Who's The Builder??

Instruments, mechanical issues, copedents, techniques, etc.

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Ricky Davis
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Who's The Builder??

Post by Ricky Davis »

Ok here's a Double-9 beautiful birdseye old pedal steel; that I'm trying to get more info on; as of who the builder is and where.
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The original fretboards are inlayed under those that are on it; but I guess they were fairly chewed up from the years. Those are wood pedals by the way...pretty cool.
Any info would be great; as long as it's not guesses...ha....as I can guess all I want; but still doesn't fill in the proper history. It was obtained from the west coast(seattle) after being in storage for many many years; so thought to be possibly made out on the west coast somewhere.
Thanks ya'll.
Ricky
Donny Hinson
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Post by Donny Hinson »

The scale looks wrong on the fretboards, like those were made for a longer-scale guitar. Beautiful work, though!

Wooden keyheads ?
Bill Brown
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Post by Bill Brown »

try ben jack out of fayetteville ark he could probuly tell you ben jack music
Billy Wilson
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Post by Billy Wilson »

Ricky. that guitar reminds me of a guitar of Mike Black's the he called a Blankechip. Aparently Morrell told Mike if you can't find a Bigsby, have this guy Blankenchip build you a guitar. Mike, You out there?
Bobbe Seymour
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Post by Bobbe Seymour »

Rex Endecott, Midwest Oklahoma, 60's ?
"Endicott Custom"
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Jerry Roller
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Post by Jerry Roller »

Bobbe, I don't think it is Endecott. His fretboard markers were Indian heads and Indian symbols and his cross rods had a floating bar reminiscent of the ShoBud rack and barrel system. I really don't have a clue as to who built this one. It has some features of a very very old Wright custom.
Just a wild guess. I never before saw wooden pedals though.
Jerry
Jussi Huhtakangas
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Post by Jussi Huhtakangas »

Whoever built it, borrowed features from pretty much every brand, PU covers and the way the endplates curve; definately Bigsby. Pedal mechanism and changer like on the permanent Sho Buds. Pedals like on Fenders, ( except they're wood ) and birdseye pedal rack and clamps like on some early Wrights. Woodneck Bigsbys also had wooden keyheads, including Joaquin's, Bob White's and Tom Morrell's guitars, so that's probably where this guitar had them too.
So Ricky, how does it sound? Image
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Ricky Davis
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Post by Ricky Davis »

Oh Jussi; it sounds just like Morrell's all wood Bigsby(that Mike owns now). Donny; that was the first thing I noticed was that someone put 24 1/2" scale fretboards on a 24" scale...ha....ouch> doesn't exactly chime out> but fret markings are really just a reference to where proper intonation is anyway; you just have to reference pretty dang quick..ha.
My frind Bobby Horton brought this by to me to check out. I haven't a clue what to do with it. He says if I clean it up and make it look good; he may want to keep it, which I doesn't> so anybody want to buy it; for a nice little project steel; and end up having a steel that sounds/looks like a bigsby??
Ricky
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 03 March 2005 at 11:25 PM.]</p></FONT>
Jussi Huhtakangas
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Post by Jussi Huhtakangas »

Ricky, so that's Bobby's guitar!!? Tell him he's going to give it to Jeremy Culpepper ( he will know who that is ) in GreenBay. Or, I may be willing to trade it to a six pack of Blue Ribbons! Image
Ok 'nuff of the inside jokes, but this is one cool mystery guitar, though it does resemble Mike's Blankenship, I don't think it is one. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 04 March 2005 at 01:00 AM.]</p></FONT>
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CrowBear Schmitt
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Post by CrowBear Schmitt »

Lot'sa nice maple Image
Grayson Joe
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Post by Grayson Joe »

That steel looks like one of the steels that Billy Wilson of Monticello,Ms made in the 60,s, those that he made back then had the wooden pedals& key head, Billy moved from Monticello in the late 60,s out west somewhere? and later a few years back passed away, i understand, there are some players around here that still has his single 10,s that he made back then.

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Joe Grayson,Monticello ms
Paul Warnik
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Post by Paul Warnik »

The handrests appear to have been directly copied or pirated from an original early Bigsby-thats the only thing I can recognize
Reggie Duncan
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Post by Reggie Duncan »

Right Joe. Billy Wilson moved to Olathe, Kansas and passed away quite a few years ago. I believe that he knew Jernigan pretty well. I went to St Louis with him in the late 70s. Nice guy!
Grayson Joe
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Post by Grayson Joe »

Thanks Reggie, i could,nt remember where he moved to. yes, Billy and Doug Jernigan were good friends,i met Doug at Bills home in Brookheaven,Ms. back then, i think he were 14 years old then, and could as play as good then as he do now, i think Doug came ever summer to visit his grandmother in Brookheaven,i think at that time Doug lived in Fla.that day over at Billys, he started off playing four wheel drive.

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Joe Grayson,Monticello ms
Mike Black
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Post by Mike Black »

xxzz
Last edited by Mike Black on 12 May 2011 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bobby Lee
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Post by Bobby Lee »

<SMALL>He did build a guitar for Jimmy Allen who ended up in WA, and also built a guitar for Bill Gates, from NM, who ended up in the NW too.</SMALL>
This Bill Gates? I didn't know he played steel. Image
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