GFI Expo are they really that bad looking?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 2 Nov 2012 12:43 pm

I'm pretty much a "Form Follows Function" kinda guy,,,, as long as the form is attractive. I don't like the look of GFIs. Got one at a GC 1/2 price clearance sale. Talk about stealing a steel! I didn't like its looks, and it sounded poopish. Barcus-Berry mis-engineered/mis-manufactured pickups. But I thought the engineering design of the guitar was brilliant, specially from an assembler's point of view! Almost like Legos! And it played just fine.

Years ago, my band was doing tryouts at Ponderosa Park. Guy walks in with what I thought was a Tenor Sax case. I thought. "Oh no! I hate "Yakkety Sax!" Out came a Kline Uni, and it was love at first sight! Had my own two weeks later, in time to show to Hughey when we opened for Loretta. He liked it too. Form follows function, but in an attractive way,,, at least to me. Others hate it! So,,, strictly a matter of personal taste.
I also have a herd of Shobuds. I like them too.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 2 Nov 2012 12:49 pm

Brian Henry,
Is that Bud's Polishing Shop in Pegram. Anyone have a contact number? They're the ones who used to do all Shobud's polishing, right?

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 2 Nov 2012 4:02 pm

As for the looks of any pedal steel guitar... what does it matter, the girls are looking at the lead guitar player anyway

I'm glad Mr. Dershaw was here to soften you up a bit because I got bad news, fellows - nobody except it's mother, or another pedal steel guitarist, is ever going to say that a pedal steel guitar looks great! Or sexy, or mysterious, or enticing, or melodious, go make your own list. At least the earlier ones like the Bigsby and early ShoBuds, on up to the ZB's, made some sort of attempt to interject some curves and artsiness and little fins and stuff, but there's only so much you can do to a rectangular box with things poking into it and other things sprouting out of it, to try to make it look like something other than... a rectangular box with things poking into it and other things sprouting out of it.

Every once in a while, a seriously-questionable six-stringer like the Gittler or Tueffel "Niwa" make it into a display case at an art museum, for Pete's sakes:

But if you went into the Museum of Modern Art and set up a pedal steel guitar, they'd think you were the janitor come to clean the drapes or something. I'm also pretty sure that the term "sweet horn" as used to describe a pedal steel should be uttered only in the hearing of other steel guitarists, if a "real horn" player like a saxophonist or trumpeter heard that you'd have to snorter them full of nitrous oxide to bring them back down to Earth orbit.

But before your soul crushes completely into a bottomless black hole of despair, at least you can console yourself with the fact that, just like the then-current Edsel or the AMC Pacer, there really aren't too many professional thieves lurking about scoping you out, trying to make the "big score" off of your beautiful, sexy, mysterious Emmons, GFI, Bigsby, Zum or any other geegaw-encrusted credenza that happens to stroke your orbs.

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 3 Nov 2012 11:41 am

Yes that is him. Doug moss of buds polishing in Pegram. Phone

615-513-9238

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 5 Nov 2012 7:09 am

It's very rare that i post on the forum, but i need to chime in here... Topic: GFI Ugly? Here's my take on the entire thing... i Feed My Family Not with My Ego , But with my talent.. So i need a guitar that is light , easy to fly, Sounds great, and stays in tune without breaking any strings.. There in the nut shell is the GFI... I Myself like the look's... If we all thought of staying in the past with out improvment's, we would still be buying Model-A and ModeL-T cars right ! Not everyone likes a 57 chevy. Some folks like something that is durable, practical, and gets the job done.. I'm about as ugly as they come, so the GFI makes me look good.. I wont be checking for reply's so you-all can beat me up as much as you want too... All i know is.. Gene Fields, builds ONE OF the best guitars on the market, i have feed my family, paid the bills, and so on, WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL, for the Last 10+ years.. My Ego Don't Matter To the dinner table...
GOD Bless you all and enjoy your guitar what ever it may be.. And use it for the right purpose not the wrong one.. GOD don't make junk! so we all look good behind anything we play.!
MS.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 5 Nov 2012 7:16 am

Mike, I wish you would post more. A player of your stature has a lot to offer, and we would all benefit from hearing more from you!

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 5 Nov 2012 9:32 am

Here here Mike!

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 5 Nov 2012 12:56 pm

great reply mike and very entertaining

good to hear what a pro says...

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 5 Nov 2012 7:23 pm

Kudos to Mike.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 5 Nov 2012 8:06 pm

As far as the look of the GFI steels I gotta go with industrial the look isnt bad at all just somewhat different and unlike what most of the others look like but I kind of like the look.Sometimes I refer to the GFI look as somewhat futuristic or modern.

Jim Priebe · Post by **Jim Priebe** » 5 Nov 2012 10:58 pm

I have been watching this post with mild interest for a while and the thought suddenly struck me - how different is a GFI to look at? So I went searching and found these. I stuck to a common brand for reasons better known to er! I dunno! gee Mike, you got it all in there - cool!
First one - apart from a few things not much difference there.

