Pedal Steel BRANDS no longer being made

[Bill Ladd]

Boen

[Jay Jessup]

Bossan

I was wondering if anyone would remember the Harold Spain built Bossan steels, some unique ideas in those guitars. Another Richmond VA area guitar was a direct Emmons copy, I had one as my first D-10, which I believe was made by a man named Wade, maybe RD Wade?, I don't know how many he built or exactly when he was building but I bought a used one from a Richmond music store around 1974. It didn't work great, plus I didn't know squat about push/pull mechanics but Harold Spain got it working well for me. I believe DC area fiddle/violinist Bob Spates still has that guitar stashed in a closet somewhere??

[Ian Rae]

While people are thinking about guitars of yesteryear, does anyone know who might have made this? It's a very solidly built copy of a Sho-Bud permanent and tantalizingly you can see where the badge has fallen off. Early 60s, judging by the fact that when I got it it had just one lever that had been added later (it is now 8x5). I have more pics if it would help.

[Leo Melanson]

What is the list of current steel companies actively making products today?

[Bob Carlucci]

Framus built them in Europe for a while, and I think they were fairly popular there... Junk, and LONG out of production...

[Rich Peterson]

Erickson, built in Clearwater, MN by Elvin Erickson back in the 70s.

[J R Rose]

Cherokee Pedal Steel. Not sure but think Smiley Weaver out of Ada, Ok. did a few of those. Not long back here on the forum there was a post about him and showed a picture of him playing one. Smiley was a heck of a picker and vocalist and played all over Oklahoma for years. I think he is still alive. Native Son and Proud. J.R.

[Cartwright Thompson]

Ernie Ball made a few interesting pedal steels

[Jeff Harbour]

I still haven't contacted him to know for sure... but I think Don Burrows may have stopped building the BSG steels. Anybody know?

[Steven Cummings]

Wouldn't it be nice to see a picture to represent each brand ya'll mentioned here.

[Mark Robinson]

Already listed.

[Jesse Varichak]

You might throw the Little Buddy in there. But that might be an offshoot of a cougar...?

[Bob Carlucci]

Ernie Ball made a few interesting pedal steels

Yes... I have seen a few for sale on ebay over the years, and at one point I believe Rumble Seat Music had one on the floor.. Didn't look player friendly to me...

[Gary Spaeth]

i remember a brand called Pierce. also heard of one made in milwaukee called Singer. probably could mend your ripped shirts after the women tore them off.

[George Duncan Sypert]

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that Jim Flynn in Salado Texas is still producing Lonestar Steels. At least I think that was the name of his product.

There was another brand with a similar name that was made by Mark Giles but I think that was Star Guitars.

Hope all of this is correct.

[J R Rose]

Yes George, I think Jim is still building a few guitars and Mark Giles is still involved in custom finishing and maybe a guitar or two. I know that this thread is about used to be companies but their is a new company in Central Texas that is building a great looking steel. "Texas Pedal Steel Guitar". They have a web site you can google. I looked at them last year at the Texas Show and they are top notch. J.R.

[Chris Templeton]

Scotty sold a super light single neck he called "SGI". I believe Mitsuo Fujii made them. They must have been all of 20 pounds. So light that if you weren't careful a RR or LL knee lever could easily move the whole guitar.
Using bodyweight via the seat to stabilize it might have worked.