What's the best steel you own/played?

[scott murray]

But Scott... the JCH is so beautiful. That counts for something.

thanks Tucker. agreed, it could be a museum piece. a real one of a kind

[Larry Bressington]

I don’t generally buy into the brand or tone thing, I have sat at many and I didn’t sound much if any better or worse, but a few years back I deliberately bought an MSA classic SS in blue from a good forumite here. I purposely chose it because of the beauty, when you look down at the fingerboard and see those beautiful chess pieces, with a lacquer neck and body and that amazing ingenious silk screening fretboard, (especially under romantic stage lighting) it makes me go ‘Oh yeah baby’ and that’s my favourite steel of all time.

[Jeff Neal]

I love my LDG with chrome 705s. My LeGrande II from 2013 or 2014 is a tone machine but my new to me(2013) Mullen RP plays so easy and sounds incredible and is becoming my go to guitar.

[Rich Upright]

My MSA. Wish I never sold it.

[Malcolm McMaster]

Best engineered guitars around, and a real pleasure to play.

[Jack Hanson]

Emmons #1714 D

[Wesley Medlen]

BMI SD10 3&5 Wish I had kept it but was heavey.

[Rick Myrland]

I waited a long time for my dream guitar, and it didn’t disappoint...

[Jerry Overstreet]

Jerry Overstreet - Awesome Mullen.

Simple elegance. Black and bright. Hard to beat.

[Larry Baker]

Bought new in 2009. No plans to make a change

[David Ball]

For me, it's this Madison permanent. I've had a bunch of guitars that are far more sophisticated, but this one plays great, sounds great and even though it's primitive, it's got everything I ever wanted in a steel.

Dave

[Jerry Van Hoose]

The best steel I ever played, tone wise, was my first all pull guitar, a new Sho~Bud “The Professional”, rack & barrel that I purchased almost 50 yrs. ago. A couple of months later, I returned it to Shot, upstairs on Broadway where he added 2 more knee levers. This was sometime before Duane introduced the pac-a-seat at Sho~Bud. I sat on practically anything that I could find that would work for me. I played this guitar during a gig with Melba Montgomery along with George Owen (Del Reeves guitar player), one of the former Stoney Mountain Cloggers on drums and a bass player with a clear acrylic bass guitar body. Sorry, it’s been so long, I can’t recall their names. I sold that guitar in 1976 and purchased an LDG model. The last time I ever saw my old Professional, Big Jim Webb was playing it. This old guitar along with a Sho~Bud volume pedal, Belden cables and a 66 Fender Twin Reverb gave me the sound I was searching for.

[Tony Prior]

Just a thought, it may be worth asking and saying HOW MANY STEELS we have owned and played !

For me personally, I've run the table, multiple brands, S10's, D10's even an MSA S12...too many to recall, probably over 25 or 30 .

Carters, Sho Buds, MSA's,multiple and various brands in between. Each had PLUSES and MINUSES , be it mechanics , tone, SIZE, weight etc...

Some had better tone, some had better mechanics , some were lighter, some were harder to work on , some had unreliable parts, some were clunky, some were REALLY clunky, some were smooth operators, some were just not worthy.

All I can report is that after multiple decades , buying,selling, playing,restoring,etc, I ended up with TWO Emmons guitars, a Legrande II and a P Pull. I recently sold the P Pull, so all I own now is one
(1) Black Legrande II, 8+6. The only negative about this guitar, MY OPINION, is the E Clips that hold the rods, which is a very minor thing.

So the 1995 L-II is my favorite, its the one I kept after all the years and the only one I own !

We don't need a photo, I think by now we all know what they look like !

[Scott Denniston]

I'd have to say this Duane Marrs refurbed Sho-Bud Professional. (work done by Jeff Surrat, Finish redone by A J Nelson).


But then this custom Dekley is catching up with it. I just need to get used to more strings, pedals & levers.


I don't think I could let either of them go.

[Erv Niehaus]

Tony,
I agree with you.
I've sat behind a lot of different steel guitars but lately I went back to my LeGrande II.
When I sat down to it, it just felt right, know what I mean?
Erv

[Steve Spitz]

I’ve owned way too many, and parted with some that were good to excellent.

#1 is my Infinity. My Zum Hybrid is a close second. I have a Fulawka that’s really special as well.

[Olaf Wiese]

The most beautiful was my Sho-Bud LDG, sold with a heavy heart. But my # 1 and workhorse is my pp, # 1571 fatback, great...
Just like Erv said: When I sat down to it, it just felt right...