Derby Steel

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 27 Aug 2002 7:45 pm

Please forgive my ranting, but I just gotta speak to some comments made recently concerning the Derby guitars. Specifically, Frank Parish's statement that his Derby sounded like a plywood guitar.
I certaintly respect his right to express his obvious displeasure with this guitar.
I'd sure hate to live in a Country where this wasn't possible.
I don't know if plywood is a good material to build steel guitars out of or not so I'll speak to the things that I do know. I have visited the Derby factory on many occasions....seen and played guitars in various stages of construction, assembly and final tweaking and tuning...never heard or played one that had no tone. Never seen anything but solid maple used in the cabinets. I have witnessed Charlie's inventory of beautiful solid hard maple boards as well as his stock of billet aluminum that he uses in the construction of these instruments. Only the highest quality materials go into the building of the Derby. In addition to the above mentioned materials, stainless steel is used throughout the pulling mechanism from the crossrods and bellcranks to the pedal rods. The endplates, necks and I believe, the keyheads are all milled from solid aluiminum stock. If there is any plywood used on these guitars, it would be to form the pads used on the SD10's...I am unsure about that. Despite the rising cost of materials, Charlie continues to make improvements in his guitars.
While the number of pros playing the Derby says a lot for these guitars and Charlie certaintly doesn't need a virtual unknown like me defending his product, I felt it needed to be said lest someone should get the impression that anything less that the best materials are used in the construction of these great guitars. No guitar has everything every player wants.......
Sound, feel, looks and playability all are personal and judged differently by each individual, so play whatever suits your needs the best. All I'm saying is that the quality of the Derby is as good or better than anything out there.
Just a few weeks ago I saw and felt one of the most beautiful looking and sounding Derbys Charlie Stepp has ever built IMO. A 2/tone lacquered inlaid guitar having both birdseye and curly maple used in it's construction.... truly a guitar of striking beauty. [I hope there's one of these in my future]. Charlie may whup me if he finds out I made this post without his permission, but so be it.
The steel guitar community is indeed fortunate to have Charlie and Margit Stepp and their great Derby guitars.
They are friends and helpful to all the steel players around here and elsewhere, no matter what label is on their steel.

Kenny Forbess · Post by **Kenny Forbess** » 27 Aug 2002 11:26 pm

Jerry,
I think Derby has one if the best guitar's built,
I owned one and was very happy with it , three of my friends own Derby's and have no problems with them.
I'm sure if they were not the quality guitar, you wouldn't have seen one on the Opry for the past 2 years.

[This message was edited by KENNY FORBESS on 28 August 2002 at 04:30 AM.]

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 28 Aug 2002 3:04 am

I did not start this thread to start a
war or beat up on Frank. My interest was about the high qualilty of these guitars in general.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 28 Aug 2002 7:05 am

Jerry, I applaude you!!
If there is one family on the world that stands tall for ya, it's The Derby family: Charles and Margaret Stepp.
They don't care about anything that could stop them in building a steelguitar of their and my dreams, and they do everything for you to keep your instrument in the best condition. example:
On a flight to Spain, the airportpeople dropped my steelcase and a tuning-peg broke. Charles sent me a whole box for free!
I needed a lapsteel, he built me one for almost nothing!
And now: He sells my CD's in StLouis. If you think my Derby-sound sucks, please don't buy it

Straight people, straight, honest guitar, I love it.
I know it's not plywood, but if that wood would be almost to expensive to buy, but it would sound the best, I'm shure Charly would use it!
My 5 cts.
Please Check out Derby guitars on my website and visit the Derby-room in St Louis. While you are there, please , say hi from me and pick up a Steeldays 2002 poster, and buy my CD!!!

