Advice on new GFI Ultra vs. other PSG brands

Chuck Snider R.I.P. · From: West Virginia, USA - Morgantown, WV

I'm shopping for a reasonably priced PSG to upgrade to from a Carter Starter. One under consideration is a new GFI Ultra SD-10. I would appreciate comments, good, bad, or indifferent regarding the GFI Ultra compared to other brands. I'm not commited to buying new or used, but would like to get the most for my money and at the same time hopefully be happy for a long time with whatever I buy. Ideally I would like to buy a guitar in the $1500 - $3000 price range, and prefferably somewhere in the middle of that range.

Would appreciate any comments and advice.

Chuck Snider
Roxboro, NC

Sonny Priddy · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.

I Have Had A GFI For About Three Years Never Had To Do Anything To It Best Playing Best Sounding Guitar I've Ever Had. It Will Do Anything The Others Will Do. They are one Of The Best. SONNY.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

My friend Don Walker bought a GFI ultra SD-10 3+4 and it's a great guitar. Winking

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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I play a GFI Ultra D-10 and it's an amazing guitar! GFIs are great guitars.

Brett

Carl Vilar · From: New Jersey USA

GFI ULTRA's are great guitars Gene and Bob are great to deal with. These guitars have great tone and sustain and easy to work on. I almost sold mine and then came to my senses and kept it. I don't think you'll find anybody that owns one will have anything negative to say about them.
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JCH 9/7
1971 Blond Twin Reverb 15" custom
Randall Steel Man 500

Mark Eaton · Posted 6 Aug 2008 12:04 pm

Good job fellas so far - because of its lighter than average weight, at least no one has referred to it in this particular GFI thread as "a great little guitar," which strikes me as being something you will play until you grow up and get a real steel guitar! Winking

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Mark

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Mark,I almost said that,I would call it sleek,Modern guitars seem to be getting smaller.
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Mark Eaton · Posted 6 Aug 2008 4:16 pm

Thank you for sparing me, Stu! Laughing

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Mark

Dennis Wireman · From: North West Indiana 47978

The Gfi Ultra is an outstanding steel. You will not be disappointed in it. Great sound, stability, and smooth action. I have owned two of them. Carl got one and I still have the other one. Also light weight easy on that old back.

Chuck Snider R.I.P. · From: West Virginia, USA - Morgantown, WV

Dennis, just curious, were your guitars single or double necks? It may not matter, but wondered what others were using.

I'm also impressed with the keyless tuners. Haven't seen them in person, but GFI's website has a nice writeup (of course) about them. I waded thru the thread of discussions about the keyless tuners, and figure it is just a personal preference. I hope that comment doesn't trigger another discussion about keyless tuners.

Thanks, also to the others that have given input on this.

-Chuck

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

GFI Ultra D10 owner here..Its a great great great guitar.Been on 3 tours, and a whole lot of shows, its durable,,and a lot lighter than most. I have the keyless tuners,,which shortens the lenght of the instrument a bit. This makes it fit into trunks WAY better.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

Dennis Wireman · From: North West Indiana 47978

chuck both were sd-10's the one I still have is a 2008 keyless by the way, great steel,great sustain. stays in tune very well. think about selling it, got a new rittenberry on order. can't hardly wait to get it. Whoa!

Mike Sigler · From: Give Em A Try !

I have been with GFI about 6 years or so now, i have had about 5 of them, and love them all... I really like the keyless! That is until i got my new EXPO !
Man what a ride, If your at the convention stop by the GFI booth for a test run on the GFI of your choice.. And maybe a song or two with our jam band!
I have had these babys on the road for about 5 or 6 years and always have had great luck!
tone to the bone...
And gene and bob are the best guys in the world to deal with...... See you in St.Louis
Mike

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

Mike how is the expo compaired to the rest of your gfi's?
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

Tim Tyner · From: Ayden, North Carolina U.S.A

Chuck,take it from a fellow Tar Heel,I have a
keyless SD-10 ULTRA with 5 floors and 5 knees.
An absolutely great guitar.It sounds great and is
the best playing steel I have ever owned.The service
is second to none should you ever need it.I can't
see how you could go wrong with a GFI.Mine is
black,so of course it sounds better.I also have a
SD-10 Emmons Legrande that is a fine guitar as well.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Regards,Tim

Mike Sigler · From: Give Em A Try !

