What is the most durable brand of steel?

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 19 Apr 2002 6:25 pm

I've found that if you play in a bar that has frequent brawls, the best way to protect your steel guitar is to place some cuphooks on both ends and across the front, then coil some barbed-wire onto the hooks. Affix a clamp to the right back leg that will hold a small fire extinguisher. A fire extinguisher can have a lot of stopping power, especially if you zap them right in the face.

Even the wildest bar seems to settle down around Christmas time;__then the cuphooks come in handy to string some Christmas lights on your guitar.

Rick

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 19 Apr 2002 8:03 pm

It depends on what you mean by durable. If you mean cosmetically than an Emmons or any other formica guitar will do a lot better than a wood finish. What's important to me is how the mechanism stays firm with typical road or other abuse. I personally found Emmons PP guitars to be pretty finicky. I would be on the road somewhere and the guitar would simply stop working correctly. I knew it was something to do with those darn rods and what not underneath, but if I attempted to fix it, it would inevitably get worse. Maybe I should have taken it to somebody better than Jimmy Crawford to work on it

.

On the other hand, I have played a Franklin guitar for over 22 years that I literally have never touched underneath. It arrived at the Greyhound bus station in North Hollywood, I took it directly to a gig, did some minor tuning tweeks, and it has worked perfectly ever since. A few years back I had Paul tune it up and put a different C6th copedent on it, but other than that, nobody has ever touched anything underneath.

That's the way I like my pedal steels, because any time I spend under the hood is time I can't spend playing.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 20 Apr 2002 9:34 am

Dan- You said it! I too don't want any steel that I have to put more time , under the hood as you say, than playing it!

The first thing that I value in a Pedal Steel is one that Plays in tune and stays in tune!

Second is good easy pedal action.

The third is sound, but that is subjective. We all know great players that can make any steel sound good.....al

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 20 Apr 2002 10:18 am

If you mean built like a tank it's Fender 1000 and MSA and some models of Sho-Bud. If you mean which steel will continue to play well year after year I believe most of them will if they are cared for properly and treated like a musical instrament provided they played good to start with. Are you buying one for protection in a bar fight or to enjoy musically? The "built like a tank" steel "usually" comes with a weight penality. At 56 I got tired of carrying 90lb + steels along with Fender twins and Nashville 1000s not to mention extra air freight charges. Play something that sounds and feels good to you and take care of it.

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 20 Apr 2002 10:29 am

Correction. I posted a nashville 1000 as being heavy. I meant to say session 500. opps

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 20 Apr 2002 3:11 pm

The first thing in a guitar that is important to me is TONE. All guitars will hold up well if they are maintenanced on a regular basis by a qualified steel guitar mechanic. Too many people don't do this. Playability and weight are second and third on the list for me.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 20 April 2002 at 04:11 PM.]

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 20 Apr 2002 8:35 pm

Few days back I got an Email from the friend I sold my Pro III to.He said,guitar fell of the back of the UPS truck and it was in perfect tune even after harsh landing.There is no "but" in Sho~Bud,it`s all there.Grat guitars.

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 20 Apr 2002 8:36 pm

Few days back I got an Email from the friend I sold my Pro III to.He said,guitar fell of the back of the UPS truck and it was in perfect tune even after harsh landing.There is no "but" in Sho~Bud,it`s all there.Great guitars.

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 20 Apr 2002 10:21 pm

When Al Brisco was playing for Ronnie Hawkins, His Fulawka took a beating and never let him down. On cold days, he'd warm it with a hair dryer, and hardly had to tune it. Ed Fulawka takes a lot of pride in his work.

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 20 Apr 2002 10:32 pm

One that will stop a bullet from a jealouse husband!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 21 Apr 2002 11:36 am

Rusty, you got that right. It just happened at a place I was playing Saturday night!

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 21 Apr 2002 5:11 pm

Those old BRAND X guitars not only sounded good and played good but could stop a bullet!I often wondered if thrown from a tall building or stopped a locomotive if they would still play in tune! YES they would!Even impervious to KRYTONITE!

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 22 Apr 2002 11:22 am

KRYTONITE!

KRYPTONITE, I think.

