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[Tommy Everette]

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[Ken Pippus]

That looks like an early one, pre-“Ultra.” Some pictures of the bottom side would be helpful. Historically, a little less than an Ultra. Maybe $2500 with 8 & 4?

Pretty nice guitars. Good bang for the buck.

[Tommy Everette]

Any opinions?

[scott murray]

GFI makes great guitars, and still going strong.

[Ken Pippus]

What I said originally! I owned the identical guitar, but keyless. Modern cranks and rods will fit and work.

Those don’t look like the original Barcus-Berry pickups, and that’s a big plus. I quite liked that guitar after I changed the pickups.

[baxter vaughan]

Nice looking guitar. I have a 2010 Ultra. I wonder what the difference is?

[Jeff Peterson]

I worked on quite a few of these when Bobbe Seymour asked me to help out at Steel Guitar Nashville...I mostly just made 'em work, but noticed they were touchy as to temperature changes, tended to flex(rods, crossbars, etc.) They also seemed rather lightweight to me-'course that's just an opinion. An aggressive or heavy pedal or knee attack didn't seem optimal for the mechanisms.
All that said, I was test driving one I had just repaired, and some guy walked in and said he was 'blown away' by the tone I was getting. I had also just installed BL710's in it. So, it ain't a truck, but it should get you where you're going.

[Bobby D. Jones]

The body looks like the same body. The welded Frame and Die board top deck.
From the picture, I cannot see if the Knee Levers are same as Ultra Knee Levers, That can be be placed as a Left, Right or Vertical out of the same lever with no reversing hardware. Just how it is assembled.

I do not know if the changer was changed internally any way changing from this guitar to an ULTRA.
Some or all of the ULTRAs has the Sintered Metal Changer Fingers, A string makes No Groves or Burrs in these fingers.

The 2 differences I see from my 2 ULTRAs.

1st. Is the Lower Return springs on the ULTRA are adjustable with a screw. GFI does not list the Screws and springs as parts in their web Site. A piece of angle aluminum could be fitted for the Screws. If GFI or Others offers the Adjustable Screws and Springs for sale.



2nd. The ULTRA has 6 or 7 hole staggered Bell Cranks that allows Raise or Lower notes to arrive at note together. By adding 1 Staggered Bell Crank on each Pedal and Knee Lever change like. Strings 3-6= G# to A, 5-10 B to C#, KL Raise 4-8= E to F, Or KL Lower 4-8= E to D#. Use the original Bell Crank to tune the Smaller string in the pull, Then use a 6 or 7 hole Bell Crank to fine tune the larger string pull. (If needed to Time the Pedal or Knee Lever Pull.)

[Jack Stoner]

Other than the differences Bobby points out I don't see any other.

As far as playability, I had a (used) 2000 year D-10 Ultra and a 1982 D-10 Franklin. I needed to sell one (didn't need two) and the Franklin was sold (not because of price) but because the GFI played (A and B pedals) better for me than the Franklin.

[Jerry Erickson]

The first thing I noticed is that there are no cross shaft supports on the brace in the middle of the guitar.