Carter or GFI student models?

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 29 Aug 2006 10:34 am

smart , Mark... very smart

------------------
Mullen SD-10 3&5 / nashville 400

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 29 Aug 2006 12:14 pm

Congrats! Now IT begins....buwahahaha.
These contraptions are addictive.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Aug 2006 12:36 pm

congrats , best of luck on your journey..
t

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 3 Sep 2006 4:09 am

Thanks guys!

Now, when I show these replies to my wife, she won't bug me about the money I'd spent!

Jerry Erickson · Post by **Jerry Erickson** » 3 Sep 2006 5:22 am

Mark, It sounds like you bought a guitar that will either hold it's investment value or will probably increase in value with age. And you'll be able to have fun learning to play it too!

Andrew McAusland · Post by **Andrew McAusland** » 3 Sep 2006 7:32 am

I'm in exactly the same situation as you Mark. I definitly wouldn't mind knowing how this works out. I'd say I'm about three months away from making the same leap you took and trying to work a pedal into gigs...

What tuning did you go with? Do you have a choice with the starter models? I'm pretty used to C6 by now; the Mavericks i see seem to be E9 though this thread has kind of steered me away from those for sure....

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 3 Sep 2006 4:38 pm

Andrew;
You'll find that single 10 string (S-10) pedal steel guitars are normally set up for E9 tuning. This is regardless of whether they are student or pro models. The double neck guitars (D-10) are usually E9 on the bottom neck and C6 on the top (forward) neck.

When I play non-pedal, I use C6 tuning and therefore, it is currently what I'm used to as well. However, I'm using the standard E9 tuning on the pedal steel.

For the past couple of weeks I've been researching and studying every piece of literature regarding E9 pedal steel that I can get my hands on. There's a wealth of info here in this forum alone, as well as online to send you in the correct direction. There's also tons of "how to" information available commercially. I've found that the flexibility of E9 pedal steel is no comparison to the confines of non-pedal (especially 6 string).

If you have not purchased a pedal steel as of yet, I strongly urge you to review the above posts for some sound advice from those "in-the-know".

Thanks for the reply. I'll let you know how I progress.[This message was edited by Mark Trzepacz on 04 September 2006 at 07:19 AM.]

Andrew McAusland · Post by **Andrew McAusland** » 4 Sep 2006 6:30 am

Thanks Mark. Yeah I'm just starting to do the research and this forum and this thread specifically were a great help already. You basically posted a topic I would have posted myself yesterday; it was great to stumble on it. Thanks for your help to the nexy "newb."

Terry Bethel · Post by **Terry Bethel** » 4 Sep 2006 9:13 am

I had a GFI in my music room for about 2 months. I changed the pick up out on the E9th neck. The pickup I put in the guitar was the one used in the "STUDENT MODEL". The tone and response was unbelievable. The pedal action was great. Short and easy. I am having trouble with my feet since my back operation last year and I didn't have any trouble playing the "GFI".
Now I didn't have the student model or starter model as some call it, but I know Gene Fields well and he wouldn't put a guitar on the market that didn't play or sound great.
The quality of both the pro models and the beginner models are the same, in my humble opion the GFI would be the one I would go too. If you want 2 more pedals, which I would recommend, ask for them, they wouldn't cost that much more to get a top of the line Steel Guitar.

Again, this is my humble opinion,

Terry Bethel

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 4 Sep 2006 9:35 am

Terry;
The GFI student (or starter) model comes with 3 pedals and only 2 knee levers. So I'm assuming that you'd intended to say 2 more knee levers (instead of 2 more pedals). I was under the impression that due to the economical structure of the student models, extra levers couldn't be added? Yes? No?

Terry Bethel · Post by **Terry Bethel** » 4 Sep 2006 10:33 am

Mark,

I would contact Gene Fields, at the email address on his website, he is the only one that can answer that question.
Yes I did mean two more knee levers.

The guitar I had here was really great.
Terry

Ed Shimkus · Post by **Ed Shimkus** » 5 Sep 2006 9:00 pm

Mark,

I had a CS for two weeks. Then bought a Carter SD-10 with a GL EON PU. I would say get the most guitar you can afford and whose sound you like best at the outset. You'll outgrow the starters quickly and the pro models hold their value well in the event you decide to give it up.

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 14 Sep 2006 10:51 am

Im like you, I dove right into playing gigs the first week I got my first carter starter. Did so for two years and never had any problems. Great guitars for the price.

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 14 Sep 2006 11:22 am

I picked up my new-to-me Sho-Bud LDG S-10 up at Al Brisco's Steel Guitar Canada last Saturday. Great machine! While there I had the chance to have a look around at the various models of PSG's Al has in his showroom. I received quite an education on steel guitars that afternoon from Al and Kevin (Hatton). While the Carter Starter isn't all that bad for the money, there really is no comparison to the more pro models for not only quality, but functionability.

Gotta admit that coming from a C6 lap-steel environment, I was a little intimidated by the E9th tuning. However, that only lasted a couple of days. As I've been "glued" the the guitar ever since I'd brought it home (my wife is happy because it's keeping me out of her hair!), I'm quckly becoming familiar with the E9 tuning.

Al Brisco is a great guy to deal with and extrememly helpful and knowledgeable. Check out his place online at www.steelguitarcanada.com [This message was edited by Mark Trzepacz on 14 September 2006 at 12:24 PM.][This message was edited by Mark Trzepacz on 14 September 2006 at 12:25 PM.]