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Author
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Topic: Gibson Steel?
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Robert Evens
Member From: Loganville,GA 30052 USA
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posted 28 November 2006 11:38 AM
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Did Gibson ever make a Pedal Steel?------------------
Play with your heart... your hands and feet will follow
Zum D-10
DPC-750/Profex ll, DPC-1000/Lexicon-MPX-1/Evans Pre-amp
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Jerry Roller
Member From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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posted 28 November 2006 11:46 AM
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Yes Robert, Gibson made a pedal steel in the 1950's, maybe before that, but the changer was like the Multichord and mounted on the right end of the guitar. The changer had horizontal fingers with cross bars which had tuning screws. Each pedal was capable of pulling all 8 strings and I believe one pedal could lower by lowering all the strings then the tuning crossbar would tune them back to pitch.
Jerry |
richard burton
Member From: Britain
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posted 28 November 2006 11:50 AM
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 Not really  I had a Gibson sticker free with a guitar magazine a few years ago, so I stuck it on my Denley  |
Ron Sodos
Member From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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posted 28 November 2006 12:51 PM
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My first steel in 1978 was a Gibson Electraharp 8 striing with 3 floor pedals and no knees. I played it for about a year and bought a d10 Shobud. I sold the Gibson and wish i hadn't. O well. |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 28 November 2006 01:45 PM
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Yes, Gibson made pedal steels, as far back as the late '30s, but none of them ever "caught on". Their mechanical designs were somewhat crude, improving little (even after a couple of decades of production), and their physical designs were often bulky and heavy. |
Jim Cohen
Member From: Philadelphia, PA
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posted 28 November 2006 01:55 PM
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My first pedal steel was also a Gibson electraharp, with 6 pedals fanning out from the left side of the guitar (not in front), 'spongey' flexible pedal rods (hated them), no KLs, and that primitive changer with the screws. Man, after that, my Maverick seemed to be a huge step up, and even that I traded in after about 3 months when I realized what could be accomplished with an F lever. I don't regret selling the Gibson at all. I only regret not selling it sooner! |
Robert Evens
Member From: Loganville,GA 30052 USA
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posted 28 November 2006 04:01 PM
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Thanks guys:
I've got a guy I know that wants me to buy a S-10 with 3 and 1. There is no name on it and he is sending me a picture. I love the "not sureness" Might be gettin' a jewell. I suspect it is a later model. Probably a Emmons student type. Thanks again for the info. I'll post when I get the picture.------------------
Play with your heart... your hands and feet will follow
Zum D-10
DPC-750/Profex ll, DPC-1000/Lexicon-MPX-1/Evans Pre-amp
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Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 28 November 2006 04:40 PM
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I just picked up a 1949 Gibson EH-630 Electraharp 8-string, 4-pedal steel. This is the cable-operated mechanism, where the cables run down the front left leg (relative to the seated player), which is also where the pedals are located.The mechanism works but is clunky, as compared to a modern steel, but frankly, I bought it more as a non-pedal steel. It has one of the great-sounding early (non-adjustable polepieces) P-90s on it, is made out of beautiful hard rock curly maple, and has a great natural acoustic and amplified tone - more in line with early swing steel ala Alvino Rey or even Don Helms Gibson Grande Console sound. Of course, there's no point expecting it to do what a modern steel will do, but it's a cool steel, to my tastes. |
Marty Smith
Member From: California, USA
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posted 28 November 2006 09:39 PM
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I had a 55 or 56 gibson MultiHarp. it was a 3 neck with 4 or 5 pedals working on the center neck. The legs were about 1.5 inch around aluminum tube and the pedal rods were like coat hangers and the string spacing was like 7/16 or more, it was a big heavy turd. I was lucky to get 500 for it.The legs were clamped in by a wood clamp!! It sounded good but hard to play slants. |
Howard Tate
Member From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA
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posted 29 November 2006 07:02 AM
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I have Bill Stafford's "Going Home" cd that was recorded with his Electra Harp. Gorgeous tone. But of course he gets that with any steel he plays.------------------
Howard |
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 29 November 2006 08:19 AM
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I remember trying out an Electaharp in the middle 50's. Like was mentioned above, it was a big, heavy turd! It was packaged in two big heavy cases and it looked like you were carrying around a coffin. I still have nightmares when I think about maybe getting stuck with that animal. My guitar teacher was a big Gibson fan so thought anything with "Gibson" on it had to be the cat's meow.  |
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