Second one - here's the (notorious now) X1 with something pretty similar

Three, Four and Five - well it's all about personal preference but I still see a common theme

Six - chucked this in for Paddy - Hi Mate - noyce!

Personally I think once you turn them all upside down they are about as pretty as the underside view of a Scotsman's kilt that is unless you are an engineering tragic! Not going any further on that one!

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 9 Dec 2012 7:05 pm

I I forgot to add that for a single pad I use a computer keyboard thin pad - works like a charm and it has memory foam.

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 10 Dec 2012 10:43 am

Jim Priebe, thanks for making a very good visual comparison regarding the GFI and another brand some of us might know. I personally like the look of my candy apple blue keyless GFI, and Ralph Mooney did not seemed to be bothered by the looks of his either. Of course, what did he know?
My candy apple blue, keyless fits in well with the old Iranian carpet as well as with my blue sneakers.

Jeff Porter · Post by **Jeff Porter** » 10 Dec 2012 4:02 pm

I've got one and she's not the prettiest steel in town, but she's nice & light and I sure like it when I have to pack her up & take her home!

Matthew Jackson · Post by **Matthew Jackson** » 21 Feb 2013 9:06 am

this has been a fun thread.
last night I used my new to me rowland 80x and just thought that it looked about right with the gfi expo, they seem to be a match made in Nashville...lol
both are light and easy to move, look good together assuming you like an industrial look and if I had Buddy Cage's ability to play the darn thing I probally would get the girl.
life is good in Memphis

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 21 Feb 2013 9:13 am

They look fine to me! Different than most but what's wrong with that? It's always good to have a choice. I'm pretty sure that no matter what they look like, Gene and company have sold a boat load of them. Congratulations!

Chuck Blake · Post by **Chuck Blake** » 21 Feb 2013 9:17 am

Question for Steve Tacaks.....are your knee lever flags OEM or after market?

Also when folded do they tuck away in nicely under the hood.

As far as looks, I like both of mine and that's all that matter.

It's kinda like a wife, you play the cards your dealt

.

C

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 21 Feb 2013 3:58 pm

Chuck, I do not know if these flags were after market or not. I went to the GFI site and could not find them for sale. What I did find was an interesting page showing photos of custom steels GFI has done for some of our Forum members.

http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/Pages ... Steels.htm

If GFI can do such custom work, I'm sure they also made these flags which are secured with two little screws. The finish on the flags is exactly like the levers themselves. The flags are solidly attached and when the guitar is put into the case all the levers fold up neatly. No obstructions whatsoever.

Evidently several guys who have proven they can play have not been too bothered by the "look" of their GFIs: Ralph, Buddy C, Mike S. Norm H.

Jack Wilson · Post by **Jack Wilson** » 21 Feb 2013 4:39 pm

Knee lever flags are factory made that can be ordered from any GFI dealer. The D-10s have one on a right lever that is standard equipment.

Chuck Blake · Post by **Chuck Blake** » 22 Feb 2013 11:06 am

Thanks Jack for the info.....

Chuck

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 22 Feb 2013 11:23 am

Jeff,

I friend of mine owns a similar aluminum stand up bass.
Now you wanna see something striking - strip the paint and polish it like a PSG end plate. It's quite some work but you should see this thing. A local luthier here polished it up. He spent hours with a large handheld buffer.
It is so reflective you have to watch where you store it and make sure it doesn't focus the suns rays on anything flammable.
She played out on Halloween with it wearing matching aluminum jump suit. What a sight!

Chris Buchanan · Post by **Chris Buchanan** » 25 Feb 2013 12:50 am

To me the GFI has an Art Deco look. That's the best of the past and the future.

Sandro Rocco · Post by **Sandro Rocco** » 25 Feb 2013 2:20 am

GFI's look fine. but what the hell happened to that bass!

Matthew Jackson · Post by **Matthew Jackson** » 27 Apr 2013 1:58 pm

ok it is not made of wood it is made of metal and over the years the paint has been beat ho and off it has been moved from camp to camp at festivils and all that after I got it no telling what it has seen since 1947 I am just glad it has not told. every tale and story it has lived thru. it may be unkind to the eye but it plays great sounds huge and never fails to do the gig. I am sure if it started life looking pretty it would take les than a few months to look beat to stew ainyway. I have never had the heart to paint or polish it it. so things in life are easy to love just as they are

Matthew Jackson · Post by **Matthew Jackson** » 27 Apr 2013 1:58 pm

ok it is not made of wood it is made of metal and over the years the paint has been beat ho and off it has been moved from camp to camp at festivils and all that after I got it no telling what it has seen since 1947 I am just glad it has not told. every tale and story it has lived thru. it may be unkind to the eye but it plays great sounds huge and never fails to do the gig. I am sure if it started life looking pretty it would take les than a few months to look beat to stew ainyway. I have never had the heart to paint or polish it it. so things in life are easy to love just as they are

The Steel Guitar Forum

GFI Expo are they really that bad looking?

Good point Jim

with an industrial look

flags

knee lever flags

my less than pretty bass

my less than pretty bass