Buddy Charleton's '71 Emmons D-10 (Restored, See New Photos)

[Lynn Stafford]

I've just finished the process of restoring this guitar. I purchased it from my friend, Gary Stutz who bought it from Tom Quinn. Below is information from Tommy Auldridge regarding the provenance of this guitar.

Tom Quinn wrote:
Here is an e-mail from Tommy Auldridge (Mike's brother and a great player himself) concerning the guitar.

"Tom: I guess you didn't get my email concerning the history on your black Emmons. So I'll tell you all about it again. On Wednesday, I got a phone call from Dale Wood. He used to take Dobro lessons from my brother Mike. He tells me that the original owner of that black Emmons was Buddy Charleton.

Buddy did a lot of recording with that steel, and so Mike traded Dale a Dobro for it, because Mike was about to do a recording session, and wanted to use that same steel. Dale bought that steel from another local player named Curry Coster. Curry had been taking lessons from Buddy Charleton, and that's how he came across the chance to buy it from Buddy.

So, Buddy Charleton was the first owner, he sold it to Curry, and Curry sold it to Dale Wood, and Dale traded it to Mike, and Mike gave it to me. I think if I had known all that history, I would not have sold it.

Curry is a friend of mine and he always told me it was the best sounding steel, and that I should keep it. I never got around to changing it over to the Day set-up.

And that's really cool, because now you can brag about the fact that you have the Buddy Charleton steel that made all those Ernest Tubb records from the time that Buddy first got that steel from Ron Lashley. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Tommy"


Here is a link to the entire posting that I got the above quote from:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=311412

I have a couple of questions to ask in order to get some opinions from the Forum Members:

1) The existing original white lined fret boards are in almost perfect condition, so I'm inclined to reuse them rather than replace them with new ones. What should I do?

2) How much value do you think the provenance of Buddy Charleton's ownership adds to the price of a guitar like this?

Here are a few photos I took of the guitar before I disassembled it for deep cleaning and restoration. I sent the brightwork out for repolishing and reflocked the cabinet before reassembling the guitar. I had to plug a bunch of holes in the cabinet due to knee levers and such being installed and then moved around. I put a fairly standard Emmons setup on it with five knee levers.

[Donny Hinson]

More...

https://tinyurl.com/4ufr2byh

[Mike Vallandigham]

Hi Lynn, she's a beauty.

I know the answer to #1 - leave the original boards on it.

For me, the more original-er the better, with pretty much anything.

Hope you're well!

Mike

[Duane Becker]

Was this the Emmons that Charlton used throughout the remaining time with Tubb, or does anyone know if he had another Emmons to use with Tubb.
I'd leave the Emmons in as much original condition as possible.
When I bought Jack Smith's Emmons in 2007, I even saved the little rubber feet that he had on it when I replaced them.
Anyway, Charlton played a fatback? That's interesting too.

[Bruce Zumsteg]

I was a huge Buddy Charleton fan and went to see the Troubadours many times during Buddy's tenure. After he switched from ShoBud to Emmons, I recall seeing him several times with a Rosewood guitar. He had a 'Roadrunner' cartoon sticker on the front. Towards the end of his time with Tubb, he played a Black guitar with aqua blue wood necks, and I saw him several times with that guitar.

[Larry Hamilton]

Original fretboards for sure. Question #2: IMHO, history does sell and gives bragging rights about about the guitar. If anyone has ever had a garage sale or auction as I have, you just cant sell memories. Myself I would probably buy a certain amount of Steelguitar history as I think many players would depending on who owned the guitar, recordings, etc.

[Mitch Ellis]

From what I can see, the steel looks great. Why does it need restoring?

Mitch

[Douglas Schuch]

I'll make a stab at the question of value due to provenance. In fact, I would guess that the fact that your ownership will add more value than Buddy C's ownership - because that tells a buyer that it will play perfectly. And that is the essence of the question - anyone buying this instrument will buy it to play it. It's not a museum piece. The reality is very few people other than pedal steelers know who Buddy Charleston is. I think the name has to be fairly well known in the general population before there is any "value-added" due to provenance.

I do think that, if someone was thinking about buying a clean Emmons P/P, the chance to buy Buddy C's guitar at a fair price might motivate them to pull the trigger - so it could lead to a faster, easier sale. But I'm skeptical it will go for a significant amount more than an identical instrument that only some mediocre player like me has owned!

That's just my opinion - feel free to prove me wrong! Good luck with the sale! And I KNOW it will play great when you finish working on it!

[Jack Stoner]

I wonder about the fretboards. I had a 71 D-10 (1464D) that I bought new. Delivered either April or May 71. It had different fretboards, "chromed" frets. I thought the colored fretboards came a lot later?

I worked at Little Roy Wiggins' Music City music store late 71/72 and don't remember if any new ones had the colored fretboards. The store was the Emmons dealer for Nashville.

[Lynn Stafford]

From what I can see, the steel looks great. Why does it need restoring?

