Can anybody tell me about Clark Steel Guitars?

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 8 Aug 2004 1:30 pm

Can anyone on here tell me anything about a JS Clark Steel guitar or its builder?

They were made in or around Tulsa, OK a few years ago.

Thanks!

Woody

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 8 Aug 2004 1:31 pm

I think Sonny Curtis plays one, and maybe used to be a dealer???

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 8 Aug 2004 2:48 pm

Sonny Curtis now plays a Legrande III, but I believe in the photo in Scotty's "Anthology of Pedal Steel Guitar" book, he is sitting behind a Clark.

Larry King · Post by **Larry King** » 8 Aug 2004 2:59 pm

Sonny Curtis made a presentation of his Clark...back to Mr Clark at the Tulsa Convention in 2003 (I think)...my hero John Buffington can tell you all you want to know about these guitars and the builder...you can find him on recent posts concerning Don Compston. While I have your attention, please pray for Don's complete healing of any and all cancer cells.

Sonny Curtis · Post by **Sonny Curtis** » 8 Aug 2004 3:43 pm

First let me say that I still have my Clark. I retired it in Tulsa last year, but I did not give it back to Jim. He was there both last year and this year.....A great friend.

Jim built the Clark guitar in the early 70's. He built mine in 1972 and we went into a partnership to build and distribute them. The guitar was built by hand, no assembly production therefore it was a slow process. The demand was so great for the guitar that Jim could not keep up the pace so around 1985 He decided that he could no longer build them. It was and still is a great guitar. I used mine for over 30 years. In my 17 years of travel with George Jones and Tammy Wynette, it has been all over the world (you see why I wouldn't part with it). I now play an Emmons LaGrande III. It's a great guitar with more levers and changes, but I miss my Clark. Thanks so much for asking about the Clark Guitars. Jim Clark was a great guitar builder.....a great human being and a wonderful friend.

Sonny

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 8 Aug 2004 5:27 pm

Thanks Sonny and guys! I appreciate it.

Sonny, can you tell me about others who might of played these steels?

By the way Sonny, I really want one of your CDs. Tell me I'll order one. I have admired your pickin' for years. I am interested in a particular pedal change you employed and or used on some of Tammy's stuff. If you'd e-mail me, please. Thanks!

A friend of mine who is a fiddler is venturing into steels and he's located a used Clark still in real good shape and considering it, and that's why I am inquiring about them.

Thanks guys!

El Woodrow

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 8 Aug 2004 6:42 pm

Terry,I also played a Clark for a good while in the early 70's to about 1977,they are fine guitar's and Jim Clark is one swell man.
Thats one guitar I would love to have back!!!

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Fred Justice
Events Dir.
SWSGA www.swsteelguitar.com

Daryl Stogner · Post by **Daryl Stogner** » 8 Aug 2004 8:20 pm

Fred, that's why I hung onto every guitar I ever bought. Cheap one's and not so cheap one's. They're part of the family.

Just bought that ShoBud after starting out on the Carter Starter, now I'm rethinking selling it, it has served me well to get started on. The kids are gonna love getting all this crap someday!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Daryl Stogner on 08 August 2004 at 09:23 PM.]</p></FONT>

john buffington · Post by **john buffington** » 9 Aug 2004 4:41 am

Jim Clark as Sonny stated is still alive and well here in Owasso, Ok (about 10 miles north of Tulsa). I bought the first Clark D-10 Jim ever built and it is still in my family, my cousin's husband owns it and still plays it. Jim built me 3 guitars. Jim and I flew to Columbus to introduce the guitars to Sonny, I still have photos of that trip. The guitars were hand made and Jim built one for the late Gene O'Neal and also for JD Walters who at one time played for Freddie Hart, and Bobby (Choctaw)Akins who at one time played with Gene Watson. On rare occassions a Clark will resurface here in the Tulsa area. They were built like a tank, and more lacquer bodies were built than mica for the most part. These were totally hand made in Jim's home and the wood work was second to none each one was a work of art. Jim wound his own pickups and did most of the metal polishing himself. They were about the size of a ZB and had a great tone and played very smooth. All in all they were great guitars, they had the same technology as the ZB's at that time.
John Buffington

Cliff Waterman · Post by **Cliff Waterman** » 9 Aug 2004 8:25 am

Hey Terry,
You may or may not recall, my dear friend Myron Smith played a Clark for a while. When Myron, myself, Stanley Stidham, were working together in the mid-seventies around the lake area and in Kansas City. It was a nice guitar, the first one either of us had seen with a 5th, (push up) knee lever. This was way cool! I still have a picture of me sitting behind that guitar with Bobby Caldwell at a jam session in Camdenton, about 1976. Big hair days, (even for Bobby) ha!

