Pedal Steels no longer being made

[Jack Hanson]

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

To me, these are among the most beautiful pedal steel guitars ever made:




It's a 1941 Electraharp from Gibson, Inc. Kalamazoo Michigan. Can you imagine carting one of these babies around?

One of many spectacular instruments in the collection of the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota.

http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/index.html

[Larry Rafferty]

Pedalmaster PSG's are no longer made. Roy Thomas, owner and builder, retired a couple of years ago as he was approaching 90 years of age. Roy made many left handed PSG's in his Maurice, LA shop during his lifetime, and the price was the same as he charged for a right handed guitar.

[J R Rose]

A very good list Per Berner. Job well done. J.R.

[Doug Beaumier]

It's already been mentioned, but here are some cool pictures of a Rickenbacker PSG, probably 1960s.

[Jos Roderkerken]

devis... jan isnt building them anymore

[chris ivey]

Here's a list of active and defunct steel brands that we began compiling on the Scandinavian Steel Guitar Forum a couple of years ago; the list gets updated as soon as anyone has additional info. "Live" brands in bold type:

A, Anapeg, AWH, AVM, American Steel, ABM
B, BMI, Bethel, Baggett, Blanton, BSG, Bennett, Boen, Bigsby, Ben-Rom, Blankenship, Bilter, Bentley
C, Carter, Capri, Cougar, Cherokee, Clark, Colt, CMI, Carvin, CLR, Clinesmith, Capri, Carston Wells, Curnow, Carpsteel
D, Derby, Dekley, Desert Rose, DeVis, Dowd, Denley, Domland
E, Emmons, EMCI, Excel, Ernie Ball, Endicott, ETS, Erickson
F, Fender, Franklin, Fessenden, Fulawka, Framus, Fuzzy, Flynn, Fina II
G, GFI, GES, Genesis, Guyatone, Gibson
H, Howard, Haynes, Hilt, Harlin (Multikord), Heico Linke, Hudson
I, Infinity
J, Jackson, Jagiella, JCH, J&J, Justice, JCM
K, Kline
L, Lamar, Lone Star, Lin-Arc, Lindgren, Lomax, Linkon, LaGarrett, LC, Legend
M, MSA, MCI, Mullen, Marlen, Miller, Mooney, Mustang, Marrs, Market-Rite, Mark 1, Magnum, McVay, Moyo
N, Nashville LTD, Norwood
O, Ormston, Ontrak, Overfelt
P, Promat, Pedalmaster, Performance, Pedesonic, PAC, Pierce, Perina
Q
R, Rains, Rittenberry, Rayline, Robbins, Remington, Rus-Ler, Roberts, Russler, Retro Custom (ZB replica)
S, Sho-Bud, Show Pro, Sierra, Sahara, Simmons, Sheffield, Schild, Star, Springfield, SGW, Seymour Steel, Stage One, SGI, Stringfellow
T, Thomas, Tradewind, Texan, Towers
U
V
W, Williams, Wilcox, WBS, Wright, Walton, Walters, Whitney, Wiesner, White, Westwind Custom, Weenick, Wheeler, Wil-Ro
Z, Zumsteel, ZB, Zitnik

zumsteel's out of it.
infinity not taking orders.
emmons seems to have problems

[Paddy Long]

I haven't heard of anyone getting a new Rains in some time ...are they still in business ???

[Niels Andrews]

If no one has taken delivery of a new guitar, or they are not taking orders they should be on the list as out.

[Marty Forrer]

Here's a list of active and defunct steel brands that we began compiling on the Scandinavian Steel Guitar Forum a couple of years ago; the list gets updated as soon as anyone has additional info. "Live" brands in bold type:

A, Anapeg, AWH, AVM, American Steel, ABM
B, BMI, Bethel, Baggett, Blanton, BSG, Bennett, Boen, Bigsby, Ben-Rom, Blankenship, Bilter, Bentley
C, Carter, Capri, Cougar, Cherokee, Clark, Colt, CMI, Carvin, CLR, Clinesmith, Capri, Carston Wells, Curnow, Carpsteel
D, Derby, Dekley, Desert Rose, DeVis, Dowd, Denley, Domland
E, Emmons, EMCI, Excel, Ernie Ball, Endicott, ETS, Erickson
F, Fender, Franklin, Fessenden, Fulawka, Framus, Fuzzy, Flynn, Fina II
G, GFI, GES, Genesis, Guyatone, Gibson
H, Howard, Haynes, Hilt, Harlin (Multikord), Heico Linke, Hudson
I, Infinity
J, Jackson, Jagiella, JCH, J&J, Justice, JCM
K, Kline
L, Lamar, Lone Star, Lin-Arc, Lindgren, Lomax, Linkon, LaGarrett, LC, Legend
M, MSA, MCI, Mullen, Marlen, Miller, Mooney, Mustang, Marrs, Market-Rite, Mark 1, Magnum, McVay, Moyo
N, Nashville LTD, Norwood
O, Ormston, Ontrak, Overfelt
P, Promat, Pedalmaster, Performance, Pedesonic, PAC, Pierce, Perina
Q
R, Rains, Rittenberry, Rayline, Robbins, Remington, Rus-Ler, Roberts, Russler, Retro Custom (ZB replica)
S, Sho-Bud, Show Pro, Sierra, Sahara, Simmons, Sheffield, Schild, Star, Springfield, SGW, Seymour Steel, Stage One, SGI, Stringfellow
T, Thomas, Tradewind, Texan, Towers
U
V
W, Williams, Wilcox, WBS, Wright, Walton, Walters, Whitney, Wiesner, White, Westwind Custom, Weenick, Wheeler, Wil-Ro
Z, Zumsteel, ZB, Zitnik

I have a Lomax Monarch 10.

[Chris Lucker]

DALAND

[Bob Carlucci]

Pedalmaster PSG's are no longer made. Roy Thomas, owner and builder, retired a couple of years ago as he was approaching 90 years of age. Roy made many left handed PSG's in his Maurice, LA shop during his lifetime, and the price was the same as he charged for a right handed guitar.

I would certainly own and play a Pedalmaster.. They seem like very nice looking well built guitars, and they always sell for the right price when one comes up for sale... bob

[Dustin Rhodes]

I'm interested to know what steels had something special or unique that isn't represented in the market today.

[Fred Layman]

The Rus-ler steel guitar company and stock were sold to Harold Flynn in Knoxville Tennessee in about 1992. Harold manufactured 31 steels during the period ca 1992 to 2003 under the Flynn brand name. Following Harold's death in 2003, I bought the company, manufacturing machinery, stock etc. I soon decided that I didn't want to spend my retirement building pedal steels and sold everything to Chuck Back who moved everything to Tuscon, AZ and began the Desert Rose steel brand, redesigning the steel and has continued to build a fine line of Pedal steels under the Desert Rose brand.

[Dustin Rhodes]

Chuck makes some pretty steels.

[Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)]

What kind of guitar was it that Winnie Winston had on the cover of his book? It just says The Steel on the guitar. Was "The Steel" a brand name?

[chris ivey]

there is an article online somewhere about that steel if you search around. i think winnie built it himself.

[mike nolan]

The Steel was one that Winnie built himself.

http://julianwinston.com/music/me_and_t ... _steel.php

[Paddy Long]

Yep Winnie built that one himself, and he also had a Kline S12 keyless which was his main guitar up until his passing.

[Mike Fried]

So, has anyone determined whether or not Rains is still in business? Their website is no longer up...

[Tom Quinn]

Where are all the steels that have been built??? There has to be a ton under someone's bed...

[Lem Smith]

The Hughey Custom, built by John Hughey many years back. There weren't very many built, but you can hear John playing one on Conway Twitty's song "Next in line".

[Johnny Cox]

MSA is still building the Legend, Zumsteel builds if he wants too.
Emmons is still trying.
Jackson Steel builds custom orders.

[Mike Wilson]

I spoke to a person in the know a couple days ago and he stated that Emmons moved to another location. A smaller building. Emmons guitars is still alive. That is all I know.

[Tony Prior]

I drove by the Emmons Factory in Burlington on East Webb Avenue last week and the building is empty and the Emmons Guitar Co. name is no longer on the building. I don't know if they are out of business or have moved. Billy Knowles or Lynn Stafford could give us an update.

Well the elephant in the room says if the store is gone, the sign is gone, the website is down, the phone is disconnected..etc..

Another location ? uhmm... wouldn't you advertise that you have moved rather than say nothing ? Maybe it's a secret ?

[Charlie McDonald]

This might be a good place to ask if anyone knows how to get in touch with Rains. I'm needing Carpsteel parts and they seem in short supply,
since they're no longer being manufactured.

Anyone?