Johan
www.steeljj.com

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 28 Aug 2002 8:42 am

My friends:
I should be leading the charge with Jerry & Johan on this. I told Johan by e-mail that I've had it with spitting contests. When I saw that slam against Derby I walked away from it, simply because I'm too busy with other matters.
Before I fire up, as an extremely satisfied Derby owner, everything that Jerry & Johan say about the Stepp family & Derby is true. I too have witnessed the quality of construction that Jerry speaks of. And you'll look HARD to find two people finer than the Stepps. The Lord broke the mold on them. They're just plain good FOLKS.
Ok, my story as short & sweet as I can, with no other names or brands mentioned other than Mr. Charlie & Derby, is that my road to Derby was very rough & bumpy. I've played steel since '68, & owned a push/pull for 23 yrs. I had to sell it awhile back, but became able to purchase a new guitar. I had a restoration project that went sour, so I bailed on it. I was 8 months waiting on that guitar, & regardless of who says what, it was time to cut my losses & run. Having some gigs coming up & needing a guitar quick, I tried another builder. BIG mistake. I was never treated so rudely in my life. Here I'm plopping down $3K+ & I'M the inconvenience. So while licking my wounds, at about the same time I saw Derby's ph. # & started to call, I received an e-mail from fellow fourmite & friend Rusty Hurse strongly suggesting I should give Derby a call. When I called, & Mr. Charlie invited me up, what hooked me before I even touched a guitar, he said over the ph., "You don't have to come up just to buy a guitar. Just come up & see me." So I drive up to Brooks, KY, & when I 1st saw the gtrs., I wasn't sure, then he sat me down to play one. THE TONE BLEW ME AWAY!! Sure, I've sat down to other gtrs. with great tone, but there was the sound of my Emmons push/pull, only BETTER, stronger, sweeter, all of the above. So, Mr. Charlie got my hard earned dollars & I got the BEST sounding steel, the BEST playing steel, & THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE I've ever experienced. And I'll add that Mr. Charlie had my guitar built WAY ahead of schedule, so I was able to get some chops back & make my gigs, no problem.
Bottom line (with me, anyway): Hey, they're ALL great guitars. Even the company that treated me rudely builds a great guitar. I know because I tried one.
But here it is, because of its TONE, PLAYABILITY, & CUSTOMER SERVICE, I am a bonified, dyed in the wool, Derby bubbahead. And I believe Jerry, Kenny, & Johan will agree with me that a Derby might not be right for you, that compare shopping is a GOOD thing, and we hope you find yours. WE FOUND OURS. If someone doesn't want to be happy for us in our satisfaction with Derby steels, fine, you're free & 21. But it just seems to me that all of us have better things to do.
To those of you that might be interested in a Derby & happen to make the SHOW this weekend, DO stop by & say hello to Mr. Charlie for me. Great folks, & they build a GREAT guitar. Note to Jerry: I have a gut feeling that the guitar you speak of will be at the show as well. Can't say why as I don't wanna get WHUPED either. But I'm almost positive it will be there. Cranberry lacquer apron & wood necks, natural top, & an inlay to DIE for. Most beautiful guitar I've ever seen in ANY brand.
Peace to all.
Rex Thomas
Derby 8x6
Nashville 1000[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 28 August 2002 at 11:48 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 28 Aug 2002 8:45 am

I too have never heard of a Derby being made
from plywood.

Steve Miller · Post by **Steve Miller** » 28 Aug 2002 9:42 am

Jerry, thank you for helping to set the record straight. When I read Frank's comments I was concerned that some folks might get the wrong idea about Derby Steels and that would truly be a shame. Mr. Charlie is a great guy, dedicated to builing the finest steel guitars.

Personally, I really don't care if my Derby sounds like an Emmons P/P or not...
I might be upset if someone insinuated that a P/P sounds like my Derby though!!!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Aug 2002 10:16 am

I too have listened to and sat behind a Derby and thought it was a fine Instrument for sure. It's a strange climate these days, many of us are just sounding off about things that in hind sight we would normally be silent about or offer no opinion. Maybe the moon is tilted..Now a plywood Guitar, there's a thought, I just finished building a garage and guess what I have several 4X8 sheets of left over ? A Plywood Guitar factory.....sounds like a tax write off to me !
tp
Now playing a Carter D10/9+8[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 28 August 2002 at 11:22 AM.]

