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Topic: How Do You Choose???? |
Larry Kinner
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 7:35 am |
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| How do you choose a new build between...MSA, ZUM,EMMONS,CARTER,MULLEN,WILLIAMS,GFI,MARRS,PEDALMASTER........JUST TO NAME A FEW! |
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Roger Crawford
From:
Griffin, GA USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 8:05 am
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| Try as many of them as you can to see which one "fits" you. Which one sounds best to you, plays best to you, looks best to you, has the features you want...just FEELS best to you. If you're looking for a new guitar, who can get one built for you in the time frame you're comfortable with and at a price in your comfort zone? Who has a reputation as a quality builder that stands behind his product? Is there a dealer that might have your brand of choice in stock? A lot of options...get what you're comfortable with! |
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Larry Kinner
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 8:17 am
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| Thanks, Roger. The problem I have with trying different brands is that no music stores in my area carry steels. Larry |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 9:23 am
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For most of us, price is an issue.
The brands you mention are all excellent, but some cost double (maybe triple) what others on the list do.
Make plans to go to the TSGA Show in March (Dallas).
You'll get to see all of them under one roof, and talk to the builders and players.
Then, look at your bank account and flip a coin.  |
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Mike Shefrin
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 9:32 am
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| Larry, there are loads of steel players from Texas who are forum members and perhaps some of them might be willing to let you try their steels so you can get an idea of what you like. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 2:09 pm
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I would submit that price has never been a determining factor in my decision to buy a steel. Neither has it been for my steel guitar friends. The couple of guys who I know that bought cheap steels regretted it within months. You get what you pay for. The cheaper steel guitars sound cheap and have poor resale value. Thats why the better steel guitars are more expensive. One company has recently flooded the market with cheap production guitars. Their resale value continiues to decline, while on the other hand a Fulawka or Zum will continue to increase in value. I would choose on the basis of price appreciation and quality of sound.
Last edited by Kevin Hatton on 13 Nov 2007 2:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 2:21 pm
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| Kevin Hatton wrote: |
| One company has recently flooded the market with cheap production guitars. |
Who would this CHEAP company be ? If you are going to make the claim then the rest of your opinion is required. Fill in the blank.
And what about them is cheap ?
Do you mean cheap as in POOR QUALITY and it won't hold up ? Or a lessor price alternative to the traditional 1 man does all shops ?
Please explain...
regarding how do we choose ? Every brand mentioned in the thread initial post is a quality Instrument that will give years of quality service and will hold a a good part of it's value.
As with anything we all purchase, PRICE is always a primary consideration, nobody shops where price is NOT a major consideration, unless you are Bill Gates.
I have a Suburban, I could have bought an Escalade I suppose, but at the end of the day they ARE the same vehicle for the same intended purpose which is to TOW a trailer for business. One is cheaper ( less expensive) but not less quality.
Before buying an Instrument it is wise to understand what the differences are, what really drives the higher cost vs the lower cost ? Generally the lessor cost Instruments have machined parts rather than hand made parts, they are not a lessor quality, they just cost less to make because you can make a few zillion at one time.
Understand the differences and ask the builders questions. Go to Steel shows, the issue of selection is pretty much the same for all of us. so we do research, ask questions ask other players etc...
First question is always what is your budget and time frame. Do you want to wait a year or do you want an Instrument soon.
tp |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 3:01 pm
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| As I stated above Tony, price has NEVER been a prime consideration with me or any of my friends who play music for money. Every instrument that I have ever bought has been bought with resale value and quality of tone as the prime consideration. My instruments are worth alot of money. I'm sorry you can't accept my opinion. I respect yours as always. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 3:21 pm
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| Larry, one steel guitar that I can recommend both as an investment and a superior quality custom built steel is The Sho-Pro built by Jeff Surratt and Duand Marrs in Nashville. These guitars are going to sky rocket in value in the coming years. There are not going to be that many of them made and they are beautiful guitars. See them here at www.duanemarrs.com |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 3:24 pm
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Kevin, I do respect your opinion but you stated that there is a cheap production Instrument flooding the market out there in a thread where someone is asking for advice on brands...
IF you are gonna make the CHEAP comment I think it would be appropriate to fill in the blank as you did with the HI END brands you mentioned. Leaving it hanging is not an opinion.
Had you just mentioned that price was not an issue for you thats very easy to understand and respect.
tp |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 3:41 pm
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| I don't think I want an MSA, and I like my Carter a LOT! |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 4:52 pm
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if you want to play steel, you've got to figure out how to get one!
ps,,, when i bought a zum in '82 a large consideration was that it was noticeably cheaper than some other brands. |
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Sonny Priddy
From:
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 5:48 pm steels
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| Set Down To A GFI Or Magnum Then You'll Know. SONNY. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 6:04 pm TRY it............you'll like it!
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Trying every guitar in the book is a mind boggling chore, I'd venture to guess. Never before has a steel guitar enthusiast had so many choices, so very close at hand. With all of the steel guitar shows that abound with so many opportunities to have a hands-on experience......what more could one want?
