Hierarchy of PSG Makers

Fred Rogan · Post by **Fred Rogan** » 7 Dec 2009 7:50 am

Analogies help me get things into perspective and I was hoping some of you could help develop an analogy here for 6 sting guitars to pedal steel.I know I am going to step on toes here so I apologize in advance.
To my way of thinking, there are, in general,three tiers of electic guitar makers:
Bottom tier: Washburn, Dean, ESP.
Middle tier: Fender, Gibson.
Top tier: Tom Anderson, Suhr, PRS.
(I know there are great guitars I have left out and I know there are overlaps but just to keep the analogy managable, work with me...).
What PSG makers would you put in a similar Bottom, Middle and Top tier ranking?
thanks for your input on this.

Alan James · Post by **Alan James** » 7 Dec 2009 8:35 am

Another request for subjective nonsense and opinionated brand wars.

Steel Guitars are usually classified as beginner, intermediate, and professional.

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 7 Dec 2009 9:03 am

Agreed. Even the highest production steel guitar maker would be classified a 'cottage' industry (or a Mom and Pop?) operation by most any standard you care to use so comparing them to the mass production manufacturer's you mentioned wouldn't be apples and oranges. A better comparison might be the USA made mandolin market but then you still run into what Alan referred to in his first sentence. If you are new to the forum and are wondering what the general consensus is on different brands and you want to know 'right now' I suggest spending some time searching the classifieds and see which guitars bring the best prices, sell the quickest etc.

Roger Francis · Post by **Roger Francis** » 7 Dec 2009 9:07 am

Well said Allen, and the replies will be coming from the same, beginner, intermediate, and professional.

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 7 Dec 2009 9:26 am

Zum Emmons MSA Mullen My Pick For the Top 4 and most Popular Steels Made Today! Randy G.

Alan James · Post by **Alan James** » 7 Dec 2009 10:10 am

Randy Gilliam wrote:Zum Emmons MSA Mullen My Pick For the Top 4 and most Popular Steels Made Today! Randy G.

Thank you for making my first point.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 7 Dec 2009 10:18 am

The best steel guitar on the market is the one I like.

Anybody who plays a different brand is wrong.

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 7 Dec 2009 10:51 am

Allen Maybe He Wants to Buy one and Wants to Know What People Who play Steel Really Think, Before He gets a Dud, I Buy and Sell Steels and My Opinion Is What I Stated, I Could Care Less What anybody Else Plays I Know Only What I Like.

Randy G.

Alan James · Post by **Alan James** » 7 Dec 2009 11:13 am

Randy Gilliam wrote:and most Popular Steels Made Today!

Based on what criteria?

Randy Gilliam wrote:My Opinion Is What I Stated, I Could Care Less What anybody Else Plays I Know Only What I Like. Randy G.

Oh, now I get it.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 7 Dec 2009 11:21 am

The thing is, EVERYBODY makes great steels today. They are all slightly different, but they all do what they are supposed to. You can't go wrong no matter which one you choose.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 7 Dec 2009 11:27 am

I have my own thoughts on this, but everybody else's is probably different, thus the subjectivity.

I do believe there are a few that could be considered high end such as the Anapeg.

As far as popularity goes, Mr. Jim Cohen did a forum survey which addressed several things including ratio of steel brands owned. Scroll down the page in this thread link for that graph.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... =brand+ste

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 7 Dec 2009 12:38 pm

Mike's got it right. These days there are more PSG manufacturers than there have ever been, and they are all quality instruments. I would venture to say that most, if not all, have had computer aided design and manufacture, with precision engineering and tolerances.

It wasn't always that way, as we all know. The design of, say, an Emmons was radically different from a Sho-Bud, some of which looked underneath like they'd been made by the village blacksmith.
Now they all have a similar design and quality, and Mike is right...they're all good, quality instruments.

As far as a hierarchy... I'm not gonna get mixed up in that.

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 7 Dec 2009 12:59 pm

Alan What 4 Brands Do You Like?

Based on Playing 30 Years 4 Nights a Week.I have Played Most Of Them and Like I said I am Only answering the Original Poster of The Post. :lol:I also Love Sho Buds But They Dont Makem Anymore.The Best Steel For The Money Is A Carter Built Good and Easy To Play.(Also Made In Texas)

Thomas Butler · Post by **Thomas Butler** » 7 Dec 2009 1:43 pm

As far as six string guitars go - I would much rather have my '68 Les Paul or my '71 Strat than any of the current designer guitars.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 7 Dec 2009 3:46 pm

My advise to somebody looking to buy a new steel is to go to the convention of the Dallas show where all the different brands are on display, and see which one appeals to you.

