Pic of undercarriage of carter starter

John Shadid · Post by **John Shadid** » 2 Apr 2012 1:07 pm

I noticed there seems to be a LOT of complaints about the Carter Starter. I would appreciate it if someone would post a pic of the undercarriage of one so I could see what everyone is talking about!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 2 Apr 2012 1:52 pm

Be warned, it's not a pretty sight!

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 2 Apr 2012 1:58 pm

Believe it,I've seen one,Erv is right,it's not a pretty sight!!!!

Although I did rebuild the undercarriage on the one I had,it was worth it I think but I didn't keep it very long.They do have great tone.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 2 Apr 2012 2:15 pm

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... er+starter There are a couple of shots in this old thread if that will help.

Michael Maddex · Post by **Michael Maddex** » 2 Apr 2012 3:17 pm

John, here is a photo of the under carriage on a Carter Starter:

Not too much to see there. It is just the guts of a plain old student guitar. IMO, there is FAR too much Carter-Starter bashing on this forum. Sure, some things could have been done better, but it was never intended as pro instrument. I hope this helps to satisfy your curiosity.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Apr 2012 4:01 pm

I agree, Michael. I'd rather have a Starter than a sidekick or maverick.
Full complement of levers, and it plays in tune.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 2 Apr 2012 6:37 pm

carter starter is like a G.E. washing machine you better nail it down to the floor or you will spend more time learning how to chase a guitar across the floor instead of playing it.

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 2 Apr 2012 7:07 pm

I am no pro. I am a novice Carter Starter player and I appreciate all the support I can get. I ain't no musical genius. I have to work at it hard to get anywhere with any instrument. In grade school I played an old beat up tombone with a crappy slide, but it got me to 1st chair out of 13 players by the time I got into high school band in the 9th grade! Then I got a new one! I have been playing a Morgan Monroe reso lately. Certainly not top of the line, but with lots of practice....heck, I'm having fun and the grandkids love it! My Carter Starter? I bet that I can learn on that too... enough to entertain me and my grandkids. With lot of hard work, and if I get get good enough, I will upgrade for sure! Can't wait!! I love pedal steel!!!!!!!!! Now, if I spent thousands of dollars on a high end dobro and pedal steel, will I instantly sound like Greg Booth does with his Wichita Lineman rendition? NOT!! Good grief, that guy is good! Hmm....think I will sit up to my 'lil "starter", pop in a CD and see if I can jam.....

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 2 Apr 2012 7:10 pm

Joseph Barcus wrote:carter starter is like a G.E. washing machine you better nail it down to the floor or you will spend more time learning how to chase a guitar across the floor instead of playing it.

I play mine on the carpet. Stays put.

John Shadid · Post by **John Shadid** » 2 Apr 2012 10:37 pm

Haha now ladies, you're both pretty! Thanks for the pic and link. I started off on an old 60s or 70s fender s-10 student model with 1 knee lever. I never looked underneath much but I know it wasn't nice as the starter. Paid 700 plus shipping for the damn thing too! Strangely wish I had kept it though..

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 3 Apr 2012 4:55 am

I have never seen the underside of better built pedal steel. I know the CS looks cheaply built to my eyes. But, hey, it sounds good and works for this beginner!

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 3 Apr 2012 5:21 am

Joseph Barcus wrote:carter starter is like a G.E. washing machine you better nail it down to the floor or you will spend more time learning how to chase a guitar across the floor instead of playing it.

Mount wheels on your seat so you can keep up.

Patrick Strain · Post by **Patrick Strain** » 3 Apr 2012 5:23 am

The Carter Starter had some real design issues, but it saw me through a year of abusive gigging. It also sounds great (to me).

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 3 Apr 2012 8:29 am

I had a student, who, had a brand new Carter Starter and I thought it played really well. Of course, that was about 12 yrs ago, though. Even so, I had never seen one or played one before and I was impressed with it. Yes, it was a little too lite, but, everything worked perfectly on it and it sounded good, too. For its' time, it was a real innovative student model. Maybe he was lucky with that steel. I don't know. I haven't seen any others up close, so, I can't really judge the rest. Just a simple, straight forward approach to an entry level steel. I started on a birdseye maple Maverick with the raised neck. It was a good steel for its' time, too. I had no problems with mine, but, we're not talking Mavericks here.

Ben Lawson · Post by **Ben Lawson** » 3 Apr 2012 8:50 am

John YOU are a Maverick. See you in Nov.?

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 3 Apr 2012 10:59 am

Carter Starter- they work, stay close to in tune, sound good enough to practice or gig, and have the levers for a full modern copedent. And they're inexpensive. Exactly what they were designed to do.

There are a couple of frustrating aspects (like knee lever slippage) that are really easy to fix with basic tools and a little thought.
My impression is that most of the bashers really expect the performance, feel and sound of a $3K guitar.
I just don't understand that.

The CS has probably brought thousands of players into the fold who might not have otherwise made it. Go Carter.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 3 Apr 2012 1:22 pm

www.myvideo.de/watch/6652563/Carter_Starter_Demo
Nuff said

Terry Crisp ripping it up at the end

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 3 Apr 2012 1:45 pm

Buying a guitar is kind of like buying hay.
Do you want it before or after it's been through the horse.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 3 Apr 2012 1:55 pm

Erv Niehaus wrote:Buying a guitar is kind of like buying hay.
Do you want it before or after it's been through the horse.

While its still in his belly so I can watch "how its made"

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Apr 2012 5:02 pm

Quentin Hickey wrote: Terry Crisp ripping it up at the end

Amen to that! It sure does my heart good to see a guy with 1/3 the guitar of most players play 3 times as much and 3 times as good as the naysayers.

"It's in the hands"... and the proof is right there in the video.

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 3 Apr 2012 5:50 pm

I thought the Starter was pretty great when I first started out. Then I upgraded to a pro Sierra, and now I have an Emmons & a Dekley. I'd bet if I went back and played a Starter now I wouldn't be too impressed. But for a student guitar, it did the job for me. Even gigged with it for two years!

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 3 Apr 2012 10:09 pm

Ben,
Thanks, I think! Yes, I'll be there in Nov. I'm doing a set this year. I hope I don't screw it up like last time. Hope to see you there. All the best.

Jon Blackstone · Post by **Jon Blackstone** » 11 Apr 2012 8:09 am

I think the worst thing under there is the stops. Particularly on the knee levers. But it's not hard to put in better ones. A bracket that the bell crank finger bears against will do the trick. Tap a hole in the bracket and put a hex-head screw through it if you want it adjustable.

I think there may be two versions of the CS. Mine has the knee levers in a different place than most of the pics I've seen online.

I am the proud owner of the two most maligned pedal steels: a Carter Starer and a contact-paper Maverick. (I'm really a non-pedal player who just can't resist a bargain on craigslist.) Aside from those stops, the Carter seems much better-engineered.

Richard Rice · Post by **Richard Rice** » 11 Apr 2012 8:58 am

I had a Maverick, and it was the worst junk I ever bought. Baling wire instead of rods, screen door turnbuckles to tune the pedals- then the fingers started breaking off.. Bad news.

The CS is light years ahead of the Maverick I owned. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It was frustrating enough to make a grown man scream.. and scream I did..

Howard Steinberg · Post by **Howard Steinberg** » 11 Apr 2012 9:23 am

You haven't lived until you played a Market-Rite S-10.
$150. in kit form, 3 pedals, 1 knee to lower strings 4 and 8, hard case and a 3 volume course (which was quite good). Crude but it got the job done for me.