Help identify old steel

Smokey Fennell · Post by **Smokey Fennell** » 9 Apr 2021 11:19 am

Can anyone tell me about this steel a friend bought recently. These name on the front says ESTATE. Is it a one off home made or was it production?
Any ideas on what those white buttons were for?
Does anyone have ideas for making it playable again?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 9 Apr 2021 12:12 pm

Looks homemade to me. Looks like paper clips were used to connect the rods (and cables?) to the changer fingers.

Smokey Fennell · Post by **Smokey Fennell** » 9 Apr 2021 12:15 pm

I think somebody replaced original parts with any odd thing lying around. The cable pull looks original to me.I'm not sure about the paper clips. They may have been special order.

Ian Worley · Post by **Ian Worley** » 9 Apr 2021 12:24 pm

looks like it's meant to be a lefty, but set up backwards in the pics. Pedal cranks are on the back apron (but so is the knee lever)

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Apr 2021 1:46 pm

Looks like a Frankensteel to me.

Erv

Smokey Fennell · Post by **Smokey Fennell** » 9 Apr 2021 2:38 pm

It absolutely is a Frankensteel. A friend bought it and wants to make a project of getting it working again.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 9 Apr 2021 5:28 pm

I see one part that you would find on a Roberts the crank near the changer, but that is it. I cannot recall what Roberts fingers looked like. I thing the rod hooks come from the pedal steels made by Office Depot.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 10 Apr 2021 8:21 pm

I remember seeing a Lawn Mower/Small Tractor with a model name of ESTATE. Not sure if it was in the USA or Canada. The name plate looks familiar.

For the 3 white buttons I would guess from the wiring in the photo. The pickup has been tapped for 3 different OHM resistances for the pickup. By pushing each button down in some order would change the tone of the pickup.
If you could hook the amp, jack to a Multi/OHM meter may show resistance changes by pushing the buttons on and off, 1 2 or all 3 at once. Just a guess.

Ron Carter · Post by **Ron Carter** » 10 Apr 2021 9:24 pm

The basics are there ,just needs a few radical modifications and a ton of patience. ok to learn on perhaps. a spare time mission

Patrick Huey · Post by **Patrick Huey** » 11 Apr 2021 4:24 am

Ian Worley wrote:looks like it's meant to be a lefty, but set up backwards in the pics. Pedal cranks are on the back apron (but so is the knee lever)

Ian,
It could possibly be a special pedal setup for someone right handed but had a leg disability of some sort necessitating shifting the pedals off center like that. I remember Jim Lindsey had wanted something similar after he had his stroke