by steve takacs on 29 January 2005 at 01:42 AM.] [This message was edited by steve takacs on 29 January 2005 at 01:45 AM.] |
chas smith
Member From: Encino, CA, USA
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posted 29 January 2005 08:28 AM
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S-10 wrap-around, 6 - 1. Converted it to 3 - 4. Sold it for $350, cuz I didn't know any better. |
Leslie Ehrlich
Member From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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posted 30 January 2005 05:32 PM
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Shod Bud Pro III. First and likely only steel I'll ever own. |
Leslie Ehrlich
Member From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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posted 30 January 2005 05:33 PM
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I meant Sho-Bud! I'm lousy at typing. |
Herman Visser
Member From: Rohnert Park, California, USA
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posted 30 January 2005 07:18 PM
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I did Lap steel to start back in the early 60s. My frist pedal, Maverick. My second,?????LOOKING( But not on EBAY) |
Don Lorusso
Member From: Courtice, Ontario Canada
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posted 30 January 2005 07:26 PM
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My first pedal steel was a Fender 400. It was a start. |
Don Lorusso
Member From: Courtice, Ontario Canada
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posted 30 January 2005 07:29 PM
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My first pedal steel guitar was a Fender 400, it was a start. |
Carlos Polidura
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 31 January 2005 07:40 AM
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i started 0n a fender 2000 d-10. it had ten floor pedals w/o knee levers. that was back in 1969. i now have a 1974 emmons p/p d-10 w/ 10&4.
honestly, i did not know what i was getting into when i bought it, but i came through.
carlos |
Marcus Posey
New Member From: Birmingham, AL
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posted 31 January 2005 10:32 PM
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Bought a brand new Blanton 4S10 in '69 (4 pedals, no knees). After more than 2 years of lessons, I graduated from high school, joined the Army, went to college, got a job, married and had a family. Now, after 33 years of being away from it, I went and bought a Sierra Crown D-10 Gearless 3 months ago - I'm hooked . . . again. |
John Macy
Member From: Denver, CO USA
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posted 04 February 2005 09:13 AM
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My first was a Fender 400 (in 1972), which I kept about a month. Tommy Cass was getting me started on steel, and told me if I was serious, I needed a better guitar. So I traded it in for a 1970 fatback Emmons D10, and Tommy added 5 knee levers (there were none on it at purchase), and I added more later.I still have that guitar, which is being currenty restored by Jeff Peterson, who does excellent work, and has been a good friend since the early 70's. I'm sure glad I held on to it ... |
PAUL WARNIK
Member From: OAK LAWN,IL,USA
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posted 04 February 2005 02:34 PM
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Sho-Bud model #6139 single neck-blonde maple-rack and barrel tuning 3+1 added second knee later somewhere around 1975 |
Michael Breid
Member From: Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA
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posted 04 February 2005 07:40 PM
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My first pedal steel was a single neck Sho-Bud 3 X 2 that I bought in the 70's, and had Shot's boy put two more knee kicks on it. I really loved that guitar. I had a wife then who was very jealous of it and shamed me into selling it. Later, after a divorce I moved out of state, got married again and said I wished I could find another steel. A friend of mine had an MSA Classic U-12 in his attic and sold it to me cheap. It had been up there about twelve years and was still in tune! I kept it for about a year and then sold it and bought two single 10's with pad 3 X 4 steels later made 3 X 5. They were a real pain to keep in tune, and had real bad cabinet drop which the maker told me could not happen in his steels. I just got compensator rods and TrueTone pickups put in and they play and sound just fine. I'll be nice and won't tell the names of the steels. I'm saving now for a ZUM D-10. |
Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 04 February 2005 09:04 PM
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Emmons Student S-10 3+1. It sounded great, but I found it a bit 'challenged' in the playability department. AB pedals worked OK, but C pedal and E-lever were problematic. But it did get me going.[This message was edited by Dave Mudgett on 04 February 2005 at 09:09 PM.] |
kbdrost
Member From: Barrington, IL
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posted 05 February 2005 06:45 PM
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A white mica BMI 3 & 3, bought new from Mr. Beck about 1977. A great starter guitar. I saw someone around here recently who got one from Bobbie Seymour and it brought back a lot of memories.------------------
Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years
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Ray Montee
Member From: Portland, OR, USA
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posted 05 February 2005 06:52 PM
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A 1956, quad-8 (total of 32),six pedal BIGSBY steel guitar; rec'd it new in 1956, custom made to my order and still have it. It looks like "new"! |
kbdrost
Member From: Barrington, IL
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posted 05 February 2005 07:04 PM
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White mica BMI 3 & 3, bought new from Zane about 1977. Some guy around here recently got one from Bobby Seymour and it brought back a lot of memories.------------------
Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years
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Reggie Duncan
Member From: Mississippi
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posted 05 February 2005 09:35 PM
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Student Model Emmons, purchased for me by the group I was playing for. I think they gave $225 for it. That was in 1977. I had been borrowing my Dad's ShoBud Pro 1 and he needed it! The tone of that Emmons was incredible! Two years later Dad and I both bought Emmons PP guitars, which we still have. I have tried to get the Student model back, but no luck so far. |
Larry Jamieson
Member From: Walton, NY USA
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posted 06 February 2005 10:22 AM
