What to buy after playing Sierra for years?

[David Nugent]

Tony...if you decide on going the Williams route, you may want to check the 'Williams Store' section on his website. He often has newly completed S-10's ready for sale.

[Damir Besic]

Highly recommend the new EXCEL Superb model, keyless, 25 1/2" scale, changer capability is 7 rasises, 5 lowers. The new changer mechanism is head and shoulders above anything on the market today, as is the new Mitsuo Fujii pickup. New design in the keyless head also. Worth a close look. Check out the EXCEL sight on Facebook that John Heinrich manages and hear some music from the EXCELS.

new changer

[Bill Stafford]

And now a new mod to the changer-Mitsuo has added a feature associated with the Change Locking Lever. He has designed a feature that allows the player to raise/lower ANY string desired. There is a bar inserted just behind the end plate that goes all the way across the changer fingers. There are now two more rows of raise/lower tuning holes to selectively allow the player to immediately change the pitch of selected strings and held there when the lever is in the locked position. Very ingenious by Mitsuo Fuji. This change is on my latest Excel.

[Billy Carr]

I joined the EXCEL family of players this year, 2-26-14, to be exact. While I like the simple setups and keyed guitars, The EXCEL is the best guitar I've seen, as far as, mechanics are concerned, nothing on the market is as advanced as the new EXCELS. My particular guitar is a S-10 that is 8" wide, 33" length and top to bottom of cabinet is 5 1/4"( top of keys to bottom of front apron). Bill S. is correct about the Excel pu also. Even the flight cases that come with the guitars are superior. I'm also familiar with the WILLIAMS guitars. I've owned and worked on some of those also. Three things I like about the Williams guitars is, the changer end where the string connects, the finish choices of mica or lacquer at no extra charge and changing the setup is simple, quick and easy. Of course, here in 2014, I can't think of any builders that are not putting out a fine guitar. My three choices of guitars that I'd look at first, if I were purchasing is Excel, Williams, Justice and let me add a fourth, Mullen G2. I mainly have only one thing that will make me not buy a guitar and that is round cross shafts. Some players like them and that's fine. With my EXCEL, I just play and never worry about anything to do with the guitar. No string breakage so far either or tuning issues.

[Bill Stafford]

Billy, glad to see you here. One item of interest is tha the Excel I have been playing well over two years has never broken a string and none have been replaced as I just want to see which string will break first. On my older Excel, two years plus passed before a string broke. And, it was not my .011 ga either. It was my .038 ga B string-the string that is pulled to the D note that replaces the standard ninth string of the E9 tuning. Before it broke, I should hear and "feel" the string "grunting" to arrive at the D position. Also, I have yet to tune any of the changer tuning rods, and that's the truth.lol
Billy, We will have an EXCEL Parking Lot at our Gulfport Steel Show this coming weekend. Any other model found parking there, will be traded or fined heavily or some other serious penalty. Scotty will be there to ticket and make the trades,etc.

[Billy Carr]

I imagine EXCEL owners will be proud this coming weekend at the show. My keyed Excel has 3 & 4. I study other steel players and I was working on some of Lloyd Green's older cuts and then it dawned on me that Lloyd only uses 3 & 4. I'll go ahead and let the cat out of the bag with this next thing. Julian Tharpes 14 string set up is on my future agenda. However, I want it on a keyed guitar then. I've listened and studied Julian's playing closely for a long time. He was years ahead of everybody else in the early 70's except maybe Big E and Buddy was the man and still is. I won't be able to make Saturday but I was planning on playing in Stevies spot on Friday. Basically we switched days. Stevie will be there on Saturday to cover my spot. He was going to call you about the change. So, just let me know and we'll go from there. Stevie is playing a Friday gig and I'll be doing the Brandon gig on Saturday. Thanks.

[Bill Stafford]

Thanks for the heads up.

[Larry Baker]

Maybe its just as well that I can't make it this year, I'd hate to be fined or punished for having a Mullen G2 on the parking lot!!!

[Bill Stafford]

Larry, the Excel parking lot will be properly marked. Looks like we need parking meters. Lol. You will be missed, and your Mullen will be also. Best to you and Jean.