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Author
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Topic: Carter Steel Guitars
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Bruce Bouton
Member From: Nash. Tn USA
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posted 14 August 2005 07:51 PM
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For the past two years I have played a Carter D 10 on the road with Reba McIntyre. I've played over eighty shows in every weather condition imaginable and that guitar has never let me down.I am always amazed at how well the guitar stays in tune. It's also interesting to note that the strings all come back to pitch without the use of return compensators. I'm curious to know why this happens.Every guitar I've ever owned comes back sharp on the 4th string when the e to eb knee is used.I have to live with it on my push pull. Fortunatel I have Return compensators on my Franklin. Could it be the difference in scale length? The changer perhaps?Roller bridge?
I've also been having good luck recording with the Carter though I equally use my Franklin and occasionaly the push pull. In fact on three cuts of the new Faith Hill record I used the Carter through a Black Box into a line six delay into a Fender twin through a black widow. I think it sounds pretty good.I used my Franklin on one cut. It sounds good too. Dan Dugmore and Paul Franklin sound pretty great on the other cuts.
BB |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 14 August 2005 10:16 PM
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HI Bruce, I've only had my Carter a month or two but that was one of the first things I noticed - it stays in tune so well, not that I have given it quite the hammering you have yet, it is my main "gig" guitar now. I have a Zum as well and that has return compensators on it - but it stays in tune very well also, it is my studio and home guitar. But the Carter is the guitar that gets to do all the grotty gigs where temperature and humidity come into play (lots of bars) and it is totally reliable! I'm really liking this great guitar. |
Ray Uhl
Member From: Riverside, Missouri, USA
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posted 14 August 2005 10:36 PM
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Bruce and Paddy, I also have a Carter D10. I echo everything you both say. I have the XR16 pickup on mine? Which one are you guys using? |
Al Miller
Member From: Nashville, TN
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posted 14 August 2005 10:51 PM
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Bruce !!
My Guitar (Mullen) Got Damaged
On A Show I Am Working In Nd And I Was Forced To Play A " CARTER STARTER" For Almost 3 weeks while my guitar was being repaired .. I Have To Say That It Performed Flawless With The Exception Of Walking Around A Bit And The E-F Knee Broke Off At the cross shaft. it played in tune with a great tone comprable to most guitars on the market .. i plan on trying a carter at the texas show and possibly getting one if the price is right .. I would realy like to hear you flawg that thing in person so i could get an idea what they sound like .. .. oh yea these two fellows i met up here said to tell you hey .. "Waldo And Woodhead" A Comic juggeling team from back in your richmond days ..
I Will Be In Town The 24th of sept my girlfrend is doing the midnight jamboree with justin trevino .. i sure would like to hear that carter then will you be in town ?
Boo Miller |
Billy Carr
Member From: Seminary, Mississippi USA
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posted 15 August 2005 03:17 AM
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I'm also a Carter player. D-10 w/8 & 5, black mica. Guitar has the XR-16 p/u's. It's my main guitar as I usually have two or three to tinker with and haul around to jam sessions/shows. Perfect tune. I use Frenchys Steel strings also with a little delay plus a Goodrich LDR pedal and a Fender Steel King amp. I've been fooling with PSG since 71' and I'm yet to find one that even comes close to my Carter. Well, let me take that back, I have found a few that are close to it. They were MSA's that Bud Carter built. So, there you have it. Even though there are several builders that all build fine guitars, I just like the Carter products. When I find something that works, I stay with it. |
Tony Prior
Member From: Charlotte NC
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posted 15 August 2005 03:59 AM
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Bruce, yes..you do sound good !Those other two guys ain't bad either... t |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 05:00 AM
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I don't know a D10 from a DC3 (altho I watched Michael Garnett play his in a session out at South Plains College--really nice), but I got a Carter Starter and think it's sensational regardless of the price.It's black, and it's almost mica (FORmica--they've reduced the cost in the right places.