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 9 Aug 2004 9:38 am

I still have one , S-10, and I use it when I don't want to carry my D-11 ZB around. It plays as well as the ZB, not hardly the sound of the ZB though. Not long ago Jim gave me some extra parts for the Clark.
If I found one for sale, I'd probably buy it, whether I needed it or not.

Myron Smith · Post by **Myron Smith** » 9 Aug 2004 6:07 pm

Hey guys, I almost forgot I played a Clark in the70's which I got from my good friend Sonny.I think Jerry Taylor had one too.(Sonny hope your doing well.) Cliff, you are amazing that you remember all those times. You truly are a great friend. I moved to Mo. in the early 70's and met Bruce Zumsted and have been picking Zums ever since.
Still pickin & grinnin, & mostly grinnin.
Myron Smith

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 9 Aug 2004 10:39 pm

Thanks guys!

It's great to see your names here, and your appreciated comments in regards to this steel!

Hey Myron I never got o meet you, but I heard alot of good things about your great pickin'!

I have an L.P. by Dale Sledd formly of The Osborne Brothers, that has your great steel pickin' on. I like your plyain' a bunch!

Hey Cliff, I remember those days too! I tried to get one, but I had to have mine Frood! I really did it, they said I looked like Freddy Fender, but I hoped to meet Freddies Sweet Niece! Just a joke!

Later

Woody

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 10 Aug 2004 4:56 am

Myron, Now that I know where you are, I will stay out of North Carolina. It's hard to compete with a musician of your caliber.
I sent you email so you know where I am these days. You may want to throw a rock as you go by. yukyukyuk....... JD

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 10 Aug 2004 4:56 am

Troy Klontz of Brooks & Dunn, played a Clark for a long time also. Troys dad, Leonard, built some of the bodies for Jim. Jim Clark, Leonard Klontz, and my Dad all worked at American Airlines maintenance base in Tulsa.

I played Clarks for about 20 years. My first one was like a permanent style Sho Bud, push to lower, pull to raise. After I learned a little, this was too limiting, so I sold it and bought an all pull. This had a changer similar to a ZB. It was great playing and sounding guitar but it weighed a ton. I sold it in '92 and bought a Williams keyless that weighed about half as much. BTW, someone had my old Clark for sale in Jim Florences swap meet room at the Tulsa show this year. These old steels never die.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Tommy Minniear · Post by **Tommy Minniear** » 10 Aug 2004 5:22 am

The only Clark pedal steel that I had a chance to play was an S-10. If memory serves correctly it was the first steel that I'd ever encountered with a vertical knee lever. Fred Justice should remember this steel, so maybe he can confirm whether it had a vertical knee lever or not. It played and sounded great. It was also a cosmeticaly good looking steel. Bobbe Seymour had a D-10 in his store on consignment quite awhile. back.

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Tommy Minniear
www.ntsga.com

Virgil Pittman · Post by **Virgil Pittman** » 10 Aug 2004 6:19 am

The second steel that I owned was a single neck Clark.It was bought at Roy and Candy's music in Tulsa Ok. sometime in the 1970's.It was a well made guitar and would stay in tune a lot better than the first steel that I bought.I lost it in a night club fire in southwest missouri around 1980.I still play out every weekend and my Zum comes home with me.I sleep better that way.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 10 Aug 2004 8:18 am

By the way hey Cliff where you at now?

