D8 built by George Sells?

[Michael R Duffey]

Hello. The following showed up on craigslist last week:

washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/msg/872692235.html

The owner (not a player) apparently inherited it from his grandfather. All he knows is that it’s got fender pedals, and that the pedal connecting rods are made of harley davidson wheel spoke blanks.

Can anybody on the Forum shed light on this type of PSG and/or know anything about the builder, George Sells?

Mike

[John Bechtel]

George Sell built Stereo Lead Guitars as far back as the 50's, that I know of. I think I was to his home at least once back then, when I lived in Pa. and if I recall correctly, he lived in Chester, Pa. or somewhere in that area. He later expanded his expertise to building Steel Guitars, although I don't recall ever seeing one. That's about all I know about him, except that he had a reputation for building fine instruments. I never saw his steels, but; I did see and hear his Lead Guitars, which were quite popular in the Philadelphia Pa. area!

[Bo Borland]

Winnie played one. I think Don Brown said he has one. There was one sold in Phila a few months ago. I bet Wayne Tyler knows more about them.

[Larry Bressington]

The one in winnie's book looks incredible.
Is he still with us ???

[Don Brown, Sr.]

Hi Michael,

I never knew George to use anyone's pedals but his own. Possibly someone else added them later?

I currently own one of his pedal steels, that was custom made for me, some 40 years ago. George is still around, but has had major health problems, which caused him to stop building.

But I sure can verify he made one of the best. He was telling me (just recently) that he has no idea exactly how many he built, but there were way more than what I had previously posted. It's strange that more of them haven't ever shown up for sale. Yet I could tell you exactly why they didn't, but I won't go into that.

I wish he was still building, it would be cool to see (by now) what he may have come up with.

Besides all the above, George is one swell guy.

Bo told you right, as did John.. The one in Winnie's book, belongs to Earl Sexton, who I think owns two of them. I think Earls latest, has 10 + 6 or possibly 10 + 7... I sat in with the group & played Earl's in Baltimore, one evening. (his latest was much newer than mine, and what an instrument it truely was to play.

George Edwards, probably still owns one. Doug Jernigan, and Jimmy Crawford, and many others were stopping in to visit George, when ever they were in the area. Lots of great times spent in George's basement..

If you were in a rush for a pedal steel, it may not have been the place to go, because everything had to be exactly perfect, or it simply went into the trash container regardless of his time spent on whatever piece it happened to be.

It was like buying up a new pair of shoes. You had to go over and actually sit behind your steel, so he could measure you up for the height as well as for the placement of the knee levers, and also, for the seat height. Yep! When you bought a pedal steel off of George, you got the steel, a custom built seat, a new set of picks, and his custom built bar, and a lot of damn good meals besides, and a case that's stood the test of time as well.

Guess you can tell what my thoughts are on George as well as his, G.E.S. Pedal Steels..

[John Bechtel]

Does anyone have a good picture of the G.E.S. PSG? I don't recall ever seeing one! I'd like to!

[John Billings]

Working link to the item?

[Don Brown, Sr.]

John,

Try this link, it should work.

Click Here

The cabinet definitely looks to be one of George's. The (four) kneee levers also. I can't say about the others.

The fingers are different from what he used later on, so I really can't put an opinion on those.

I also have no idea of the year it was made? Or why the fender pedals?

It would be nice to know who the seller of this is. If anyone finds out, please let us know.

PS: I'll ask George and see if he remembers it.

Don

[John Billings]

Thanks Don! I couldn't seem to get it to show up in a search. Interesting guitar, but it looks like it's been modded in it's long life.

[Don Brown, Sr.]

John, as you speak, I'm trying to get in touch with George Sells.

He just might remember this guitar. It seems to me that he was once telling me about someone who insisted he use pedals they brought to him? But then too, maybe I'm dreaming?

If he remembers, I'll be sure to post what he has to say about it, as well as a ball park date on it as well.

George was telling me about an upright base that a man took over to him that had fallen off the roof of his car. Another car ran over it, and the guy (as a joke) took all of the pieces over to George and told him since he was so good, he wanted it put back together. George said it looked like a jig saw puzzle. But in order to get back at him, he worked on it piece by piece in his spare time.

The end result was, the joke was on Curt (I believe it was) when one night he walked in and George handed him his upright.. Curt couldn't believe what he was seeing. Quite a story!

Don

[John Bechtel]

Don; Could the Curt you have in mind have possibly been Curt Hanserd? He was a Chimney-Sweep by trade who had a band in the Chester, Pa. area with Frankie Harris playing steel along with Bill Moss, who was actually the Bassman and I think Tex Reynolds played Lead Guitar! Wow! That was back in the mid-50's!

[Don Brown, Sr.]

John, I honestly don't know Curt's last name. I remember them as being, Curt & Joanne(Spelling?) May have been spelled different. George, Betty (his wife) & I use to go out to hear them play. But yes! That was the area they played in. "Pipers Inn" was one place they played, it was close to where George lived. Earl played fiddle, lead and pedal steel at the time. They were long time musicians, so you're probably correct.

