GFI Expo are they really that bad looking?

[Dennis Detweiler]

Just like a good woman.

[Bob Muller]

*****

[Ian Rae]

Just like a good woman.

I have no experience of "industrial" women, and if I did I wouldn't share it here...

[Dennis Detweiler]

For me, a nice looking piece of birdseye or tiger maple should be a clear natural finish or mildly tinted to a color to show off the grain. Otherwise one solid color of formica. Multi designs are overkill.

[Ian Rae]

Agreed - one thing or the other.

[Ryan Lunenfeld]

Sorry to rehash this thread... but how do you all feel 6 years later when styles have changed?

I've been eying pedal steels, and for the life of me I haven't been able to get over how garrish most look...

Which ones do you think are attractive?

I kind of love the look of the black expo, and the look of the blue one.

This to me looks beautiful :




while something like this is rather atrocious?




I hope I don't get too much hate for this opinion!


Or is there a purtier pedal steel?

I like the "Atrocious" looking ones!

























"GFI Expo are they really that bad looking?"

"Yes"

Ok that green one is purty as hell. What is that one?

[Ken Pippus]

ShoBud LDG. Round front, wide pedals, Gumby headstock. Stunning.

Probably owned by a derelict.

[Bob Muller]

*****

[Tony Glassman]

GFI aren’t what I’d describe as gorgeous, but I think the Expos look way better than the Ultras. The black on grey Expo looks pretty good in a “steampunk” sort of way

[Ryan Lunenfeld]

ShoBud LDG. Round front, wide pedals, Gumby headstock. Stunning.

Probably owned by a derelict.

Thank you, now I want to buy one!!! on the hunt!...well on the hunt for one I can afford haha

[Bobby D. Jones]

I gigged a MSA S10 for several years, Then took a break from gigging so I could recover from West Nile and spend weekends with my family. September of 18 I joined another band. About 3 years ago I wanted a lighter steel and I wanted to try a 12 string Universal.

I had a friend put a price on a black GFI Ultra, S12U I could not pass, I bought it.
When I went back gigging with a band, I thought it may be good to have a spare guitar. Just in case.

I now have a Black GFI ULTRA S12 with a gator nose, (Marie Laveau) And Blue GFI ULTRA S12 KL (Shorty).



1. That silver stripe in the middle of the front apron of the guitar has an engineering purpose, That stripe is Solid Metal and continues through the apron and becomes the Pedal Bar stop screw mount bar and strengthens the front apron.

2. A welded frame guitar, No problem with loose or lost screws.

3. GFI advertises some of their guitars have Sintered Metal Changer Fingers. Sintered Metal is the process Tungsten Carbide cutting inserts are made with (Next to Diamond in hardness) No groves in changer fingers. (Not sure on which models)

Looks is only skin deep, Good Engineering like ugly goes clear to the bone.

[Bob Muller]

*****

[Jack Stoner]

Looks do not define playability or how a guitar sounds.
I've had what some consider the "Cadillac of pedal steels" and I've had others. My "Cadillac" was sold after 38 years and I now have an "industrial" model, that works perfect for me.

[Erv Niehaus]

I'd like to comment on that picture by Bobby.
GFI's look better when the picture is rather "fuzzy".
Erv

[Jack Stoner]

[Lee Baucum]

I like your new guitar, Jack.

I'll bet it sounds great.

[Jack Wilson]

Same for Your Rains Erv

[Erv Niehaus]

Jack,
You mean this one?

[Thornton Lewis]

My first steel was a GFI Expo s10 3x4 with a wood grain front. I didn't think it was pretty, but I had never played a steel before and it was cheap ($1700.) It hooked me. It worked well. It made me want to play. As I moved along I figured out I wanted a uni, so I bought a used black Williams 700. Is it better looking? It's black, so what? The important thing is it's a uni and it works well (thanks to Jon Light.) I sold my Expo to (oddly) Patrick Jackson in Georgia for $1500.
So for $200 I got to spend a couple years with a steel guitar and fall in love. Are they ugly? I think so, but my current guitar ain't beautiful. It's black, no lacquer, no inlay, nothing. 7x5 with a pad. I just want something that does what it's supposed to when it's supposed to so I can learn to play what I hear. GFI Expos are fine for that.
I will add that if I had a vertical on the GFI I would probably have picked it up off the floor every time I played a minor with A+B down. They are on the light side.

[Bruce Blackburn]

I am reminded of a saying that the old timer horse men from Eastern Kentucky used quite often. While everyone had their preference for a buckskin, or a sorrel or a black horse, or other colors, there were those that wouldn’t accept any horse as being a good horse if it wasn’t their personally favorite color.

The saying goes like this, and is applicable to this particular argument; “ there ain’t no bad color for a good horse.” ‘Nuff said!

[Jack Stoner]

I will add that if I had a vertical on the GFI I would probably have picked it up off the floor every time I played a minor with A+B down. They are on the light side.

I had an Expo S-10 with the added LKV knee lever. I never had any stability problems operating the knee levers. Wasn't too much different than my D-10 Franklin. I traded the S-10 Expo for a D-10 Ultra and other than some longer knee lever travel than the Franklin the Ultra knee levers, including the LKV, are not hard to push.

[Johnie King]

I like this color combo