Emmons SD12 red lacquer push-pull. As-is project.

[Eric Philippsen]

This Emmons started out as a D-12. Someone removed the back neck, its changer and linkage, and then placed a pad on it.

Here are its good points:

- It's red lacquer which is in surprisingly good shape. Not perfect, but many might think it's not a candidate for refinishing.
- The bean tuners and its controls are original.
- The endplates are not scratched.
- It has the older, wide pedals and the older Emmons rods with soldered hooks.
- Its serial number is 105D.
- It has the original case which is in good shape.
- The cabinet is sound with no cracks that I can see.
- My best guess, given its features, is that it is from the early 70's. Certainly no later than that. Others might be able to narrow the year down.

Here is the not-so-good:

- The state of its undercarriage is not good.
- Most of the mechanics have been sprayed with some kind of thin, clear lacquer which has yellowed. Parts need to be soaked and then steel-wooled.
- The 4 knee levers, although functional, are not original.
- There are many screw holes in the undercarriage, a number of which are surely from the removed rear neck and its linkage. None of them appear to go through the top, other than those used to mount the rear pad.
- The homemade rear pad is nothing special.
- There are missing rod springs, spacers in the wrong places, and poorly positioned rods. However, the changer is fine and the return springs look good, too.
- It has 4 pedals, three of which are of the older, widest type. I feel reasonably confident those are original to the guitar. The fourth is a wide pedal but of the narrower, later type (not LeGrande).
- It has a George L E-66 12-string pickup.

Obviously, this older Emmons push-pull is a project for someone and is sold as-is. It's not hopeless or chopped or routed. It would certainly make a nice universal or extended E9th guitar. Please ask all the questions you might have.

I'm asking $1700+shipping to the lower 48.

NOTE: I'm having a heck of a time getting pics to upload. I'll keep trying to add some. If you're seriously interested I can email them to you. Thanks.

[Ray DeVoe]

Hi Eric

Just a question. I'm not interested in the guitar as I have too many already but I will ask you this. Are you sure that the "yellow" parts underneath aren't just "smoke" covered. I have seen many where everything underneath was "coated" in a "tobacco brown" film.

Hope this helps.

Ray D

[Richard Tipple]

can you post any Pics of the under side?

[Eric Philippsen]

Ray,

Thanks for the post. To answer your question, no, it isn't a smoke/nicotene film that's on the mechanics or linkage.

Still having trouble uploading pics. I don't profess to be technically savvy about it but perhaps it's the weak connectivity we have here. I was able to get the one pic on, though.

Again, I'd be glad to email additional pics. Attaching photos to emails has never presented the problem that uploading has.

Thanks again.

[Jack Goodson]

eric: i sent you a pm....thanks jack

[Dave Diehl]

I have seen people spray the undercarriage with a spray lacquer before. Why I don't know but when they do, everything in the world sticks to the parts and makes one hell of a sticky ugly mess. It can be easily cleaned by tearing it down and using a lacquer thinner.

[Evan Rose]

Being a steel player, and also a seasoned machinist my only thought on the lacquer would have been a poor attempt to prevent corrosion possibly?? To the best of my knowledge all the undercarriage parts, i.e. cross shafts and bell cranks on the P/P guitars were made of plain Carbon Steel, silver soldered (in the case of the bell cranks), and then nickel plated. As the nickel plating wore off the undercarriage components would gradually begin to corrode/rust. I have a good friend who is a master at Push Pull rebuilds and I have seen cases where he has had to have all the under carriage parts cleaned with acid to remove corrosion, nicotine film (yes, I have seen it that bad before), or any another kind of contamination, such as the lacquer coating mentioned in this situation... and then sent the parts to be re-plated with nickel. Be warned most likely if you were to clean these parts with an acid or acid solution it is likely going to eat the solder joints, which mean the bell cranks are going to come apart into 2 pieces and will have to be re-soldered....I have given some thought to making after market P/P parts out of Stainless to prevent the need for all this process, just haven't pursued it yet.....

[Eric Philippsen]

Thanks Evan for the insight. Perhaps that's why the undercarriage was sprayed with lacquer - to prevent rust and corrosion.

As for soaking parts in acid to remove the film, I have used lacquer thinner and other removers and have never had a problem with solder or weld joints degrading. In a push-pull the only welded joints in the undercarriage are on the pedal cross shafts where each shaft attaches to its pedal rod bracket. So, on this guitar, that would be a total of 4 welded pieces. All the rest of its mechanicals, the bellcranks, knee lever brackets and cross shafts, supports, rods, everything else, is not welded or soldered at all.

I have had many inquiries about the steel. However, there's been only one offer and no takers. I'll keep it posted for a bit more. THanks.

[Eric Philippsen]

TTT and then it goes back in storage.