(My problem is that they ALL appeal to me, and if I had the bucks, I'd get one of each.

)

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 7 Dec 2009 4:12 pm

. . . subjective nonsense . . .

Welcome to the Forum, Fred.

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 7 Dec 2009 4:24 pm

I haven't gotten to play many brands so far... But I know that the more I learn about maintenance, the better my instrument feels and sounds. I would bet that alot of guitars that sit in the closet weren't playing to their potential when they were put there. Check out Bob Seymour's promo video on the carter starter with Terry Crisp playing at the end. Makes me want to practice.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 7 Dec 2009 7:22 pm

What Mike said in all his posts. Jody.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 7 Dec 2009 11:16 pm

Past or present brands? Or both?

I've got a Sho-Bud, and back in its day it shared the top of the heap with Emmons and MSA.

With present brands it's hard to tell. PSG technology has improved since the mid-1970s, and judging by the posts on this forum I see a lot of brands competing for top spot when I read the endless words of praise.

Ulf Edlund · Post by **Ulf Edlund** » 8 Dec 2009 12:14 am

I have noticed that any steel guitar for sale is usually the best sounding, most desired and highest regarded model. Especially on a famous auction site.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 8 Dec 2009 5:59 am

Alan James wrote:Another request for subjective nonsense and opinionated brand wars.

Steel Guitars are usually classified as beginner, intermediate, and professional.

I always thought Steel Guitars came in 3 totally different categories:

I'll never be able to play
I think I can play
I actually can play

I stroll between 1 and 3 on any given day

Bruce Hamilton · Post by **Bruce Hamilton** » 8 Dec 2009 8:50 am

I don't believe that there is much difference between the quality of any guitars produced now. However I think there is a perception of a hierarchy. If you watch the for sale section it appears that Franklins,Emmons and Zums seem to be the most desireable. This could have something to do with the number of icon players playing them or they may actually be more desirable for other reasons. Or it could be just a perception.

Richard Park · Post by **Richard Park** » 8 Dec 2009 10:35 am

In ancient times, two pedal steel players had this same argument. They decided to take their quarrel to King Solomon, the king of Israel. One claimed his D10 Emmons was the best, the other claimed his Sho-Bud D10 was. Solomon, a king known for his wisdom, raised his sword and commanded the the two guitars to be cut in half, then put back together, each with one Emmons neck and one Sho-Bud neck. Once this was done, the argument arose over whether the Emmons/Sho-Bud or the Sho-Bud/Emmons was the better instrument. At this point, Solomon, realizing the argument would go on forever, dismissed them all from the temple, commanding that they never return.

Rich Gardner · Post by **Rich Gardner** » 8 Dec 2009 10:41 am

I don't know if I agree with your hierarchy of guitars. I believe all the guitars listed are good. It all depends on the sound you want. I've seen guitarists playing really cheap models of some hot brands. They sounded great. I know B.B. King plays his Gibson Lucille model. I know if he played some other guitar, I could pick out his playing any where and any time. I'd recognize his style. As far as PSG's go, I'll paraphrase what Scotty said in his PSG course. He said, today, they are all good. It depends on the sound you want.

RG

Don Brown, Sr. · Post by **Don Brown, Sr.** » 8 Dec 2009 4:47 pm

Brett Lanier said:

I would bet that alot of guitars that sit in the closet weren't playing to their potential when they were put there.

Quite possibly the truest words I've read. My very thoughts on what more likely than not, discourages many new would be, pedal steel players, from ever continuing.

And most new players have no idea as to why they sound so bad. When a whole lot of it, is due to the steel they bought, in bad need of a good cleaning and lubrication, or more.

I don't believe there's a steel out, that can't be made to sound great, with the right pickups and adjustments.

Of course, I don't believe in folks when they say this steel has: "That Sound" either.

I'm a bit Prejudiced since owning a couple D-10 Carters, that they are right up there with the best of the best.

Others opinions will vary, and that's not a bad thing either.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Hierarchy of PSG Makers

Hierarchy of PSG Makers

Brands

Re: Brands

Buyer

Opinion not fact

Steels