I doubt I'll trade up until I can get a U12.
The adjustments are great and reliable, and it was easy to play right away. Most of all, the company has great support whether you've bought new or used.
Kudos! |
Frank Parish
Member From: Nashville,Tn. USA
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posted 15 August 2005 05:16 AM
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Maybe John Fabian will chime in here on this subject. I've noticed the same things on mine too. The scale length may be the reason but with those little barrels made the way they are, it's hard to have any drag. You can lower your 6th string (G#) down to E and it'll come back in tune too. I had compensators all over my Legrande to keep it from coming back wrong. I'm using the Wallace Truetones. |
Hook Moore
Member From: South Charleston,West Virginia
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posted 15 August 2005 06:29 AM
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It is a great guitar  I`m very pleased with mine.
Hook------------------
www.HookMoore.com
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Ken Thompson
Member From: Great Falls, Montana, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 09:22 AM
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Thanks for the post Bruce. I play a Carter S10 in a "not so famous" band. Plus I live in a part of the country that does not lend itself to trying all kinds of steels. I read the forum and see what everyone else is saying about their steels and wonder if I should make a change. Your post told me I had the right steel. Plus, I agree with everything you said. I have played it, packed it, carried it in everything from 100 degree weather to -30, from Montana to China and it has never failed me.I somehow expect that you get more out of yours than I do but I doubt that it has anything to do with the guitar. |
Dave Goodman
Member From: San Antonio, TX, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 11:05 AM
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My 2004 Carter D10 has let me put more of my concentration on playing instead of thinking sometimes about how the guitar is gonna perform. The action, staying in tune very well, and sound is as good or better than any I,ve played before. About 150 gigs in variable circumstances and it still works as good as new.
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John McClung
Member From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 12:50 PM
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I bought a like-new Carter SD-10, 4+5, and the little I've played on it it's very impressive. I do have a critique of one mechanical aspect, though, that's the bell cranks (or, pull bars as Carter names them). The don't lock on to the square crossrod and self-center, they way it works, perfectly and precisely, on my Mullen pre-Royal Precision D-12 (hex crossrods, btw). I've found it very difficult to keep the bell crank straight and in position when trying to tighten its set screw, it wiggles around quite a lot. And the split uprights of the bell cranks, a carryover from MSA designs, means that you often have to loosen and removed other pull rods of other pedal's/kl's that pass through, just to get to the target bell crank's set screw. I just find the Carter frustrating to work on for those 2 reasons. Thankfully I have good local techs available. The Mullen uses single upright bell cranks, and the set screw is always accessible, the screw is right behind the post, all pull rods pass to one side. Very brilliant design, imho. Everything else mechanical about the Carter is excellent. I do really like the light weight of my Carter, only 34 lbs for the guitar by itself. Mine has an E-66 pickup, anyone recommend something more single coil like but virtually as quiet? ------------------
E9 lessons
Mullen D-12/Webb amp/Profex II
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John Fabian
Member From: Mesquite, Texas USA
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posted 15 August 2005 01:13 PM
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The concept of "center-pull" pedals and pull bars has proven over the years to provide the required accuracy and repeatability needed for trouble-free playing.The split bell cranks are one of the reasons that your Carter maintains its repeatability and accuracy.
