D-10 Miller Non-pedal console NEW PHOTOS!

[Herb Steiner]

A few years back, when I was doing a lot of non-pedal western swing gigs, I purchased a mid-60s Miller D-10 with a disassembled undercarriage and destroyed pickups. The cabinet was/is beautiful and so I stripped what was left of the undercarriage, put two E-66s I had in it and used it on the swing gigs.

That gig went away, so I'm parting with the Miller. It's a beautiful old vintage horn that sounds great, even with the humbuckers. Some vintage cat would probably want to put single coils in it, but it's not necessary.

The body is beautiful rosewood and maple with an excess of inlays, common to the era of Sho-Bud knockoffs. I played it in sitting position as a console guitar. It's a 24.5" scale fretboard under a plexiglass cover.

If you're looking for a 10-string C6 and a 10-string E13, here's your guitar.

What comes with it:
original legs
original case, ugly to the max but functional
original pedal rack with three pedals
a menagerie of undercarriage parts from the 60s.

What I have in this guitar is $750 plus another $100 for the pickups, so I'm asking $850 plus shipping (and plus PayPal if you do the payment that way.)

If you have something to trade, let me know what it is.

Also this: the changers are complete single finger pull-release changers. If you want to put an undercarriage in this guitar and create a new pedal rack, it's a good candidate for that job as well.

[Steven Black]

Hello Herb, looks like it was a fingertip system also, I might be interested in restoring it mechanically with updates to new pedal changers, do you have pictures of the case? Steve Black 614-562-2291.

[Damir Besic]

awesome guitars, it would be worth putting it back together with some new parts, it would make a nice tone monster

[Bob Muller]

Very nice Herb, looks like a interesting project for some one.

[Damir Besic]

Very nice Herb, looks like a interesting project for some one.

hmmmm....who would that be I wonder

[Steven Black]

Hey Herb when you get a chance give me a call, interested in this Miller steel guitar, Steve Black at 614-562-2291. e-mail: Black43230@yahoo.com, I don't see a contact number for you.

[Bob Muller]

hmmmm....who would that be I wonder [/quote]

I am cheering for Steven on this one!!

[Damir Besic]

hmmmm....who would that be I wonder

I can only imagine this guitar after you'd get done with it

[Steven Black]

I am not sure yet on this, due to guitar is very heavy, and adding the new undercarriage will make it ungodly heavy, not a guitar you can carry a lot, it would be good as a home guitar, but not to take out, but the wood is beautiful still pondering it.Steve Black.

[Damir Besic]

I am not sure yet on this, due to guitar is very heavy, and adding the new undercarriage will make it ungodly heavy, not a guitar you can carry a lot, it would be good as a home guitar, but not to take out, but the wood is beautiful still pondering it.Steve Black.

I don't think new undercarriage will make a huge difference, specially if you use aluminum parts, this is pull release, and with 8+4 set up shouldn't be any heavier then your every day Sho~Bud ... I would guess around 65lbs ... you can always buy a modern light weight S10 steel, but it will sound nothing like this vintage princess

[Bob Muller]

Steven, I have rebuilt a Miller before, I don't think they are any heavier than any other Pull release guitar of that time. The cabinets are very nice, and they sound good.

[Steven Black]

I am still pondering it, I do like the cabinet and it's finish of the wood, I will let Herb know Monday or Tuesday unless someone buys it before I do.

[Steven Black]

The endplates leg mounts are not standard I don't know if that matters since Herb has the original legs, Herb sent me pictures of top and underneath,I think I still might go for this guitar, it will need a new pedal rack.

[Herb Steiner]

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll post what I discussed with Steve. Unfortunately, at this time the Forum server won't let me post any more photos. Hopefully soon I'll be able to do so.

That said, the undercarriage is completely stripped of all hardware and painted white (original paint), but the changer fingers are all intact. The tuning machines are Grover Sta-tites.

The pedal bar is not aluminum channel but is instead a solid piece of aluminum to which two old pedals and a broken piece of a third one is still attached. It mounts to the legs with long bolts and wing nuts through the smaller tube, Sho~Bud style. It is ungodly heavy.

The legs are also very heavy, and the threaded nipple is 1/2" in diameter, considerably larger than a modern leg would have.

If I were to attempt this job, I would fill the holes in the endplates and re-drill and re-thread for new legs and modern leg angle. That would be the easiest way to remedy the issue. And of course, a new pedal rack with Sho~Bud style pedals would be needed.

[Brett Resnick]

I am interested! Sent PM, let me know if it's still for sale. Thanks,
-Brett

[Herb Steiner]

Okay, it looks like I had more undercarriage parts than I thought I did, after I went through boxes of stuff in the shop.

BTW, Steve... it's a pull-release changer, not a fingertip.

I do have 8 pedal crossbars with various numbers of bellcranks, 4 knee lever assemblies, mounting brackets of various types, springs, spacers, etc.

The threaded nipple on the legs is 5/8" wide. Narrower than a Fender leg and wider than a modern standard leg.

Also more photos of the guitar, case, pedal rack, etc.











So, if this new information should pique anyone's interest any further towards new ownership of this guitar, please contact me.

[Bob Muller]

Not sure if this will help or not, but here are a couple shots of a finished one that I worked on. Looks to be close to the same parts, except the Knee levers, could be Herbs is a bit older.











Seems like Herbs should look about the same if it was assembled.

[K Maul]

I like those knee lever,Bob.

[Steven Black]

put back together right, maybe update pedal rack this guitar is a tone monster just waiting to sing, I can't afford it right now due to very recent job loss, but who ever gets it this would make a great restoration.

[Steven Black]

If I get the new job and start the 28th I would jump on it, this guitar is too beautiful on the wood.

[Steven Black]

I would put Alumitone pickups or double coil for both necks, polish the tail pieces, polish endplates, Herb, Herb, how could you call this baby ugly, the pedal bar can be setup for 8 pedals, just make another case for pedal bar and legs to lightened things a bit, polish the keyheads put new keys on it, fill holes in wood underneath, maybe new fretboards, herb you got a goldmine there, Herb you need to apologise to this old girl and do her a favor.

[Herb Steiner]

Okay... I apologize to her. You're right, Steve. She is a goldmine, how can I have been so... so obtuse!

And the price just went up to $1000.

Just joshin' with ya.

The pedal rack is ungodly heavy, due to being a solid chunk of aluminum. Adding six more pedals would make it even ungodlier.

What I would do is 1) create a new pedal rack; 2) fill leg holes in the endplates and retap with the correct angle and thread, then use modern steel legs; 3) mount Jerry Wallace pickups; 4) finally, reassemble the basic undercarriage using as many of the original parts as needed, and locate or create from aluminum stock any others. I do have some original rods, but not many. It would need more.

Ya know, I might want to do this project myself. Seriously.

[Steven Black]

Herb, the old gal would love ya if you did get into it, I too would update pedal rack, would not be hard to do, I like your choice of pickups also, maybe you might want to keep it around and work on it, show us some pictures of it and a completed picture, plus you can sell it for more, that wood is just too beautiful to waste, you have most parts there, if I were you I would, you are not losing anything on it.

[Steven Black]

Herb, I am working on a single 10 right now almost done, it is an all pull changer with 4 and 5 black endplates, I built the guitar from ground up blond finish with inlay, looks a little like a Mullen Discovery though.

[Herb Steiner]

No, Steve, it's still on the market. $850.00. I've got too many other things to do.