Bud Carter Info

[Terry Wood]

A couple of questions regarding Steel Guitar Hall of Famer the late Bud Carter 1) When did Bud Carter join the MSA Family? 2) Next what year or time frame, did he start building the EMCI Steel Guitars, and then later when did he start building Carter Steel Guitars?

[Brett Day]

Bud Carter started Carter Steel Guitars in 1992

[Bill Lowe]

dont forget the ETS

[Howard Parker]

Did Bud "start" Carter or was that John Fabian's brainchild?

h

[Bill Cunningham]

My 1973 MSA had Bud’s name on the bottom of it.

[Bill Cunningham]

My 1973 MSA had Bud’s name on the bottom of it. Not sure when he started or how many times he worked there.

I imagine a lot if not all the design ideas were Bud’s at every company he was associated with. I would say the “Carter” business was likely John and Anne’s ideas and business plan with lots of technical leadership from Bud. Just a guess…

[J D Sauser]

Did Bud "start" Carter or was that John Fabian's brainchild?

h

What I was told in Bud's presence was that yes, John approached him with the idea. The first reaction was word for word "I ain't buildin' no more f'ing steel guitars". The term "Pizza" came up in the same discussion as Bud who had been a key figure of the original MSA company and later got renewed fame for his involvement with EMCI was at the time playing an S12 he had put together from parts from several guitars he had worked on or kept parts... Piece of "this", Piece of "that"... "Pizza".

John reeled Bud in by promising that he would have a SHARE of the company and his NAME on it.

John cost engineered the design, using production approaches none of the steel builders had considered because of either low foreseen production numbers or the earlier cost of some dies etc.
Custom dies where made to produce some channel material which allowed faster, cheaper and more consistent production of repeat parts. Most was contracted out. The tubular square cross shaft came in 2 sizes only, and ready with sheet-metal pedal hookup welded to it. Belcranks were virtually just shopped off a extruded channel and required on only "H"-slicing and drill and tap. They ordered them by the 1000's at a time. The changer block was extrusion too and only required 4 machining aspects.
The Carter was the first to have only a CAP "metal neck". It was bent out of an aluminum sheet. They had some initial issues with "orange peel" along the bent edge, which was corrected changing the aluminum type and applying heat, if I remember right.

Bud Carter then came up with what John labeled as BCT (Body Contact Technology) where the fingers or scissors would PushPull-like bottom against the body at maximum pull or lower... which suggested a better tone. All patents resulting were put in Bud's name with right of use by Carter SG.
Zum Steel came up with a similar approach called "The Hybrid"

I don't know exactly how the closure due to John's untimely death was settled.
But for what I know, John Fabian had held up his end of the deal to Bud Carter, whom he loved and admired and always mentioned in highest praise.

... J-D.

I just realize the thread was not so much about Carter and John Fabian as it was intended to be about Bud Carter.

I should want to mention that, while I only met Bud Carter from the Carter times on a couple of times, I can say that he was one of the most un-presumptuous geniuses I ever had the pleasure of meeting.
He never bragged, wasn't in the habit to start sentences with the word "I...".
I did not speak English very well when I first met him in 1997 or 98... and one thing I had difficulties with, was understanding him... he was definitely a "mumbler" and we joked about it.
He was a most sweet, kind and always most helpful and considerate person you could ever have wanted to meet.
John felt that his gentle ways had him being abused many times.

He was a great player, and had his own S12-"universal" tuning with 5 pedals and 5 levers. "E9th" was setup in "Day" because he couldn't rock his foot for a Korea War indjury (he was a Purple Heart Vet). He could get all most will never be able to play out of his "simplified" tuning (I think John once put out a video or written explanation on how Bud's tuning and setup worked). Maurice Anderson said "play up a storm" when talking about "BC's" playing.

And something else, he treated everybody's guitar like it was going to go to a world class endorser.

... J-D.

[Terry Wood]

I never personally knew Bud Carter. What I do know or have learned about him was that he was quite an innovator and as my cousin says was a real "braino" with building and designing Steel Guitars. I had an MSA custom built for me by MSA in 1980. It's finally check out was by Bud Carter. No doubt he had a lot to do with it. Next, I have talked with several Steel Guitarists and Musicians who knew him. All spoke or speak highly of Bud Carter. Thanks guys for sharing your info and thoughts. RIP Bud Carter

[Charles Kurck]

MSA was founded in 1962.
Bud Carter started working there in about 1963 or 1964.

[Junior Knight]

Bud was a great player, person and friend!

[Dick Wood]

JD is correct. I owned 4 Carter guitars and I would stop by and chat with John when I was in the area selling machine tools. John in my opinion had a very high I.Q. and excelled in business marketing as well as the design/fabrication process.

Bud could care less about computers/marketig etc.He just did his thing building them. I stopped by one day and picked up several items that came to over a hundred dollars and Bud said just take them and call John tomorrow and he'll take care of it. I miss them both very much.