Question for David Wright-How many quads?

Paul Warnik · From: Illinois,USA

David W-Hello
I was wondering if you have any recollection or estimation of how many Wright Custom four-necked steel guitars were built? I'm thinking your father produced at least two or three times as many as Bigsby. (Ray Montee has written that P.A. told him he had made three quads-only two known left to exist in tact-Ray's and mine).

I know of five Wright Custom quads listed below:

1) Barbara Mandrell's
2) Chas Smith's-looks like the earliest one (has no dog-ears on end plates)
3) Chubby Howard's
4) Jimmy Day's
5) Non-pedal quad (that I formerly owned-name removed)

Thanks,
P.W.

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Paul, I used to have one too, identical to Jimmy Day's. Someone had cut it down to a triple long time ago.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

I have one, Paul.
It has two changers and five pedals. It has 015 stamped on the edge of the keyhead endplate. Plain looking maple that looks like it has been sitting on the bottom of a lake for decades. Painted "Wright Custom" with the Wright over the Custom. Three necks are cast aluminum and the fourth is mahogany. Very odd. Likely a replacement neck because the wood neck has two pickups.

Pickups have the phenolic impregnated canvas flatwork and rod magnets and are epoxied into cutouts in the necks.
_________________
Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Chris, mine was like yours, originally six pedals, at least three or four key head plungers and two of the necks had been with bridge changers. When I got it it only had one neck with a bridge changer. Mine had a low # stamped like yours, but I can't recall what it was.

This is after a long restoring process; pedal board, legs, tuners are new. Key head and PU covers were long gone, as was the original pedal board.

Dave Burr · From: League City, TX

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Dave, I thought so too, until I saw this:

That guitar had "ears". This one is the 1 that I have:

Well, it's not like I haven't been disappointed before, Santa, the Easter Bunny, ex-wives 1,2, and 3...

Robbie Daniels · From: Casper, Wyoming, USA

I had a Wright Custom 4 neck with 7 pedals back around 1959-1960 in the San Francisco bay area. I can't remember where I bought it but when I went to Los Angeles for a couple of years I sold it to a scottish steel player in about 1961 who had a double neck gibson consul. He loved the steel (as did I but didn't like the weight) so I sold it to him for cash and trade for his non-pedal. I wish I still had both steels. Sometimes we make foolish decisions in life.
Rolling Eyes

_________________
Carter D12, MSA S12, 12 String Custom Made Non-Pedal, Evans FET 500LV, Evans SE200, Peavey Nashville 400, Fender Steel King

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

I bought a Quad with nine pedals around 1958. About a year later it burned up with the Jubilee Ballroom in Baldwin Park, Ca. when I was working with Johnny and Joanie Mosby. Bill Carson, of Fender Fame, was playing lead guitar Bill then got me a Fender 1000 out of the Factory, with Leo's blessing, and I played it for another 10 years.

Lee Jeffriess · From: Vallejo California

Paul, at one point I think I had tallied nine of em.
The non pedal one was made for Gene Selser, I believe David mentioned one being at the bottom of the Pacific ?.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Here is my quad. It looks like it was the one that sank to the bottom of the ocean.

_________________
Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

David Wright · From: Pilot Point ,Tx USA.

Not sure how many were built, I wil call my dad and see if he remembers...nice to see a few of them out there..))) will get back to ya!...I do know Day recored Crazy arms with a Wright...he and I played a show in Ca , and we had a great talk about it....

Bill McKenna · From: Redwood City CA USA

I have a quad as well, this one has been around. Think Chas owned it for a while, i got it from Marty Smith in LA. Lee Jefferies had it for a long time. I'm told it originally belonged to Gene Selzer (sp?) who used it in the mid late 50s with Bob Wills. (unconfirmed).

Here are some pics.

Here is a link to all the detailed pics
http://mckennasgarage.com/newgallery/steelguitarpics?page=4
Thanks
Bill
_________________
Bill McKenna
Too many to list Smile

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

IMHO, I think Qqads lost favor when, with the addition of Knee Levers, Steel player found out with just one, and at the most two necks, just about any type of style and chord combinations could be acheived. However, some non-pedal Steel Players Playing Western Swing still use the old Fender Quads and other 3-neck consules.

Geoff Cline · From: Southwest France

I NEVER get tired of admiring these vintage blond and aluminum steels by Bigsby and Wright. The aesthetics and designs resonate deeply with me. Thanks for sharing y'all.

David Wright · From: Pilot Point ,Tx USA.

O for got all about this one, he mailed me these pictures, he got is NEW..and still playing it.. Very Happy

notice the wood end plates..

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Why does everyone else's quad look better than mine?
_________________
Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Geoff Cline · From: Southwest France

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Bill McKenna · From: Redwood City CA USA

Who knows a bit of the history around Wright quads and others.
When did Wood Endplates come and go? When was the move from the aluminum to wood necks? Seems like early 60s Wrights, have different pickups more like the Wright Sierras. Perhaps I should go dig around in the Archives. But would be nice to see a history of these as we seem to have very few details on them.

My Quad is from around 55 with no pedals and Aluminum Necks, with pickup covers, Alum end plates, Maple body. It appears this same model was the basis for most of the cable models with pedals. But this latest one has wood ends appears to have later necks and pedals vs the earlier ones that were more like Bigsby.
Let the Debating begin. Smile

Bill
_________________
Bill McKenna
Too many to list Smile

David Wright · From: Pilot Point ,Tx USA.

I just got off the phone with my dad, He can't remember all that well, i did ask about the wood and alum neck difference, he said, when a guy ordered one, a lot of time they wanted a wood neck , and the rest alum... tone difference he said, he thought he did wood end plates first, then moved to a alum leg socket on the out side, then a full alum endplate..

Bill, My dad built both the Wright & Sierra, ther is a tread on all this, will try to find it and put a link to it,

David Wright · From: Pilot Point ,Tx USA.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=207709&highlight=

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=163653&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25

Bill McKenna · From: Redwood City CA USA

Thanks David,
Certainly an interesting topic as we don't really seem to have much info on the Wrights or Wright Sierra's Lee Jefferies knows a good bit and has owned a few.
Here in Northern CA we have at least three Wright/Wright Sierra's being used actively. My Quad,
Lee is using a D8 Wright Sierra and recently Mikiya Matsuda got a double 8 of similar layout as the Wright Sierra's with Cable pedals Wood Necks and Metal end plates. His was groud up restored, and has the controls behind the changer like the D10 in your previous post. There is so much variation Just curious about it all. My Quad appears not have a serial number. At least I haven't found one and the pots aren't dated.
Thanks
Bill
_________________
Bill McKenna
Too many to list Smile

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Hope you don't mind David, but I had to post this, it's off of your website:

Forum Index > Pedal Steel	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic