Pedal Steel Companies

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 8 Jul 2015 3:28 pm

What's the production numbers on the MCI/EMCI????

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 15 Jul 2015 3:35 pm

Dekley built 3,000 pedal steels in 6 years??????
I only saw one in the last 25 years.
Did I miss something here???

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 15 Jul 2015 6:32 pm

John Fabian always told me there were about 20,000 of the first and second generation MSA's. Those would include the first generation with the MSA logo and the late 70's/80's MSA Micros that were widely distributed by the big distributor in Chicago. Wasn't that distributor named CMI, maybe? I can't remember. It was a long time ago!

jim flynn · Post by **jim flynn** » 16 Jul 2015 3:11 pm

Building: 1985-present
Mixed models 150 +
early models were "Texas Specials",
later, " Lone Star Steel Guitar"

Harold Flynn was the father of the "Flynn" guitar out of Louisville, KY. A really nice guy and a great guitar. God rest his soul.

Thanks for the list, very interesting.
Jim

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 16 Jul 2015 3:46 pm

Bill, I think the distributor was Norlin. They also distributed Gibson if my memory is right, although it's often faulty.

Jimmie Hudson · Post by **Jimmie Hudson** » 16 Jul 2015 4:52 pm

Charles Kurck wrote:Gentlemen:
Thank you for your help. I have updated the chart.
As you can see, production numbers are needed.
Accuracy is a goal, but be aware that an occasional error may exist.
I will update the chart again when enough information becomes available.

Kind Regards,
Charles Kurck

The Hudson Pedal steel guitars started in 2010 and so far 742 have been built. I am the owner so I know this is correct.

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 18 Jul 2015 2:14 am

Tom Mooney, from Tennessee, built about 20 Mooney pedal steels. The one I have is a D-10

Here is what Tom wrote about it and his steels:

"That was the only one I built with the "out" levers, designed as I built them. The changers are my own design, although as you know, there are only so many ways to configure two levers. The changer is most similar to the one that Zane Beck used.
The body is hard maple, in fact fabricated with maple from a bowling alley factory in upstate New York.

I got into building in 1992. I have always wanted to build my own guitar, and after retiring from a career in electronics (40 years), I decided to give it a try. I built maybe a total of 20 and went to a lot of shows and the convention showing them. I finally came to the conclusion that I wouldn't live long enough to get one as good as Bruce Zumsteg or Del Mullen. Also I wanted to travel , so I sold all my metal working machines and upgraded my wood shop."

I disagree with Tom in that I feel his Mooney steel is right up there with Zumsteels and Mullen and I am speaking as a person who enjoys playing both of these brands.

stevet

Marco Schouten · Post by **Marco Schouten** » 18 Jul 2015 4:12 am

DeVis built 50 guitars

Dave Stroud · Post by **Dave Stroud** » 11 Aug 2015 5:18 pm

Are Zumsteels out of production?

LaVern Skarzenski · Post by **LaVern Skarzenski** » 11 Aug 2015 5:37 pm

Slight correction and addition to the BSG built by Don Burrows. He was born in Pennsylvania but now resides in Ashtabula, Ohio. According to his website, he started building them around 1995 and as far as I know is still at it. He and his wife Ruby are great people and so is his guitar.
LaVern

Lem Smith · Post by **Lem Smith** » 28 Jun 2016 8:36 am

There was also the Seymour brand that Bobbe Seymour built. I don't recall the year range and have no idea of how many were built in total.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 28 Jun 2016 10:15 am

Norlin was the new corporate name for CMI but i find it hard to believe MSA Micro built 20,000 steels

Gibson franchised dealer were required to take a couple, my dealer had a S10, D10 & D12.. and never ordered another

I don't know if he ever sold the D10 & D12 unless it was to another dealer.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 28 Jun 2016 1:50 pm

Austin was a rebrand of Dekley sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler.
Carvin made a MultiKord style PSG before the listed date and stopped all PSG sales by 1970.
Elecrodaire is actually Electradair, 1939 to 1949 and maybe beyond that, built by Newton Adair in Fresno California.
Hise MultiChord lasted into the 1950's and Hise retrofitted pedals to other guitars after that, Chicago Illinois.
MultiKords were also marketed under the Kalina brand name.
National ElectraChord was made for one year only in 1948.
Pierce stated out in the late 1960's, Fort Wayne Indiana.
Promat is in Croatia, not Serbia?
Ren-Kizer 1960's Fort Wayne Indiana.
Wabash was a rebrand (probably of Dekley) sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler.
MLA

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 28 Jun 2016 1:57 pm

Clark?Clarke?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 28 Jun 2016 5:29 pm

Novi Sad is in Serbia, about 25 miles from Belgrade.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 28 Jun 2016 9:04 pm

Michael Lee Allen wrote:Austin was a rebrand of Dekley sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler.