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Ken Thompson
Member From: Great Falls, Montana, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 01:24 PM
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Now here is PICKY, the only thing I don't like about the Carter is the logo. I Sho-Bud, Emmons, Fezzy's have it all over the logo. I love the looks of the guitar and it would only be enhanced by a better logo such as Carter written in script.Just my 2 cents and very picky. Put a new logo on it and I will buy another one! |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 01:44 PM
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I know, Ken; kind of silly to put that amount of care into guitar design and none in the logo, which is the kind of detail that makes an Emmons stand out. Well....I'd design another one, but it faces the wall, out of sight, out of mind. |
John McClung
Member From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 03:00 PM
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For John Fabian: did you find in testing that there is a real difference between between center and side pull bell cranks? I can see how there might be a little torque, hard to imagine it would make a mechanical difference. And with the Mullen part, the set screw is inline with the bell crank upgright, so the only thing off center is where the pull rod connects to the bell crank, but it's still parallel.I know how good Bud is, there's usually a reason for everything. Maybe you can offer tips on how to keep a Carter bell crank in position while tightening, I gave up! And: any reco's for the pickup? I miss the single coil growl, though I like the E66 silence. Thanks! ------------------
E9 lessons
Mullen D-12/Carter SD-10Webb amp/Profex II/Lexicon MPX-110 |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 15 August 2005 05:27 PM
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Ray - I have the BL XR-16's in the Carter - she's a Black Birdseye D10 with 9+9 -- and for good measure I got the polished package and the wheeled roadcase(Grundorf). I'm real glad I got the case, it is nice and light which compliments the guitar - and the wheels make it a breeze to transport about the place - my back is very appreciative! |
Bob Carlucci
Member From: Candor, New York, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 06:16 PM
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I'll throw my $.02 also.. I can't even remember the last time I touched my Carter with the endplate wrench. It is uniformly in tune everywhere.. It is certainly the most precise steel I have ever owned.
bob |
Bob Snelgrove
Member From: san jose, ca
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posted 15 August 2005 06:25 PM
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Bruce,What pickups? I have the TW pickups and was thinking of trying something else, maybe the Wallace Truetones. Also, which 3 cuts are you on? bob[This message was edited by Bob Snelgrove on 15 August 2005 at 06:26 PM.] |
Damir Besic
Member From: La Vergne,TN
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posted 15 August 2005 07:00 PM
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great guitars.Every single one I have heard sounded outstanding too...Db |
Paul Brainard
Member From: Portland OR & Austin TX
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posted 15 August 2005 07:00 PM
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I've had 2 Carters. E-66's on one and TT's on the other. I don't think there are two better choices. I have the single-coils now, I do prefer their character but E66's are so nice and clear. . . better try both. I find Carters the most ergonomically comfortable steels to play. I agree that the split bellcrancks & tiny brass barrels aren't the easiset things to work with, but if they improve the playability (& I don't change my setup much anymore) then that's a trade-off I don't mind making. The only thing I really miss in their design is the lack of split-tuning set screws. They accomplish this by adding a compensator raise, which works and maybe there are reasons for it but it does limit your options (for instance I raise string 4 on C6 to B twice and Bb, so I can't tune the split with my knee lever lowering it to Ab) I have wondered if you couldn't just go ahead and drill some holes into the changer and do this, but maybe the flange is too thin. Maybe John can say whether there are structural reasons for not using this method, does it weaken the changer & cause detuning?? It sure is simpler, and it gives you another tool for dialing in your lowering pulls as well. |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 15 August 2005 08:52 PM
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Paul the changer on my new Carter is quad raise -- makes it easier to add an extra rod for split tune ! Could be why they redesigned it from the triple raise ? |
Ray Uhl
Member From: Riverside, Missouri, USA
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posted 15 August 2005 09:56 PM
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Ken, I like your comment about the logo. Glad logos mean something to some of us. I made a similar comment about the Promat logo on another post, and all *&^% broke loose. I'm with you 100% on cosmetics. What we're saying has nothing to do with the tone, craftsmanship or anything else, but to me logos just go with steel guitar "looks". OK, fellas, give it to me again.
PS-IMHO the new plastic Carter logos look better than the decal. |
Billy Carr
Member From: Seminary, Mississippi USA
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posted 15 August 2005 11:48 PM
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I like the plastic CARTER logo, which is on mine. If I were going to change anything, I might would look at having the year it was made on the opposite end of the front apron in small half inch numbers. I know a lot of players are interested in how old a guitar is or what year it was built. |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 16 August 2005 04:34 AM
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Ray, you're right; corporate logos say something about the firm. In a guitar, catching the eye can make the sale.