Vance Monday · Post by **Vance Monday** » 22 Apr 2002 1:52 pm

I still like my old Sho-Bud Pro..I bought it new in 1972 and it's been everywhere..played a lot of outdoor shows in the sun and spent a lot of time in the back of my car in the cold winter..It's faded and dinged a little, but it stays in tune, sounds good and I have never spent a dime on it..the case needs replaced but the old Sho-Bud is fine..

B Bailey Brown · Post by **B Bailey Brown** » 22 Apr 2002 6:05 pm

To me “durability” comes with “longevity”. For example, I have played a C&W for the last 4 ½ years, but that one is still a baby compared to my two Blanton guitars. While the C&W plays flawlessly, it is still a bit “young” to judge in my opinion.

I bought my first Blanton in 1974, and the second one in 1979. They both play as well today as they did the day I picked them up at Jerry Blanton’s shop, and I am NOT easy on a guitar. When I play one, I play it HARD! The 1974 Blanton, which is now 28 years old, was stolen from me in 1979. That’s how I got the second Blanton!

Somebody found it in a hockshop in San Antonio in 1987, and I got it back 8 years later. It was all dirty, most of the strings were either rusted, or gone. I brought it home, cleaned the dust and dirt off the finish, and put new strings on it. I sat down behind it, never made an adjustment, and it played as smooth and sounded as nice as it did the last time I saw it eight years before!

Nobody knows where it was for all those years. Yikes. The stories it could tell if it could only talk!

In fact, it still sounds so good that my friend Bobby Flores asked me if he could borrow it to play some sessions. I was blown away that Bobby thought that much of it, but then “ ‘Old Yeller” is a very exceptional instrument!

Now THAT is a durable steel guitar.

B. Bailey Brown
[This message was edited by B Bailey Brown on 22 April 2002 at 07:18 PM.]

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 23 Apr 2002 9:40 pm

My Fulawka is 32 years old and looks and sounds as good as when it was new.

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585

http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 24 Apr 2002 9:25 am

Whoa! I'm confused!

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 24 Apr 2002 9:29 am

b0b, if you're confused about Rebel's guitar, it's a left handed Fulawka.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Apr 2002 11:02 am

Fender 1000 2000 or any Fender pedal steel,,no not the Sho-Bud Fenders,,,,the real
one's by LEO....

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 24 Apr 2002 1:21 pm

Could somebody hand me a mirror...

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Apr 2002 4:59 pm

Ernie
You would need a four way mirror,,,,that guitar has 4 pedals,,, how'd they do that???
with "smoke and "mirrors"??

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 24 Apr 2002 9:10 pm

Jody:
guitar has 4 and 4. Had 4th pedal added in 2000, Christmas present from the wife, who then bought me a new Fulawka, with 4 and 5 on it, last year.

Ed has built 4 left-handed steels in his career, 2 S-10's (I own both), a lap steel and a D-10. My 1970 was the first, my 2001, the last. He also made me a left-footed pedal for the new one.

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585

http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 24 Apr 2002 9:28 pm

Graham
That looks like a nice guitar,,,,you sure have a nice wife to get you such a beauty of a guitar.

I wouldnt mind trying one of those out myself
I'll bet it sounds everybit as good as it looks.

Be well my friend,,,,nice to see you are proud of your guitar,,,you more than likley do it justice as well.

Good Luck
Jody. PS I fell down a flight of stairs years ago and could have been injured badly or killed,,,,the Fender 1000 save my life as it took the brunt of the impact.

Its like the cat with nine lives....the guitar has 1000 lives,,,,but I dont have the guitar any longer...so I guess I dont have 999 lives left to live.

Be well...and enjoy your guitar...its really a "cool" looking guitar. Best to you and your wife...

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 28 Apr 2002 6:16 am

Jody:
Thank you. You ever get up to my area in Ontario, you're more than welcome to try one of my steels out!

All the best to you.

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585

http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

Bobby Flores · Post by **Bobby Flores** » 29 Apr 2002 11:02 pm

Hey B.,

I was running down the list to enter "Blanton" when I saw your post. I've used that horn of yours on several albums since then and it's stays in tune for the most part and holds up like a heavy, yellow tank! That thing does weigh a bunch though. That's darn near a two-man job! Like trying to lift a refrigerator!! But it is solid and holds up well to all the road knockings and lack of mechanical attention. It's like Old Faithful.

Dude, would you believe it still has those same strings on it?!? HA!

Bobby