The Steel Guitar Forum

This is a 1954 Fender Stringmaster Quad Neck Steel Guitar, 26 inch scale, serial number 220. 8 strings per neck. She plays and sounds amazing! The tone is to die for. All original parts, legs, and case. Pretty clean overall, a few scrapes and nicks here and there. 2 of the 32 tuning gears are not fu...

Hi, this is a very early National Style 1 Squareneck from 1927, serial number 163, making it the 63rd one ever made. The grills are hand cut and soldered, only the first 90 or so were made this way before they switched to the die-cut sound grills. Most likely John Dopyera himself had a hand in craft...

Following a sold-out appearance at The Back Room in March, Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Bobby Black returns with “Hawaiian Paradise,” an enchanted evening of Hawaiian steel guitar, hapa-haole classics, and hula dances. Bobby will be playing his favorite Hawaiian songs, backed by special guest musi...

Ditto everything wonderful said here about Bobby. I am so lucky to get to perform with him in 2 upcoming shows. This Saturday night, November 10, Bobby will again be joining my country band Crying Time at the Ivy Room in Albany (CA). And although it's a ways off, but I am putting together a special ...

The headstock of my guitar has the Kay name. I think there is a small plate or sticker on the back of the headstock that had the Meissner name on it. I don't have the guitar in front of me, I would have to look at it again. Kay's are a little inconsistent. I have never seen another Kay like the one ...

I have a 1930s Kay Hawaiian Deluxe with Meissner pickups. Fantastic guitar, love the pickups.

Thank you Robert, I really appreciate that 😀

Haha

Thank you Don and Bill. greatly appreciate the encouragement!

Good stuff! Both guitars sound great.

Peter

Thank so much Ron! I appreciate your encouragement. It was nerve-wracking in the recording studio...I had never really listened to my own playing before that. The video was a first too...I shot and edited that myself. It was a learning experience for sure but I think it came out pretty good. Thanks ...

Well thank you kindly Lee! Glad you enjoyed the music. There's an interesting back story to the song "Ulupalakua" and the video we made. Most people don't know that there were cowboys in Hawaii before there were cowboys in Texas! Here is a little snippet of info about that: In 1832, Kameha...

Aloha everyone, My Hawaiian band Haopinaka made our first studio recordings recently and some videos with our hula dancers to go with them. I am playing a 1930 National Style 1 Tricone, except for a 1937 Kay Electric Hawaiian Deluxe in"Lahaina Luna". Enjoy, thanks all forumites! I apprecia...

Aloha everyone, My Hawaiian band Haopinaka made our first studio recordings recently and some videos with our hula dancers to go with them. I am playing a 1930 National Style 1 Tricone, except for a 1937 Kay Electric Hawaiian Deluxe in"Lahaina Luna". Enjoy, thanks all forumites! I apprecia...

Hi Joe, I have a 2 vintage square neck style 1 tricones with the hollow necks, and a new wood-body National M-3 tricone with a solid neck. They are all wonderful instruments. The vintage ones have a little more output from the grill area, which I assume includes the sound from the hollow neck. The n...

Thanks Dennis! Yes, I think I know what you mean regarding the sound well ring. I'll have to get in there and take look. I also like the pickup a lot...sounds good in the cheap-o Gretsch. I was just watching the video Andy Volk posted about the Auru pedal, suppose I'll have to get one of them sooner...

Aloha, helpful forumites! I have a cheapo new-ish Gretsch squareneck "dobro" with a Fishman Nashville pickup in it. I just got a sweet 1936 Dobro Model 37 squareneck. I want to put the pickup from the Gretsch into the Dobro. I'm no guitar tech, but I think I might be able to do this by mys...

Interesting...I thought he used an E on the lowest pitch string, but I could be mistaken.

Hi Peter, nice job on the recording!

I was wondering what exactly is the Sol Ho'opi'i tuning you used?

Mahalo, Peter

You are welcome!

I know the other song Hawaiian Hospitality well, but I don't seem to have it in any of my old songbooks. I'll keep my eyes open for it though.

Peter

Hi Larry,

I have 1 of the songs, "I want to learn to speak Hawaiian." I am attaching it here, this is from a 1950 songbook, no copyright violation intended.

Enjoy, it's a nice tune!

Peter

Aloha everyone, Here's a video of Bobbby Black and my country band Crying Time at our recent George Jones tribute show. The camera angle is great for seeing and hearing Bobby in action. Enjoy! Peter Highlights: 3 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFBdM3VkDM0&feature=youtu.be Long version: ...

Aloha everyone, Here's a video of Bobbby Black and my country band Crying Time at our recent George Jones tribute show. The camera angle is great for seeing and hearing Bobby in action. Enjoy! Peter Highlights: 3 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFBdM3VkDM0&feature=youtu.be Long version: ...

Thanks Jim. I'm lucky I know how to use my phone to call someone, let alone do a Facebook live thing!

Fred, that was Bobby telling a story. I didn't know he sang, but it wouldn't surprise me...very talented guy.

Here's a picture from the show.

Thank you Walter... The show was a smash! Almost 250 people showed up in a club made for 100, and latecomers were turned away. Bobby was outstanding, and thrilled the crowd sharing some stories of playing with George Jones in the early 1950s. 12 different singers, 38 George Jones songs...what a nigh...