A fresh badge would say 'good design inside,' or 'something different here.' |
Hook Moore
Member From: South Charleston,West Virginia
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posted 16 August 2005 06:54 AM
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Logo beauty is also in the eye of the beholder. I like the Carter name and logo much better than the logo on many of the other new guitars. But then I never liked big mudflaps , fuzzy dice or bullet hole stickers on my cars either.
Hook------------------
www.HookMoore.com
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Dick Wood
Member From: Springtown Texas, USA
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posted 16 August 2005 09:06 AM
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Owned three since 1995 and am considering a D-10 in the near future.Have gotten lots of compliments from other steel players on the tone.I pretty much echo all the positive statements everyone has made as to tuning,being well made etc.------------------
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
Ray Leroux
Member From: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
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posted 16 August 2005 12:57 PM
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I played the same homemade sgl 10 for 20 yrs 10 on the road the rest weekends. 9 yrs ago I bought a beautiful 12 universal wich shall go unnamed. Stuggled with it for 4 yrs, traded it for a boat. Spent 2 yrs in the interim looking for the guy I had sold my homemade to and bought it back and for the 3rd time in 20 yrs refurbished it. Two years ago I took the plunge and became a Carter owner. Sgl 10 dbl. I gigged with it for a month, sold the original and have been completely satisfied with all aspects of the carter. In fact the guitar is exciting to play. |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 16 August 2005 03:03 PM
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I heard the same comments about tone and glad I ignored them. |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 16 August 2005 04:17 PM
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I quite like the logo on my new Carter -- but I reckon the inlaid jobs on those flash lacquer Carters take a bit of beating!
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Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 16 August 2005 04:54 PM
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I was working on an endorsement deal with Carter---then John heard me play...  |
Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 16 August 2005 08:13 PM
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I don't like logos on guitars. |
Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 16 August 2005 09:16 PM
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I like mine, an SD-10.
 My other Steels are vintage Emmons S-10 and D-10 . |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 16 August 2005 09:42 PM
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Joey - I love the Car-Bud fretboards !@ |
Jack Francis
Member From: Mesa, Arizona, USA
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posted 17 August 2005 01:40 AM
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b0b...You don't like Logo's on guitars??Are you trying to put Logo designers like me oughta biz????  |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 17 August 2005 03:50 AM
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Joey; yours looks much like mine. I like the slim-line design.
One question: is that the stock pickup?
I have seen Starters that look more like yours, with the exposed pole pieces.
Mine looks like this:
(Boy is that dirty....)
Just curious; I know the Starter uses less expensive components, and I am not unhappy at all with the tone.[This message was edited by Charlie McDonald on 17 August 2005 at 03:56 AM.] |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 17 August 2005 03:55 AM
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B0b doesn't like logos? That's it, I'm taking mine off. Or maybe I'll design a 'Charlie' badge instead, except I can expect that to kill resale value. Jack, I was contemplating going into competition with you. I've thought about submitting a new badge design to Carter, but from the above comments, I can hear it already: "We don't want tuners with good taste...." I'm sure they're happy with what works for them, but it's tempting. |
Rex Thomas
Member From: Thompson's Station, TN
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posted 17 August 2005 07:04 AM
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I don't like logos on steels either. [This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 18 August 2005 at 03:31 PM.] |
Jack Francis
Member From: Mesa, Arizona, USA
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posted 17 August 2005 07:44 AM
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Charlie...we oughta split this up...one of us help Carter and the other bring some class to Peavey's image!
[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 17 August 2005 at 07:45 AM.] |
Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 17 August 2005 08:33 AM
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Jack, that Peavey thing--I wouldn't know where to start. It looks like the kind of lightning bolts I like to put on my Frankenelectros. The Peavey badge was dated as soon as it was avant garde. And I'll bet they're really attached to it. |
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