Name on Steel.. Cool or Corn??

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 15 Jul 2005 1:50 pm

I think I'll just change my initials to 'ZB.'

Daryl Stogner · Post by **Daryl Stogner** » 15 Jul 2005 5:28 pm

I had Gary Preston make me a blue cover for my ShoBud ProI, white piping, and the ShoBud logo on the left front and my name on the right front... on top it says..."Please Do Not Touch". Excellent work as usual.

But I have a little sign for the guitar that says "Smiley Roberts". Then people just listen and say, "oh no wonder"!

heehehee

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 17 Jul 2005 4:32 pm

I believe that the reasons why putting the artist's name on the apron has gone out of fashion may include that in the ol' days the steel guitar was a major attraction on the bandstands... it was new/modern, it was dangerously electric and would do all sorts off terrible noises and effects like bar crashes, extreme shivers and a good portion of wrong notes that for some reason everybody just had to love.
Additionally, the BAND had a much bigger importance than now. Great bands had great solists and out of the Big Band era it was not uncommon to have name signs next to each artist (on a note stand or booth).
Big Bands are gone, steel guitar is a thing only we steelers look at mostly just try to recognize the artist or the brand of git-tar or amp, the setup or the gadgets that may be involved.... but to the music, hardly anybody listens anymore... so why bother with a name?

Speedy West once told me about a dance he was playing at. His rig was set up on the dance floor, probably for the lack of space on the stage and people were dancing up close to him. As he took his solo he just overheard a young woman screaming to her dancin' partner that they'd better move away from this "thang" cause she feared it'd blow up

... J-D.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 17 Jul 2005 5:40 pm

I would never want my name on a guitar, but I had guitar picks with my name on them for a while, gave 1/2 of them to my son(same name).JP

Dave Ristrim · Post by **Dave Ristrim** » 17 Jul 2005 6:08 pm

Is it corny to have someone else's name on the front of your guitar? I have finished setting up an early 70's Emmons Push Pull D12 that used to belong to Johnny Fields. His name is on the front of the guitar, and I have not decided yet whether to take it off or leave it on. Buddy Emmons had etched his name on the end plate too, that's kinda cool.
Dave

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 18 Jul 2005 4:17 am

For sure, if I found a steel with a piece of history on the front, I'd leave it. It wouldn't make me sound like Johnny Fields, but nothing could do that, and a little history is great.

Todd Pertll · Post by **Todd Pertll** » 18 Jul 2005 4:36 am

I thought about buying one of those electronic scrolling message boards to hang on the front of my steel. Maybe I could sell advertising space and make some extra money at the gig. Or type messages to pretty girls in the audience.

Just a thought.

Todd<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Todd Pertll on 18 July 2005 at 05:37 AM.]</p></FONT>

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 18 Jul 2005 6:15 am

When I ordered my first Sho~Bud from Shot Jackson, a few months after I received the guitar, I received a nice brass plate inscribed: "Custom built for Erv Niehaus by Sho~Bud".
It really looked sharp on the lower right front corner of that old Bud.

Erv

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 24 Jul 2005 9:43 pm

I like Todd's idea. "For a good time call the steel player at 555-1212..." "Specials on well drinks, talk to your server..." They say the band's job is to sell beer, right?

The late great Ranger Rick of the Bluegrass Patriots played a console steel with some local bands. He had the name "Leon Mc Awful" on the front of the steel. Damn, I miss that guy!

David Farrell · Post by **David Farrell** » 18 May 2023 8:11 am

I thought about putting my nickname 'Creep' on the front of my guitar.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 18 May 2023 7:13 pm

Probably reduce the chance of getting guitar stolen.

RC

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 18 May 2023 9:09 pm

I wonder if a lot of putting your name on the front of the guitar was when a stage crew moved instruments and equipment around and set up the stage.
And if the player drunk a little to much they could find their guitar too.

In 1970's at the Grand Old Opry, 15 D10, Birds Eye maple Brown, Sho~Bud steels would have been fun to sort and place by the show schedule without names, For a stage crew.

What if they got Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Days guitars reversed, Would have been a hoot.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 19 May 2023 10:14 am

In 2023? Corn.

Unless it's a vintage instrument, it was tastefully done, and the name is that of a previous owner.

That would be cool. Double (or more) points if it's a well-known player.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 19 May 2023 8:28 pm

I don't have my name on the front of my steel because I respect the builders of my steel-Jackson Steel Guitar Company, which is David, Harry, and Dawn Jackson, and it's also a great tribute to Shot Jackson. If I had my name on my steel, it would be awkward for me because people would ask if I'm related to Jimmy Day-the answer is no. I'm just another Day steel player and Jimmy played a long time before me.