Sierra PSG Z Brads Rack

[Andy DePaule]

Thought you guys might like to see the Z mounting system designed by Tom Bradshaw.
I think this was in the early 60's and maybe he will chime in on that detail.
It was getting the pedal steel guitars to be less wobbly.
The PSG was built by legendary Chuck Wright who started to build them in the late 40's or very early 50's as "Sierra" steels guitars.

This is in Bob Muller's steel guitar collection.
Bob said this PSG weighs about 100 pounds in the case!





This is a photo of Chuck Wright with a very early pre-Sierra steel he had built.

[Joe Krumel]

Very cool! Great photos of history.

[Chris Templeton]

On a side note, in the late 80's Scotty and Mitsuo Fuji made a really light single neck pedal steel, probably 35 to 40 pounds, called an SGI. Using knee levers risked moving the whole guitar. As a result, I've always thought that attaching the seat to the guitar and using the weight of the body would solve that. I'd think someone would have thought of that by now.

[J D Sauser]

On a side note, in the late 80's Scotty and Mitsuo Fuji made a really light single neck pedal steel, probably 35 to 40 pounds, called an SGI. Using knee levers risked moving the whole guitar. As a result, I've always thought that attaching the seat to the guitar and using the weight of the body would solve that. I'd think someone would have thought of that by now.

Gene Fields’ prrsonal Fender PS210 (which he designed long before founding GFI) had the seat attached to the instrument. Actually, the seat was the 3rd “leg” of the guitar which only had 2 legs to the front. Very smart design which never caught on.

… JD.

[Lee Baucum]

JD, is this the guitar?

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=284251


~Lee

[J D Sauser]

JD, is this the guitar?

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... 3c9c976e97

~Lee

Ye’sir!

Also seen here from more angles:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=367561

That was only on GF’s personal guitar and not original to the dozan or so commercialized PS210 sold by Fender. Except for the lack of knee levers, an amazing concept guitar.
That personal guitar of GF also had -if I remember right- a “zitar” rear neck with fewer string and raised frets he could play with his left hand (without a bar). GF was an incredible inovator.

… JD.

[Tom Bradshaw]

Yes, I designed this "Delta" model of the Brads-Rack. It's history and pictures are covered well in my Steel Guitarist magazine, Issue 6/7. The other model (the "Concord)," and often referred to as the "Singer Sewing Machine" model, was one I also designed. Only one guitar was ever built using that elevation. I also designed the SIERRA logo (on the front of the pictured guitar), as well as the fretboards.

Chuck Wright added the Brads-Rack to about 10 of his steels. It also was added to a couple (maybe 3) MSA guitars built after Chuck was hired on by MSA in the late '70s. All those guitars need a van to haul them, since assembling and disassembling them, besides carrying them in their large cases was quite a chore.

I have one now (a single-12) that I'm refurbishing and modernizing its changer. I'll post a picture of it when I finish it. I've had it since the mid-'80s, but never took it out of its case.

Chuck was a master builder and I'm hoping to be as proud of my S-12 as Chuck was when he finished it back in the '70s.

[Chris Templeton]

Hello Tom!
When I was at Joe Glaser's shop in Nashville, around 1990, he gave me a 10 string fretboard that he had given to Paul Franklin and he gave back to Joe and Joe gave it to me. (thank you, Paul)
On my way to California, I stopped at Tom's in Concord , and Tom installed the fretboard on my Dekley double neck.
He attached it by putting foam under the fretboard with adjustable Allen screws to adjust the hight.
No compensated bridge.
You, Tom, were the inspiration for continuing on my raised fret board journey.
Thank you so much, Tom

This picture of Paul was take at the session at Pete Drake's studio, for the record, "Slide" with a bunch of top steel players.
Weldon invited me to it.
Here's John Hughey and Weldon at that session:

[Craig Stock]

Chris, you have so many great pictures, you need to do a book someday. Just tack that on to your list of things to do

[Chris Templeton]

I usually write something everyday and if I put
them together, there's a book.
I think an audiobook, with my music between chapters.
I thought audiobook because most people don't read much, these days, because most people's attention spans are shot and don't read more than a paragraph or two at a sitting.
Call me after the weekend, Craig.

[David Wright]

My first guitar was a MSA, on Brads Rack..
1970, My Dad was in charge of production for MSA, and built Sierras at the shop...Sure would like to fine it one day...
Thats my Dad and Maurice back when he was with MSA..




[quoteThe PSG was built by legendary Chuck Wright who started to build them in the late 40's or very early 50's as "Sierra" steels guitar
Andy, 1947 he built first steel, it was a Wright Custom, Sierra didn't come along till 1960...That is his first steel in the pic you posted of him.. [/quote]

[Erv Niehaus]

What was the logic behind the "Brads Rack"?
Erv