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Bought an MSA semi-classic, 3 pedals, one knee lever, new in 1973. Played it at home and professionally for 20 years with never a problem! Then I traded up to get more knee levers - Wish I'd done that years sooner. Today I play a 2003 Zum, and a 1977 MSA with 4 knee levers. The MSA plays as smoothly and easily as the Zum, slightly longer travel in the pedals. |
Tim Harr
Member From: East Peoria, Illinois
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posted 06 February 2005 01:25 PM
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1. Sho~Bud Maverick 3p - 1k2. Sho~Bud LDG 3p - 4k 2. Mullen S-10 dbl frame 3p - 4k 4. Emmons Lasley LeGrande II 8p - 4k 5 (current) Carter D-10 8p - 9k |
Ray Riley
Member From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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posted 10 February 2005 11:28 AM
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Mine was a National 6 string Mother of pearl black, which I still have and still works, a Fender triple neck, gone now, a Fender 1000, gone now , a sho-bud proIII,in the process of going and a Sho-bud s-12 which I still am trying to play. Have great day. Ray------------------
Sho-Bud S-12 and a brand new N112
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Ben Elder
Member From: La Crescenta, California, USA
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posted 11 February 2005 01:22 AM
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Natural maple Maverick 3+0 (cq--no knee lever; I think a KL was an option when these were new). Bought it used in '82, sold it, bought it back, sold it again. Say what you will (and many of you will and have) about Mavericks, at least I could make sound come out of that one. Not so my fourth PSG, the infamous and arthritic '69 ZB D-10 8+3. My 0-five New Year's Resolution (having already paid a furnituremaker friend $250 to build a custom case--yeah, go find an original >36" interior length hsc) was to get it fixed up (same story as in a previous thread, so feel free to bail if this sounds redundundundant). Early on the Saturday morning I was going to take it to Buckowensfield (to a respected Forumite), my car was totaled in the West Coast's Old Testament deluges (unfortunately, the ZB was at home). A month later, I have no settlement and every penny I can shake out of the sofa cushions will have to go toward a replacement 10-year-old Olds (or Buick) of some sort. Restoration and lessons are now a distant pipe dream in the financial wake of towing, rental and repairs to my '86 Astro van (bought for my Sept. '03 move and never intended to be a passenger vehicle.) Twenty-three years later and I'm way downhill from where I started--and no better a player, despite all intentions and expenditures. |
Jim Florence
Member From: wilburton, Ok. US
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posted 13 February 2005 06:19 PM
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A Gibson Console Grand, some welding rods, a door hinge, a 1X4, and a drill bit. Played it til I found a Fender 1000. |
db
Member From: Bethlehem, PA 18015 USA
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posted 13 February 2005 06:44 PM
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Built it:
www.bigsbypalmpedals.com ------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
[This message was edited by db on 13 February 2005 at 06:44 PM.]
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Don Walters
Member From: Regina, SK, Canada
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posted 14 February 2005 09:32 AM
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John Bechtel
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.A.
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posted 14 February 2005 11:47 PM
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My first Steel with (1)-pedal was an early ’50's Fender Stringmaster, but; my first Real PSG was one of the first–(5) Sho-Buds in ’57.------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
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Russ Hicks
Member From: Pegram, Tennessee, USA
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posted 15 February 2005 06:59 AM
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Gibson Electraharp---four pedals between the two left legs---on-off button and bass to treble button on top front of the guitar....'burnt' up in a fire in a club in Chicago, along with a '59 Stratocaster, amp, trumpet and stage clothes...fire set by clubowner; no insurance,  |
Eddie D.Bollinger
Member From: Calhoun City, Mississippi
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posted 15 February 2005 08:42 AM
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Hey Lem! This is a neat Thread.I started with a Little Buddy 3+1 with
a built-in volume control. #2 a (Sho-Bud Made)Fender Student 10(3+1) #3 a Emmons D-10 (8+4) push-pull #4 a 1984 Sho-Bud Super Pro (8+6)(Stolen) #5 a 1995 Emmons Legrande II (8+7) Should
Have been yellow (lemon) #6 Currently a 1998 Carter D-10 (8+5) Ed
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Lyle Clary
Member From: Decatur, Illinois, USA
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posted 15 February 2005 11:47 AM
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A 1969 ZB Custom D10 8by3 bought new in that year and am still playing it but rarely. The pedals still mash as hard as they ever did but the tone is fantastic. I recently bought a BMI S10 3by 4 which has a better tone and the pedals mash too easy. We yankees say push.------------------
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Lem Smith
Member From: Fulton, MS. U.S.A.
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posted 15 February 2005 02:18 PM
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Hey Eddie,
The Carter you've got now is the only one of yours that I've heard, and man o' man does that one ever sound great! I remember hearing you play it at some of Jimmy Roby's steel shows and always thought what an awesome sounding guitar it was.Lem |
Walter Hamlin
Member From: Talladega, Alabama, USA
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posted 15 February 2005 03:20 PM
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Sho-Bud Maverick, Fender Twin amp. In 1977. |
Ronnie Burks
Member From: Pasadena, Texas, USA
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posted 18 February 2005 10:39 AM
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a fender 400 in the late 50,s--- |
David Ziegler
Member From: Lancaster, Ohio, USA
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posted 18 February 2005 11:07 AM
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I have only been playing for 4 months now and it has been on the much maligned "Maverick". I have read all of the venom spewed at the maverick but I am here to tell you that it was in my price range and it sounds great and if it wasn't for that sweet little blond(maple that is)I probably would not be playing steel right now, I would still be saving up and wondering if the plunge is worth the investment. Thank God fo my little Maverick! |
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