Woody

Cliff Waterman · Post by **Cliff Waterman** » 10 Aug 2004 8:31 am

Actually Myron, I remember a lot of things about us that I know we can't post here, since we try to keep the forum somewhat G rated. Actually you and that Clark guitar prompted me into really getting interested in trying to learn the pedal steel. As you may or may not recall, you, myself, and Stanley, (great guitar player, and no slouch on steel), were working at Gold Nugget Junction, (that was a great job complete with can-can dancers, anyway you and Stanley drove to St. Louis to pick up your new Clark at the Bus station, (I guess the bus didn't come to Hooterville in those days), and when you got home with it we had one of those famous 3 day jam's, (I'm still hungover) LOL, it was at that point that you were so enamered with that new guitar that you had lost all interest in you old Sho-Bud and I ask you if I could borrow it and take it home and to my suprise, you agreed. You showed me how to set it up and tear it down and so I will always be grateful for your encouragement and letting me "steel" all of your licks. By the way I met your friend Sonny this past year at Indianapolis. He is a very nice guy and we discussed our mutual friendship with you. Take care, stay in touch and tell Jan, Marilyn and I say hello. Chow!

Cliff Waterman · Post by **Cliff Waterman** » 10 Aug 2004 8:39 am

Hi Terry, I am in Lee's Summit now. Actually I live in Lone Jack, Missouri about 10 minutes east of Lee's Summit. I am pastoring an AG church in Lee's Summit. Are you still around Conway? What are you doing these days? I haven't seen you I guess since we both auditioned for Cal Smith. I hope you're doing well. I was in conway a couple years ago, there is a guy there that does CD duplication. He is in an old converted dairy barn, anyway he printed and pressed my CD's. See ya

Earnie Sumerall · Post by **Earnie Sumerall** » 10 Aug 2004 12:46 pm

I owned the D10 Clark that was originally made for the late Gene O'Neal. I acquired the guitar in 1972 and played it until I sold it in 2002. I never once had and problems with it and it was a great sounding guitar. I wish I had it back today.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 10 Aug 2004 5:13 pm

Hi Cliff,

Good to hear from you! I attend the AG church in Conway now. I know the guy who duplicates your CDS. I went to school with him from first grade on, we are real good friends. I live just up the hill from him now, on top of P-Burg Hill. Small world isn't it!

GOD bless you!

Terry J. Wood
Mark 10:27

Myron Smith · Post by **Myron Smith** » 10 Aug 2004 6:03 pm

WOW!!!! this Clark discussion has brought together some old friends. I fill honored with all the great compliments. Sure has brought back some great memories. I have gotten some really cool emails thanks to you Terry for bring out the Clark discussion. Some of the guys would like an up date on me, so here we go. I left Mo. in 1986 & moved to Myrtle Beach, SC with Calvin Gilmore & The Carolina Opry to be his Musical Director,- steel man- comedy-what ever. I kind of got away from playing alot of steel to get more in the business roll of music. Bad choice, but it was an experince. I then moved to Maggie Valley,NC to produce a dinner theater. ( Still haven't learned the lesson yet.) I now am Blessed with the best gig I have ever had. I work with probably the only Corporate Band in the US. It is Norfolk Southern RR. We do about 200 dates a Yr. all over the US. It is a great bunch of players & great guys too!!! We have been working lately on a new CD & when it is finished I will let you all Know.I am back to only playing steel again & am loving it move than ever.( More settled now too) Thanks for asking about me, & isn't the fornm the coolest thing to bring all of us back together again!!!! I better ring off before I get to deep. Hope this hasn't bored anyone.
God Bless you,Myron

Jon Moody · Post by **Jon Moody** » 10 Aug 2004 6:21 pm

I have a clark now. I started playing a frends steel about a year or two ago to learn on but wanted one of my own and then I found this "clark custom" as it is called in a pawn shop in tulsa and I bought it, it was in pretty bad shape but I couldn't afford a new pro level steel or even a good used one so I figured given some time it could fixed. It still has some issues but it can be played, it is kinda a work in progress. but that being said, its sound is awsome. It is a single 10 with a pad and is a 3x2 pedal/lever configuration. It is a laquar finish (red) with some pretty cool south western looking pin stripes. If any one knows anyting about this guitar I would love to know its history, though I would guess it was one of the later models due to some of the styling of the finish.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 11 Aug 2004 5:47 pm

Hi Myron,

I wished I would have caught you when you were here in MO! And I have indeed heard alot of good tings about you over the years!

Glad to hear you are with a selective group! Maybe we will cross paths sometime. I had missed Cliff for a number of years too. I was glad to see him on here also.

GOD bless you all!

Woody