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 28 Aug 2002 11:04 am

tp- GO FOR IT!!

Steve Miller- Not me! I'd get a CHARGE out of someone saying their push/pull sounded like my Derby. Mine blew my push/pull away, but then again gtrs. don't all sound the same, etc.
I've already had 3 Emmons owners call my guitar the "better Emmons".
Hey, me happy, & that's what matters. And I wish for everyone to be happy with their steel, regardless of brand.[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 28 August 2002 at 12:05 PM.][This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 28 August 2002 at 12:24 PM.]

Steve Miller · Post by **Steve Miller** » 28 Aug 2002 1:25 pm

Rex, I was just kidding around about the P/P. My point was that I bought a Derby because it sounds like a Derby, not some other guitar. And that perhaps a better question is does an Emmons sound as good as a Derby (not the other way 'round)!

Actually, I'm flattered that some players have compared it to the Emmons P/P.

"the better Emmons" -gotta love that!

sgm

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 28 Aug 2002 1:40 pm

YOU GO, STEVE!! Now yer talkin'!

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 30 Aug 2002 9:18 am

My point was that I bought a Derby because it sounds like a Derby, not some other guitar.

I agree !
jj www.steeljj.com
[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 30 August 2002 at 10:18 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 30 Aug 2002 2:19 pm

The only Derby I've heard is Johan's. What a great tone!

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 30 Aug 2002 5:58 pm

Just did a session with my Derby today & it sounded LOVELY!!

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 30 Aug 2002 6:31 pm

I have had quite a bunch of steels over my life time and in 1995 Charlie and his partner (at the time) brought Bobbe a S10 he had on order. They also brought along a D10
that found it's way back home to NY with me.
It was as great a sounding steel as any I've played. It had E66s on it and it moved on eventually to Mike Holder in Toronto & some other happy owner somewhere in Canada, I expect. I didn't sell it because it wasn't a great steel....it was....I was looking for something (that elusive search! you know?) that I never found! It's right up there with all the ones I've tried (& there have been too many) ever since. I can't tune a P/P so never tried one of those.....always played all pulls. Charley is, as the guys are saying, a dedicated builder of fine steels!

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 2 Sep 2002 4:18 pm

Just to touch on this thread. I think all the bad makers have been weeded out. Anything I saw in St. Louis was Quality. Not a bad one in the bunch. It all depends on what a player likes. I did have favorites but then we all do. Just cause I liked em doesn't mean the rest of you have to. Didn't mean to invade just wanted to put in my two cents. I have to many player friends with to many brands to shoot my mouth off needlessly.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 2 Sep 2002 7:39 pm

I never checked out a Derby really until this past weekend when I stumbled into the Derby room at Scotty's.Johnny & Joan Cox and Lynn Owsley were picking the hell out of a row of Derbys and I couldn't get over how sweet they sounded.I looked underneath one at length the next day and it is among the best engineered and well put together guitars out there.If I were in the market for a new ax,it would certainly be on my short list.

Lynn Owsley · Post by **Lynn Owsley** » 5 Sep 2002 10:29 am

There are many great steels on the market now,and I would like to applaud the manufactures for giving us these fine choices at what I think are reasonable prices, Im sure that steel building is a labor of love,these guys are not getting rich doing this! I have played Derbys since the first ones available,(early 90s)I was not in the market for a new guitar so Charlie said take it and play it and let me know what you think...Having been an Emmons PP player for so long, it took some getting used to, but Im so glad I did play this guitar.
Earlier this summer I was caught in a flash flood near San Antonio, Tex. the compartment where my Derby was riding was under water and I did not know until 2 days later...
the case was still wet and disentergrating...the guitar was sound with a slight separation where the 2 necks join, some slight oxidation on the aluminum...
I was amazed! ! ! The guitar was still in tune and played as it had before...I simply oiled the changers and pedals and rods. This is the same guitar that I played in St. Louis this past weekend....
Charlie asked if he could go over it for me and I said OK but wait until this convention is over because I need it and would rather not try a different guitar now...as I write this there still have been no repairs...I just need a new case...Maybe a waterproof one!

