The I Love My '66 Emmons Club!

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 22 Apr 2004 6:18 pm

I just love my '66 Emmons P/P's. I've got 2, both are bolt-on's. One is a D-10 and the other a S-10. I realize some folks don't like em but I sure do, they're SWEET!

Those of you fortunate to have a '66 Emmons speak up and brag a little. You own a piece of Emmons history, and it's keepsake. . .So BE PROUD!
Maybe we oughta start a '66 Emmons Club.
I've even got a starting membership list of some players who have one in their collection.

Me. . .Nick Reed, Brad Sarno, Jerry Roller, Jay Ganz, Frank Parish, John Steel, Ray Uhl, Mike Bagwell, Howard Whittington,Kenny Forbess, Charlie Wallace, Danny Bentley, Lawrence Lupkin. . . Is there anyone else, be sure and let me. [This message was edited by Nick Reed on 30 April 2004 at 11:32 PM.]

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 22 Apr 2004 9:01 pm

Oh yeah!
Jerry

Charlie Wallace · Post by **Charlie Wallace** » 23 Apr 2004 7:57 am

I have a 66 black single neck bolt on, number 1029. It's the fourth steel that I have owned since 1972 (my second Emmons) and it's by far the best. Besides fabulous tone, endless sustain, great pedal/lever action, minimal cabinet drop, it always stays right in tune. (Of course barring extreme temperature shifts!) One of the aspects I really like about the guitar is how dependable the half stop is on the E flat - D - C sharp knee lever. Since I've owned the guitar, that change has become an important part of my playing. Other guitars I've owned such as a late 70's S12 Emmons and a S12 MCI did not have dependable half stops and I tended to avoid using that change.

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 23 Apr 2004 10:29 am

I'm not sure if I'm qualified. As per my "Date My Emmons" post, I'm trying to figure out if mine is a '66 or '67. Any info would certainly help.

Bud Harger · Post by **Bud Harger** » 23 Apr 2004 6:04 pm

For what this is worth...

I owned PP #1269. It was a D-10 Bolt-on. There is no doubt about that fact.

By all of the now available "dating" information it says it would be a "1968" model. I talked to Fred Trogdon at Emmons in 1973 when I bought it from the original owner. Fred told me that it was shipped to a NY music store in November of 1967. I always described it as a "1967" PP.

bUd

[This message was edited by Bud Harger on 23 April 2004 at 07:05 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 23 Apr 2004 7:48 pm

Nick-My good friend Jimmy Yates has the real deal, bought it new and has been playing it for the last 35 years with Stonewall Jackson, Jean Shepard, Little Jimmy Dickens, 52 appearances on the Grand Old Opry. He plays both necks just great, and lives in Hendersonville, right in your area. He also has a Steel rider Midi hooked up to BOTH mecks. A short few years ago, he and his wife , Kathy played as a duo every winter in Florida during the season and made a lot of money . He has quit playing now due to Illness.I think he had about 8 knee levers on it.An Original one owner.
His Emmons must be worth a fortune, Say $10,000. with the midi.

Why don't you call him and get him in your club. he lives right where
Jimmy Dickens, Weldon, John Hughey, a lot of good pickers there.......al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 23 April 2004 at 08:52 PM.]

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 23 Apr 2004 10:43 pm

Hey Al,
Yeah I know Jimmy, We see him all the time at the NTSGA meetings. It's really been rough on him since he had his stroke.
BTW Al, you're my all-time favorite Steel Player. Lets get you a '66 Emmons P/P like the rest of us Steeldogs

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 24 Apr 2004 4:00 am

I know little about the '66 bolt-on. Mine was a '69 cut-tail. I have a question for you fellahs. Do you attribute the sound to the fact that the neck is brought into the equation?

carl

Mike Bagwell · Post by **Mike Bagwell** » 24 Apr 2004 6:24 am

Carl,

I think the neck has something to do with it. I about fell over one day when I measured the pickups, they are wound by the factory to 14K, but the guitar doesn't sound thin at all. Its loud,punchy and very agressive with tons of overtones. Once your ear gets used to this sound its hard to play anything else, other guitars seem a bit subdued.
I'm sure the reason the design didn't last very long is because of the inability to deal with moderate temprature changes. I saw my 66 go 10 cents sharp in a matter of minutes on a outdoor gig, because the sun moved from behind a nearby tent.