My dad presented me with my great little single neck 1948 Gibson lap steel and amp. Never saw one before but I learned to love it!
My 1950-ish triple-8 Fender with bassman amp was also a winner. Never played a note on it until it was in our family living room.
I ordered my 1956 Bigsby quad-8, without ever having touched one. Another great purchase. Never a moment of unhappiness.
Following my depressing experience in Nashville where I went to see, touch and play a Sho-Bud just like Lloyd Green....and was totally IGNORED by all of the store people that were on duty at the time.
I went home, telephoned Emmons off of the back of one of Buddy's albums and within one week, the g'tar was sitting in my living room. Never been sorry for a minute! A great, reliable musical instrument.
I have held to a long established policy. I don't sit behind, touch or lust for anyone's steel guitar. In this way, I'm always totally happy with the guitar I have.
With todays pedal steels, you likely won't go wrong regardless of the brand you select. A lot of top quality people doing fabulous work. Jump in and don't talk it to death. Good Luck to you! |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 6:13 pm
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I suggest staying with the newer technology. Carters are nice and you can still get parts for them if you want. There are used Carters on the forum all the time for good prices.
Sierras are nice if you go with the newer models. I don't care for the leg attachment on the Crown series but the Sessions are sweet in every way.
I'm sure some of the old guitars (Sho-Bud, MSA, etc) are nice instruments, but it just seems like a step backward to me when there's so much great new stuff available for the same price.
_________________
Gary Shepherd
Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000
www.16tracks.com |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 7:30 pm
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| The other consideration is how long are you prepared to wait for the instrument ! If you want a new Zum your probably out of luck, but if you want a new Carter for example, then you will probably be able to get it in a few weeks. Other brands will vary in delivery times of course. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 7:51 pm
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Even the "cheap production guitars" that are "flooding" today's market are as good or better in every way than the top of the line models of a few decades back. I have never heard of a single brand made in the last few decades that you couldn't say that about. Most of the old dinosaurs with prices bid up for nostalgia reasons (and there's nothing wrong with that if you have the money and the inclination) have to have expensive upgrades or expert setups to play up to the standards of the cheapest pro models being made today. You can buy a recently made used model with no problems for what you will pay for just the upgrades and setups of the top models from several decades back.
The reason there is such a problem in choosing today is that there are so many choices, and they are all good. Hey, competition has been good for the players. The playability, tuning stability, and tone of all of today's pedal steels is so good that we are free to exercise our whims and buy based on very minor differences in the "feel," mechanical technicalities, or looks. And you can also buy just based on what price you want to pay. If you go to the low end by choice or necessity, you only lose some bragging rights, but will still be assured of getting a great instrument capable of playing anything you need it to play. We are very lucky. |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 2:07 am
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Larry, you're in fer a ride 'cause you're gonna have to try as many as you can
& then choose....
(Lord knows just how many good ones are out there)
Steel conventions, Steel dates & get togethers are where you want to go too |
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Brad Issendorf
From:
Lake City, Minnesota
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 4:35 am
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Just my opinion, but when I purchased my new guitar, I thought it to be wise to go to the convention in St. Louis and test drive as many as I could. I did miss most of the show though, but I felt confident in buying it. One point that I would like to add is that if you do this, pay attention to how many effects the guitar is being played through. Some builders had huge racks of stuff running, some had just basic steel amps. I found the one that felt right to me and that I could get a sound that I liked without tons of effects, so that I knew that when I got it home and played it through my stuff I would be happy with the results.
Brad |
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Mike Ester
From:
New Braunfels, Texas, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 8:22 am
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| If you are near New Braunfels, I can let you look over my Carter. |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 1:46 pm
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Tony Prior...
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| Who would this CHEAP company be ? |
All of them. Tony I would have to say that anything, including Pedal Steel Guitars, you build out of aluminum and has moving parts and no bearings is cheaply manufactured, no matter what you pay for it or who you buy it from. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 2:18 pm
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| Gary Shepherd wrote: |
| Sierras are nice if you go with the newer models. I don't care for the leg attachment on the Crown series but the Sessions are sweet in every way. |
I played a Sierra Crown for a dozen years and had no problems at all with the folding legs. It sure was convenient to set up and tear down - very fast! The legs never rattled in the socket like some old screw-in legs do.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 2:51 pm
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b0b
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| I played a Sierra Crown for a dozen years and had no problems at all with the folding legs. |
I just here while back pulled out of the closet my father's old Seirra he left me. I can plainly see that it is built to last and plays so smooth and quite and and sounds awesome. It weighs a ton so I just use it in the studio. It sounded better when my father played it.
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 14 Nov 2007 4:36 pm
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One thing you might want to take into consideration is the weight of the guitar. Some people don't care about that. For others (including me) it is a prime consideration. I bought a Millennium for a number of reasons, but it's light weight was a major factor in my decision to get one.
One of my friends recently bought one because he had previously fractured a vertebra in his neck, and it hurt to carry around his heavy wood body D-10.
Besides the Milly, other light weight guitars include GFI and Carter. I think Williams also makes a light weight guitar, but I'm not sure.
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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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