Mitch

Mitch,

I'm spending the majority of my time with the under carriage, which was a mess and very dirty. Other than that, the guitar looks great for its' age with very little play wear overall.

[Lynn Stafford]

Thanks to Mike and Douglas for your kind words.

A friend sent me a PM asking for the serial number, which is 1534 D for any others that are curious.

Jack,

I feel like these are the original fret boards and have no reason to believe that they aren't. I plan to reuse them for originalities sake.

I had another guitar like this from the same era that had white lined ones with all white fret markers, and they were original too.

Bruce,

Thanks for your comments. Like many others, I've always been a Buddy Charleton fan, too! Perhaps Buddy didn't hang on to this guitar very long before passing it on.

[Henry Matthews]

That’s a beautiful guitar LYNN and I know when you’re done with it, will be perfect.
I’ve never been too much on keeping guitars all original and if were me, I’d put the chrome fret boards on it, so much prettier on a black guitar. To me, minor changes to improve doesn’t change value of guitar but that’s just me.

[Pat Moore]

Going down the line of owners, did anyone see a bass decal on the middle front?
I know that buddy's black PP had that on it.
Thx, Pat

[Tom Quinn]

That was a clean, terrific sounding guitar when I had it. But the copendent wasn't for me. I sold it to a pro player up around Lake Tahoe. I cannot understand why you would want to disassemble the guitar. The don't sound the same after they have been taken apart. Like cars that undergo a rotisserie restoration, they never ride the same again. They may look great but they lose their original mojo. For good.

[Al Miller]

Pat, the bass decal guitar is a different guitar for sure ! That guitar is in a closet in Nashville Tenn . I fellow student and long time friend named Joann (Rich)Morree has the “bass” guitar . I vaguely remember Curry speaking of this guitar back in the 90’s Buddy had several Push Pulls through the years if this in fact is a guitar Buddy had when with Tubb it would have most likely been one of the last because he left in 73 . I think curry ghost around here on the forum maybe he will fill us in . If it wasn’t a fat back I would be on it for no other reason than it was Buddy’s !

[Pat Moore]

Hi Al,
Thanks for your reply. I didn't know JoAnn had that guitar. I know her & Mark from way back east here. I did find out that that guitar is an all-pull, so I was off the mark on that question. I hope it made it thru the fire they had!
I do know that the brown LeGrande now belongs to my friend Bobby Edenton, and Buddy played that one for most of the years I played tele beside him.
Thx for the info, & I'm a big fan of yours!
Pat

[Dave Grafe]

Outstanding!

[Gary Hamblin]

Dave Legg has the last Emmons that Buddy had at his home.

[Lynn Stafford]

I just finished up the restoration process. I determined it was necessary, because of how much the under carriage had been altered over the years and how very dirty it had become underneath. Things were a real mess! Once I realized how dirty and gummed up the changers were, I was glad I made the decision to do this tremendous amount of work. The guitar not only looks better as a result, but it sounds and plays much better than before. The tone and sustain has improved dramatically!

















I'll be posting this guitar in the For Sale section soon. Please let me know if you're interested in it. It has a standard Emmons setup with Es on the left knee, C6 neck is also standard. The original single coil pickups are wound to about 15K Ohns. I forgot to add that I decided to reinstall the original fret boards.

[Henry Matthews]

Awesome job Lynn, believe me, I know how much work goes into restoring a guitar and you did an excellent job as always. I’m sure she’s perfect.
I like the adjustable half stop you put on it. I’ve done several that way and works great.

[Brett Hansen]

Earlier this year I bought a 68 cut tail from Lynn, owned by nobody famous I guess. Mine underwent this same process. With me being a novice player I feel guilty owning it.....I don't deserve it. Lynn is a perfectionist and this guitar is amazing. A friend of mine who owns 2 bolt ons stopped over and played it......It's amazing. Lynn has a supernatural ability to make these sounds other wordly. Anybody looking for a push pull.....this is it.

[Mark McCornack]

Lynn, I think I agree with most above on the fingerboard. Stick with the original. As far as value due to provenance, yes, that's pretty cool that it was once Buddy Charleston's guitar. Kind of a nice conversation piece I suppose.
What's really cool though, and with provenance bragging rites of its own is the fact that YOU worked on it! Clearly the pictures show the immaculate work you do and your reputation for push-pull restoration and repair is second to none. From everything I hear on the Forum, the fact that Lynn Stafford restored this Emmons is going to by far out trump whoever the previous owners might have been. These pictures are just gorgeous. I hope it goes to an appreciative, deserving home. Someone who will play it rather than a collector that just "has Buddy Charleston's guitar" in their stable. Someone who appreciates a fine old Emmons restored by Lynn Stafford.

[Ron Funk]

Another beauty Lynn - great work.

Ron

[Kevin Hatton]

When Lynn Stafford did it, it's done. Excellent.

[Ricky Davis]

That is AMAZING work Lynn; Good'on ya brother.
Ricky