Where did you hear that? I was the plant manager of D-E-K-L-E-Y from inception to late 1980 and have never heard such a thing. We were distributed by Ampeg for the first year or so, but were on our own from then on out.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 30 Jun 2016 3:17 pm

Jim...
There were three big music jobber/wholesale outfits in Chicago. David Wexler, Targ & Dinner, and Harris-Teller. Wexler used the "Wabash" name for their in-house branded stuff and they did have a PSG for a year or two. I really can't remember what it was after all these years. The "Austin" was something from either Targ and Dinner or Harris-Teller. Definite that it was a Dekley (sorry about the incorrect spelling above). Three models. The student S10 with 3+1 upgradeable to 3+4, a pro S10 with 3+4, and a D10 with 8+4. I actually owned a student S10 bought used that I sold to someone who tried to get the offered knee lever add-on kits but they had been delisted after about a year. He did get the kits from Harry Guffee's shop on the East Coast and still has the guitar in storage as he can no longer play. It has an Austin logo. I've seen two others identical to it here in the used market many years ago. I still have the big jobber catalog/"counter book" showing these but it's packed up in a storage unit in California 2000 miles away. Years ago there were a few mentions of the brand here on the SGF. I do remember sending scans of the catalog page to a couple of those people.
MLA

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 30 Jun 2016 9:23 pm

If you or anyone has has pictures of this rebrand, I'd really like to see them for posterity, if nothing else.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 30 Jun 2016 9:49 pm

I was a friend of Marvin Hudson, who was Mr. Stadler's first partner in Marlen guitars. Don't know how long they remained together building the brand.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 Jul 2016 4:47 am

I see John Zeidler's name on the list. He was a legendary, world-class, Philadelphia-area luthier, especially of archtop guitars, who passed away very young. I didn't know that he had built a PSG. Does anyone have any more info about this?

Thx.

Danny Crelin · Post by **Danny Crelin** » 1 Jul 2016 5:28 am

Thanks for including my name next to Gary's under the Carpsteel listing.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 1 Jul 2016 7:11 am

Jim,

John built one steel and I bought it. A S-12 ext E9. It was my last steel before I stopped playing for 20+ years. John got some advice from Winnie Winston, who was playing a Kline at that time (c. 1980). . I was spending a lot of time with John those days, and I seem to recall that he built every piece fo that axe except the pickup.

I stopped playing steel around 1983. In 1990 or so I sold it to John's best friend, John McGann who was living in Boston and teaching an Berkeley, as he was when he tragically and suddenly died a few years back. John M had told me the steel had developed a crack behind the changer that made its tuning very unstable. His intent was to give it to John Z's son (Julian??) when he turned 18. Not sure what became of that plan or where the steel is now.

Back when the steel was built (and I think before I bought it from John Z), I wrote a little article on it for the Pedal Steel Newsletter. Pics aren't that great, but gives you some idea.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 Jul 2016 7:14 am

Wow, thanks, Dan! Way more info that I had dared hope for. Appreciate it.

Cheers,
Jim

Paul Redmond · Post by **Paul Redmond** » 11 Jul 2016 5:12 pm

The late Harold Flynn lived in Knoxville TN. At the time of his passing, he also owned the rights/inventory of Rus-Ler and BosSan companies.
Total Whitney output was seven guitars....last one was made in 2009. Present On-Trak output is at 8. Just finishing #7 and am midway thru #8.
PRR

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 11 Jul 2016 7:57 pm

I noticed that your list mentions the Miller Custom company being active in the 1960's, just thought I would add that they actually closed sometime in the 1970's. Not sure how many they made but the one I play is a 1965 model and is fairly early so I am guessing they opened in 1964-1965. Really enjoyed reading your list, lots of great information.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Pedal Steel Companies

Lone Star Steel Guitar

hudson

Tom Mooney pedal steels

Correction on BSG