Mike

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 24 Apr 2004 12:41 pm

Hey Mike, Glad to see ya chime in here. I love hearing you play your '66 Emmons

Jerry Tillman · Post by **Jerry Tillman** » 24 Apr 2004 3:34 pm

I have a bolt on PP.It is white leather formica.It has exceptional sound.I have other steels none sound even close to the bolton Emmons.I also have tuning problems but I do not care,it goes with the territory.If I get to close to it my body heat gets it out of tune.Buying a bolt on PP will soon be like trying to buy an old blond neck Telecaster,very difficult as they aren,t building any new ones. lakeshrk

Ivan Posa · Post by **Ivan Posa** » 24 Apr 2004 3:46 pm

I have a black D-10 bolt-on # 2876 with 17.5 K Truetones. Great sounding guitar, cuts through in live band mix without having to crank the volume too much. The only thing it does not like is direct hot sun, but then all makes of Steels go out of tune in the hot sun. Apart from that it stays in tune as well as any steel....IP

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Auset Sarno · Post by **Auset Sarno** » 26 Apr 2004 7:19 am

Actually, I now have the honor of playing Brad's 66 Emmons every single day. A magical guitar, to say the least. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
Here's some pics...
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/66photos.html

Auset[This message was edited by Auset Parks on 26 April 2004 at 08:21 AM.]

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 26 Apr 2004 7:51 am

Did they make lacquer D-10's in '66? I'd Love to see pix. Buck

Tom Callahan · Post by **Tom Callahan** » 26 Apr 2004 12:34 pm

I have been told that my little S-10 is a 65 or 66. It is a bolt on with serial number 473 s. Kinda like the little dude.
It currently has three floor and four knee. Think that is all I will ever need.

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T.C.
Emmons S-10
G.F.I. S-10

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 28 Apr 2004 3:54 am

Nick, does my rosewood PP #1089D qualify for the club?

Mike, my PP also had 14K's, SWEET sound. I traded them out for 16k TT and love the sound even better.

Larry Behm

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 29 Apr 2004 3:56 am

Just got an email from Chis Lucker and he was told his guitar 1090D was built in Chistmas 1966. Info came from original owner. So we both qualify.

Larry Behm

Ulf Sterling · Post by **Ulf Sterling** » 29 Apr 2004 7:39 am

Here in Sweden lives D 1080, and have done so for many years. It´s a cuttail, and it makes me a little confused.
Who is the originally owner, and maybe he can tell me with year it was made?

Ulf

Ulf Sterling · Post by **Ulf Sterling** » 29 Apr 2004 7:41 am

Here in Sweden lives D 1080, and have done so for many years. It´s a cuttail, and it makes me a little confused.
Who is the originally owner, and maybe he can tell me with year it was made?

Ulf

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 29 Apr 2004 9:51 am

Sorry about the confusion. 1090 D is a late 1967 D-10 Bolton with black mica.

Paul Warnik · Post by **Paul Warnik** » 29 Apr 2004 10:48 am

Hi Mike and Chris

Yeah my black '66 D-10

Serial 1019D

was gonna take it to the grave with me

THEN I GOT THE '65 WRAPAROUND!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 29 Apr 2004 12:05 pm

Even though most of the meetings I attend are with the Emmons Lodge #1964-65

, I just fell into a 1966 S-10, #2859A. A great sounding horn, and it plays exceptionally smooth.

The guitar was gone over by Bobby Bowman, and I must say he did a great job on this guitar. There was a bunch of non-Emmons stuff on it, and he replaced them with the correct parts. He then disassembled the entire instrument and lubed every moving part. Then reassembled the horn.

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it, I guess.

Bobby is in a category of Emmons mechanic, like Mike Cass or Bryan Adams, that knows how to get the most out of these guitars.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 29 Apr 2004 12:13 pm

I didn't know that Emmons made a club in '66?

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 29 Apr 2004 12:23 pm

Herbster,
Thanks for the kind words and good plug. My wife, Toni, needs all the work I can get.

!!!!
When I first got my hands on that guitar, even with the old strings on it, and strumed across all the strings as well as a couple of different grips, I heard that particular "acoustical growl" and viberation that very few guitars have and immediately knew that it was gonna' be a really good guitar.
It took a little "doing" to get it to play smooth and easy, but I feel that it came out pretty darn good.
Thanks again my Brother,
BB

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If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 30 Apr 2004 10:23 pm

Boy, theres more of these '66 bolt-on's than I thought.