fessenden pedal steel guitars

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 2 Nov 2009 5:31 am

Jerry is one of the best guys to deal with. You can call him and buy parts right from him. HIGHLY recommended!!!!

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 3 Nov 2009 1:29 pm

tHE serial number is usually stamped into the undercarriage near the left knee levers. Some of his older guitars had stickers instead, and some went out without numbers. But if you call him and describe the guitar, he's pretty good at being able to tell when it was made. I'm going to try to sell my rosewood mica single w/ small pad at the PSGA show. I like the way my D-10 sounds so much, I never play the single.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 3 Nov 2009 2:13 pm

Anders Eriksson · Post by **Anders Eriksson** » 4 Nov 2009 1:01 am

Has Jerry two different logos on his guitars?

// Anders

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 4 Nov 2009 7:01 am

The guitar Chris is playing has the older logo. Sometime around 04 and 05 it seemed that they all started having the steer horns. My D-10 is late 90's and so of course has that logo as well. I always kind of liked it.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 4 Nov 2009 7:59 am

As others have pointed out, Jerry Fessenden is a top notch guitar builder who just happens to be one of the nicest folks on the planet. I've said it before -- he will bend over backwards to help those who play his guitars. His guitars are as good as any made today.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 4 Nov 2009 9:38 am

Bob Blair wrote:The guitar Chris is playing has the older logo. Sometime around 04 and 05 it seemed that they all started having the steer horns. My D-10 is late 90's and so of course has that logo as well. I always kind of liked it.

The guitar I'm playing is Bob's.

I also have an SD10 Fessy, but like Bob's too much to let it go!

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 4 Nov 2009 12:02 pm

Yes, well I have to hide those extra guitars somewhere, in case someone were inclined to start counting!

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 4 Nov 2009 1:12 pm

Newfoundland's a great spot to hide it, Bob.....thanks very much!

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 4 Nov 2009 3:44 pm

According to Mapquest, St. John's is a better hiding place than the front hall closet by 4114 miles.

KP

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 4 Nov 2009 4:06 pm

I dunno Ken - we have a closet or two that no-one is brave enough to look in!

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 4 Nov 2009 4:14 pm

I have a spare closet or two available in High River, should you ever need one.

I have a couple in my basement which are particularly useful, as my wife fears the "Avalanche Factor."

KP

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 4 Nov 2009 6:08 pm

So, I guess that we are all trying to tell Gary that you can't go wrong with a "good old Fessy"...Right? On the other hand, here are people who have so many Fessendens that they have to hide them in other people's closets and here I sit, still kicking myself for being stupid enough to sell the one I had. Additionally, every time a great one comes up for sale on the Forum I'm broke (that actually is always a constant and chronic condition) and, lastly, Ned M. not only has a beautiful new Fessy, but the prettiest Carter on the planet and won't even sell it to me to make me feel better about not having a Fessenden any more.
I don't know where I'm going with this, hell I don't even know where I came from regarding this post, but I hope that we have cleared up a few things and clearly answered the questions that have been posed to us.
Duncan

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 4 Nov 2009 8:26 pm

Been playing Jerry's guitars for the last ten years and could not be happier...ditto on Larry Bell's comment on Jerry...one of the best....

Ken Brower · Post by **Ken Brower** » 4 Nov 2009 10:12 pm

I purchased my Fessy S-12 five months ago from G.D. Walker. It is a black mica unit with armrest and an older logo. G.D. said he got it on trade from Jerry for one of his stereo amp systems. G.D. set up the steel with a Zero Pedal. P0 is in the far left position replacing pedal 1 and shifting all of the other pedals to the right. So, pedals 2 – 8 are actually setup as 1 - 7. The zero pedal drops the two higher G#s down to G and raises the lower G# up to A. It provides a great sounding minor chord.

I started out with a Wilcox SD-10 as a beginner. I had seen and heard Fessenden’s being played at the CT conventions and knew that I wanted one. I cannot be more pleased with this steel. And I am thoroughly impressed with the changer mechanism. It is so easy to change the set up if you want to. As a mechanical engineer myself I see Jerry as a mechanical genesis. His patented bellcrank design is so simple yet so all encompassing.

As for the man himself, Jerry is a great guy. I had a family vacation to Stowe Vermont this past July. Jerry lives about thirty minutes from Stowe. So I called him up to see if I could visit with him and see what he was building. He stated that there wasn’t anything currently to look at but I could still come over. We met for about forty-five minutes sitting on his deck talking about business, heath, faith in God and a little steel. He gave me some pointers and I purchased his CD and one of his T-shirts. He then invited me to attend an outdoor concert he was playing at that night.

I persuaded my family to go and hear Jerry play. We get there and he is thoroughly enjoying himself … the builder and the player … and a fine player he is. After putting his rig away he made his way across the field to personally thank me for coming and we talked for another twenty minutes.

The next night in Stowe we’re eating dinner and I hear a steel coming from the bar next door. I dropped off my family off at the motel and headed back to the bar to get another ‘education’. There I met Jim Pitman playing a red mica Fessy S-12. Another great steel player to hear, talk with and learn from.

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Fessenden, it is a great sounding, quality made instrument.

Ryan McMahon · Post by **Ryan McMahon** » 5 Nov 2009 4:53 am

Had a Fessy sd12. Great guitar! To echo what others have said already; Extremely well built machine. You cant go wrong with a guitar built by Jerry!

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 23 Dec 2009 3:05 am

I sent this reply to Mike Perlowin recently,
and figured it belonged on the Fessenden thread here as well.
Consider this my assessment and cordial thanks
to all involved with this particular Fessenden now:
————————————————————

Mike,
I'm proud enough to say I own a guitar that you owned, even if not played.
I have mentioned a lot about this guitar on the forum since I even thought about rebuilding it.
Thanks!

I have found that everything I needed was available from someone, if not Jerry himself.
My thanks go to Jim Palenscar, for offering his knowledge and assistance,
as well as Jerry Roller, who sent me all 9 used bellcranks he had for the same price Fessenden sells them for.
There were none available for about 6 weeks, which to me was like a little kid with a new toy who just couldn't wait for parts!
Special thanks to Rich Gibson, who sent me one bellcrank free, out of the kindness of his heart.
Mr. Fessenden supplied the 8th pedal and all rods, tuners necessary to complete a 8x5.
It is now an AWESOME axe that is constantly inspiring me!
And its really pretty light!! I've a ground level home with a big front door.

————————————————————

Here's a pic and the copedent I've settled on till 2012 heh.

Happy Holidays to All!
Clete Ritta