Opinions on Starter Models

[Brian McGibney]

I tried a Carter Starter and I think for a brand new guitar its amazing what they've done. I was all set to buy and then I checked a used Sho-Bud. Even though it was double the money it was more than Double the guitar! It has not been without a few issues but I have no regrets. At my age:I'm turning 47 tomorrow I wanted to get the best instrument I could afford and quite frankly a better instrument will make you a better player The only downside is when I have to pick it up in the case---what a beast! must me darn near 80 pounds. But then again I haul a hammond leslie rig to 98% of most gigs I play

Brian

[Dave Sharp]

Here’s my take on this as a new steel player who just got a Sho-Bud sd-10 after having a Carter Starter for three months:

I initially thought about buying a more expensive guitar but I was hesitant to spend a bunch of money before I knew how I was going to take to the pedal steel. The CS allowed me to get in the game for $600.00. It stays in tune, the pedals and knee levers all do what they’re supposed to do and, to my ears, it sounds pretty darn good. After three months I haven’t outgrow the Starter, rather, I’ve learned that I’m committed to playing the pedal steel. And that commitment gave me the justification I needed to scratch my Sho-Bud itch. Thank you Carter-Starter!

[Charlie McDonald]

It's been mentioned (I've said it myself) that the Starter's big disadvantage is the fact that you can't change the setup (altho I did convert mine to Day-style by switching the cross-shafts).

Now I'm thinking it's the big advantage--having an affordable instrument that gets you going on the traditional coped. You learn what you can do with that before you move on to a more adaptable instrument. I could have worked with mine for years before I bought an MSA.

Still, I sure like the tone I'm getting now....
Carter does a real service with the Starter.

[Tom Newman]

Hey Dave, I am also a newbie on this instrument and just got my first guitar a couple days ago... I searched ebay, I looked at Carter Starter, I considered going into hock for a new Carter or MSA etc... However, I was glad I waited and kept looking because through this forum I got in touch with Tom Cassela, a master steel guitar restorer. He had an early 1970's Marlen single 10 for a very reasonable price (~$1K). The good news is that he had made this guitar look and play like brand new, every piece top and bottom had been taken apart, cleaned, polished and was spotless. The guitar is pro quality, and I couldn't be happier with it... Having someone help you will save a lot of grief, the tuning process on these guitars is something akin to the apollo 13 re-entry procedure, Tom had written it up and went through it with me until I understood what was going on... Without his help I don't know if I would have ever figured out how to get it in tune! So my advice is to contact some of the members and technicians on this forum, let them know you are looking and try to find a good used pro model. Compared to every other instrument forum I've ever seen, the people on this one are amazing and very helpful...good luck!

Here is a picture of the guitar I got from Tommy Cass...

[Bob Simmons]

contact us about an econo - NOT a student model www.simmonspedalsteel.com simmonsbob@bellsouth.net

[CrowBear Schmitt]

even tho' i'm an unconditional Zumster, i must give a plug to the German steel builder WBS
The WBS Student model, is the only student model that i know of, that one can change the set up / Copedent on
when they first came out, they were sellin' fer less than 1000 €uros
they now are up to 1300 €
For us Europeans, it's somewhat worthwhile, whereas, it's a considerable amount fer the American market considering the blues that the US $ got ( down 35 % !)
you can check them out here :
click on "Student model"

http://www.wbssteelguitars.com/

otherwise, i'm glad to see that the ZumSteel Stage 1 is back in production & i wish Doug mucho success in his endeavor

[Dave Todd]

Wow!!!

Off the forum for a couple of days and Bang!! The last few days have been spent packing, loading, driving, unloading, getting lost, unpacking, blah, blah, blah.....

As the result, We are now residents of Austin, Tx. Happy to be here and Lordy is it GREEN!!!

Thanks again for all the input!!

Dave,
I am not a whiz at psg by no means and will probably never be, but a lot depends on what you want to do with your music.

Great point. The bottom line is I've loved the sound all my life. I pursue hobbies with passion. I can catch big bass with the best of them and learned the nuances of metal detecting gold nuggets in desert. All that's gold is not always yellow....... Some gold you can hear.

What do I want to do with my music? I listen to and love all types of music. My girlfriend says she has never met anyone with quite the diverse taste in music. So I guess that's an open road. A band? Nah, not concerned at this point. I really just want to get some of the sounds out of my head out in the barn or garage and hopefully put a few of those sounds together to make something I think my Daddy (RIP) would be proud of.

Money.... Yep!!

Money versus quality... Lots to pick from that I can see. I'm like a lot of guys. Hand to mouth, impulsive and not much sense. She needs to hold my hand in the tackle shop. But it seems that the instrument holds it's value pretty well as long as the owner takes care of it and plays it regardless of good or bad. I see guys here that have guitars like Leno has cars. So there is something out there for me. Herb has invited me to contact him which I will once I'm settled. A few other players in the area have put the invite out as well.

Any of you guys in the area ride??

Lots of info to digest and I don't take it lightly. Thank you all!!

This adventure is just getting started......

Dave

[Stu Schulman]

Hey Dave,While you're in Austin you should go swimming at "Barton Springs" it's a couple of bucks to get in well worth it!Stu