World gets smaller all the time..
---------------------------------------
John, I don't have any good pictures at all of my steel. The pictures I have were all taken by the folks who were kind enough to send a few to me. George was telling me a while back, he has pictures of my steel that he took upon it's completion. The pictures I have wouldn't really be doing it justice. They're all dull for the most part. I should have taken some before I pulled her apart. Only ones I took were in order to help with getting her back together, the same as she was.. I'll send an example of the wood, after 40 years.

[Don Brown, Sr.]

Not a good pic, but you'll be able to see it.




Good as I can do for right now.

[John Billings]

I love old guitars!

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

It almost looks like the graigslist guitar had originally been a D10 and someone converted it to an 8 string modifying the nut and maybe the changer too. It has 10 string headstocks and PU's ( though the George L is not original ).
There's a single neck 10 here in Finland that a fellow forum member bought years ago, later sold it to this guy:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... d=89521572

[Don Brown, Sr.]

Michael R. Duffey,

Would you mind posting the story on this guitar that Andrew emailed you, for us all to read.

I ask this, because George is too good of a person, for anyone to see work that George himself, actually didn't do, on finishing up the guitar.

I've not been in contact with George himself yet, but from what I'm told, george was building it for "himself" but after Betty's (his wife) sudden passing, along with all of the many "related" health problems thereafter, gave it away unfinished to Andrew's grandfather.

Note: George never played "pedal steel" He played non pedal, and when he'd play he'd always hold down the "A" pedal, if it were on a pedal steel.

Don

[Larry Bressington]

Man...... I love wood grain guitars, dont care for mica!

[Don Brown, Sr.]

A good Black and White picture of G.E.S. is in "Winnie Winston and Bill Keith's" book, on pages 12 & 13.. The book was published in 1975 by Oak Publications. Amazing the book had a price tag of only $6.95 that included a very thin long playing record with it.

Also, I don't believe George used Mica on any of his steels. Bird's Eye Maple, but in any Color of your choice. A Master Craftsman and Mechanical Genius.

[Larry Bressington]

I agree, bring george ee back!

[Michael R Duffey]

Thanks for all the great responses. I did indeed get a longer email from the current owner and will post after I get his permission (been on a long business trip, and they're about to board my plane!)

Mike

[Don Brown, Sr.]

Thanks Mike.

[John Bechtel]

Back when I met Geo. Sell, in the 50's, I believe he was also a distributor for Framus Guitars and also sold Resonator Guitars.

[Don Brown, Sr.]

I got a call through to George Sell, and have the story that goes behind that steel. I'll post what George told me, later this evening.

Don

[Michael R Duffey]

Below is the email I received from the grandson of George Sell's friend (slightly edited in deference to Mr. Sell's privacy). From this account and the comments already written, it sounds like this guitar has quite an historical legacy.

Mike D

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Well ill be honest, i can answer most of those questions on the forum. My grandfather, while he was alive at least told me the story of where the guitar comes from and how it came into his possession. As i said before though, i know nothing of the technical info for this guitar.
but the story goes as follows:

Yes, George Sell made guitars out of chester PA, its where my family is from, he and my grandfather,Joseph Solomon Jr. used to play together, i had seen them as a child. George and
his wife Betty were close friends with my grandparents.
Anyway, my grandfather could never afford to buy one of George's Guitars but they were still good friends. My grandfather would go to his house and talk about whatever steel guitar players talk about and watch him work, share trade secrets and such (my grandfather had made his own guitar previously.) George always had a couple guitars he was
working on at a time, and my grandfather noted that one of the was always in the back covered under a sheet. When he one day asked George about the guitar that never seemed to be completed George removed the sheet and showed him. He told him that this was the guitar he was making for himself.
After George's wife had died my grandfather would still go to see him and he was always invited to our thanksgiving dinner and family parties and such. He didnt do so well after the death of his wife and eventually stopped making guitars altogether. The
guitar he had made for himself remained under the sheet until one day when my grandfather visited him he asked him if he would take the guitar as a gift and finish it for him.
George said he no longer wanted to build or play steel guitars anymore, but would love for someone to finish his guitar. When my grandfather brought it home is was mostly finished. I know that he had to do the whole pedal assembly.
My grandfather is the one that used the Harley pedal spokes and Gibson pedals but the entire body and most, if not all of the mechanicals, were made by George. I dont know exactly what parts my Grandfather is responsible for, but it is
complete now and my grandfather played it for years, until about 2 weeks before his death.
Thats pretty much how my grandfather told me.
George Sell would probably remember it, he did make it for himself. The last time i saw George was at my grandparents funeral.

I know its a collectible, and it will probably be a priceless collectible one day. But i am not a collector, and i am not a player, and i feel like this guitar needs to be played.
I think my grandfather would agree, he was the type of guy that after working for chrystler for 40 years as a master technician he was awarded a set of engraved gold plated tools... which he used, until most of the gold plating wore off. He handed these down to me too, and i will wear off any remaining gold.

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

Beutiful story and mystery solved!