Steve
It is my favorite so far, With Stainles steel changer and all it has tone to the bone, stays in tune great, never pops a string, Just basic Un-matched fantastic incredible, GFI Smile

Enough said! Smile

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

I've had several, very fine guitars. One of them had great tone way up the neck, the other not as much, a lot less lively higher up.
The only real negatives I can think of:
Since the mica is glued to aluminum instead of heat pressed onto maple, it comes off sometimes. On one of my GFIs a bass player bumped the pedal board with his case and a mica chunk fell off. (Also easy to repair!)
I had trouble with the pedal rod attachments coming off while playing, never could really figure out why.

Since the leg adjustments use a screw thread instead of the more standard mic stand type clutch, I found myself constantly unscrewing them while putting the guitar away, I've gotten so used to just turning the ends of the legs to get 'em out of the body.
Otherwise they worked great for me.
The weight is a definite advantage.

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

I own a GFI S-10 and while it's nowhere near as pretty as some others, I like it. The mechanics are easy to work on and the sound is good. It is light weight, which I like, but that same light weight can be a slight disadvantage when using the RKR. Since my right foot is on a volume pedal, and the length of my leg puts my knee just brushing the bell cranks, the RKR requires quite a bit of pressure to push all the way over, which can cause the guitar to skitter on the floor. Supposively a heavy guitar won't have this same tendency to "walk", but I think the advantage to being able to pick the guitar up without major back injury out-weighs Smile

the RKR disadvantage.

I've also read nothing but good things about the pro Carter models. You might want to give Bobbe a call and get his take on some good options.
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Primitive Utility Steel

Carl Vilar · From: New Jersey USA

Twayn if your knee is brushing the bell crank I would think the guitar is too low for you. If you had a vertical knee lever you wouldn't even be able to fit under it. I play one inch over standard and traded my legs in for the one inch over Bob was great to deal with. When I first got the guitar from Dennis I played it with standard legs for about two weeks and was pushing levers too high up close to the bell cranks giving no leverage. Once I got the longer legs knee levers were easy and smooth to play no guitar movement at all.
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JCH 9/7
1971 Blond Twin Reverb 15" custom
Randall Steel Man 500

Chuck Snider R.I.P. · From: West Virginia, USA - Morgantown, WV

Well, I've really taken the plunge. I've decided to go with the GFI, but have jumped to go with their Single neck U-12 keyless. From all I can tell I'll still have the E9 for the most part and will also have the C6 (B6) when I'm ready to go in the deep end of the pool. I followed a couple threads regarding 12 string guitars, and I'm not afraid to make the plunge. Seems to me it will give me a lot more possiblities down the road, without having to buy another guitar. AND it will be about 20 pounds lighter to lug around than a double neck. Laughing

Thanks to all for your advice and comments!!

I have placed my order for it!!! Very Happy

Now the long wait for it to arrive...! Crying or Very sad

Chuck

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

I have owned the ultra and the expo both.Changed both rodding to my ignorant set up and tuning.I could tell no difference in the playing ability or tone.The last one was the S10 with no pad.A super playing steel and super easy to change the pedal set up.No different than the ultra that i could find.
BTW.The S10 with no arm rest had no noticable cabnit drop and was super light.Sure beat dragging the old heavy steels around all over the country and over seas which i did for years.

Michael Dulin · From: Indiana, USA

Good for you Chuck! Welcome to the modern world.
12 string E9 or Uni...single body, no shift change.
Just dig in and move your feet. Have at it! MD

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I've had an S10 Ultra for a couple years now, and can't say enough about the quality, tone, or support.

I changed mine almost immediately - I gave up on E9 soon after I got it and some good friends helped work up a wild version of the B6 copedent I use on my 8-string 9+2 Fender, with just 3+4. GFI helped with parts for the splits I needed (four of 'em) and made sure it would all work - it was one of the easiest guitars to work on I've ever seen and a very complicated setup went without a hitch.

That's probably a little different than most of the stuff you'll hear...and it goes to show how tremendous the support is!

Other quick notes - NO cabinet drop; light and easy to carry; plays s-m-o-o-t-h; and did I say TONE? To me it's like a Fender on steroids with sustain - a big, round, meaty tone with no icepicky top end.

Highly recommended.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

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