Lonnie Portwood · Post by **Lonnie Portwood** » 5 Sep 2002 7:49 pm

ANYONE WHOI THINKS DERBY STEEL'S SOUND LIKE PLYWOOD NEEDS HIS "HEARING" FIXED, NOT CHECKED OUT. AND IF PLYWOOD GIVES THAT KIND OF TONE AND SUSTAIN, BUILD ME ONE! OR TWO! OR THREE!!! I OWN A FULAWKA BUT I STILL THINK MY FRIEND CHARLIE STEPP PRODUCT IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. IF I LIVE LONG ENOUGH, MY NEXT STEEL WILL BE A DERBY. SOME PEOPLE NEED A LIFE. YOU GO, CHARLIE. LONNIE PORTWOOD

Skip Cole · Post by **Skip Cole** » 9 Sep 2002 6:29 pm

I have played and owned Derbys on several occassions and,without a doubt , am convinced they are a quality steel guitar. I regret selling the last one i owned, maybe get it back someday. There are others that i have owned and liked very well, just can't own them all at one time

. Charlie Stepp is a craftsman and a gentleman, and builds a fine steel.

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"Steel guitar is where it are"

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 9 Sep 2002 6:48 pm

Lynn O. has a remarkable Derby guitar. I was listening to a jam session in the Derby room and Lynn's sound was just hitting me in the chest... I mean, you could feel it!

Lynn, Billy Robinson, and Dale Waggoner were jamming on the tune that Jimmy Day knocked off from Bob Wills called "What Makes Bob Holler." Jimmy changed one note and claimed he re-wrote it!!

Anyway, Lynn's guitar so dominated the whole stage, I was blown away. I asked Charlie if Lynn had a special guitar and Charlie just kind of smiled.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 12 Sep 2002 2:15 pm

Jerry,
I'm sure that Derby makes some fine guitars. I was drawn to the Derby from listening to Tommy White on the Opry. I just didn't care for the one I had that's all. To my ear it just didn't suit me. It was the best looking guitar I ever owned and it played well but I didn't care for the tone and I couldn't play it and sound like I wanted to. I owned an Emmons P/P once I didn't care for too but that's just my ear. Before I buy another one I'll play it first. I think it was the fact I'd been playing an Emmons P/P for the last 13 years and a good one at that and it was hard to go to the all pull guitar. You get used to that P/P sound and it's hard for other guitars to match up. If I found a Derby and liked the tone I'd probably buy it. It's just very hard to get that kind of tone you hear in your head after playing a really good Emmons P/P guitar. I played an Emmons Legrande II for a couple of years and it had the Derby beat too and by a mile. Incidentally the guy I got the Derby from got rid of it for the same reason. The last time I heard from him he was playing a Legrande.

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 12 Sep 2002 2:59 pm

By the way I never meant for my comment on my Derby guitar to be a universal statement on all Derby guitars and if anyone here took the time to read my thread they'd know that. I wouldn't slam anybodys guitars but I can certainly slam my own or one I owned because I consider it to be a fair statement from experience. You Derby guys can put your swords away now. I know they make a fine guitar and I love that story of Lynns. I've heard Lynn on his Derby and he sounds great on it. He's played that P/P of mine I referred to a bunch of times. Lynn even suggested to me a Derby guitar. Giving your honest opinion on a guitar and even one you have owned around here is getting to be like talking about religion. Relax guys, it's just one mans opinion and we know what that's like.

I personally think the Emmons P/P's still have the rest beat for tone but you can certainly jump all over it and get the P/P guys started. I'm outta this one.

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 12 Sep 2002 3:21 pm

I seem to be imagining (the late & great) Dick Miller having a tremendous LAUGH over these spitting contests. I have plenty of fuel to slam the push/pull I used to own & can give you PLENTY of reasons why I'll never own another one, but I have better things to do. Goodnight Mrs. Calabash where ever you are.

[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 12 September 2002 at 04:44 PM.]