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Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 28 Jun 2007 11:27 am

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 28 Jun 2007 3:31 pm

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Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 29 Jun 2007 7:02 am

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Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 29 Jun 2007 9:12 am

Love these stories!!

As many of you know, I have the Jerry Girard guitar. It's a T-8 with 6 pedals; 3 on inside, 3 on center, nonpedal outside neck. The necks are metal changer housings and pegheads, with wood inserts. I did an Internet search about Jerry Girard, and Russ Wever told me he knew him! His real name is Gerard Mandorca, and he came to ISGC one year and we discussed the guitar at length.

The guitar is stamped with a 1954 number in the correct place, but Jerry ordered the guitar in 1949 with only ONE pedal. And it had metal necks, not the wood inserts (which were added later by Shot Jackson). The guitar detuned so badly that Jerry sold it within 6 months. The 2nd owner, who is lost to history, must have had the additional pedals added by Bigsby in 1954. It then made the rounds until Shot Jackson got it. Ron Lashley Sr. got the guitar from Sho-Bud, and I got the guitar from Ron Lashley Jr. when Ron Sr. passed on.

I used it professionally with James Hand during my two years with him. It plays like a dream and sounds like one as well.

Below is a photo of Gerard "Jerry Girard" Mandorca playing his old guitar. I was gonna have my name put on the horn, but Jerry asked that I not take his off. This is a request I will gladly honor, as per original owner's privilege.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 29 Jun 2007 10:19 am

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Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 29 Jun 2007 10:40 am

Mike
He received the guitar in 1949 and sold it soon afterward. The pedals were added in 1954 by PA and that's when the new date was stamped, when Jerry was no longer the owner. At least, that's the accepted theory from the other Bigsby experts I've consulted.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 29 Jun 2007 11:00 am

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Dale Granstrom · Post by **Dale Granstrom** » 1 Jul 2007 3:34 pm

Hi Mike,
I ordered my Bigsby in August of 1949 with no pedals as PA didn't mention them at the time. I received my guitar one month later and had to scramble to come up with the money after the down payment of $125.00. I had five pedals added about 1956. I sold the guitar to someone in Kentucky in 1963. I wonder what became of it?

Dale G.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 1 Jul 2007 10:41 pm

Herb

Does the guitar still have the 1949/early 50 Klusons sith the single ended shaft support? Or was that part of the tuning problem as well so they got changed out?

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 2 Jul 2007 8:01 am

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Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 3 Jul 2007 1:16 am

Mike, Dale mentioned his guitar here some time ago, but I too would like to hear more about it. As for people who worked for Bigsby, at least a lady named Esther Decker did. She was doing some secretary work, possibly winding pick ups too. I have a letter she signed for a customer in -58 when PA was in Europe ( England and Germany ).

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 3 Jul 2007 6:45 am

Jussi,
I belive she was assembling and shipping off lots of Vibratos too. At this time in the game the Vibratos were becoming the largest part of Paul Bigsby's work. I think he may of had another gal helping out as well.
Todd

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 3 Jul 2007 12:37 pm

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Dale Granstrom · Post by **Dale Granstrom** » 3 Jul 2007 7:07 pm

Hi Mike,
In about April or May of 1949, I Saw Murphy playing a Bigsby T-3 with Tex Williams and knew the Bigsby was the steel for me. I searched all the steel makers for PA's address to no avail. Then in the summer a small publication about the "western" music scene in southern California came out and it featured a full page add about the Bigsgy guitar and his new foot pedal with tone and volume. Like I said I ordered it right away and received it by Railway Express one month later.

On the bottom of each neck platform was written the number 17 in what looked like Magic marker {Bobby Seymore made a snide remark about the existance of Magic Maker this early in time) but that's what it looked like. I asked Paul about the serial # and he said that 17 was "probably" the serial number. The guitar had aluminum necks and my name was inletted in the front panel I also ordered a foot volume at tne same time which I sold but later purchased another one which I still have. Off hand that's all I can remember about my Bigsby T-3. If anyone has more questions about it, let me know.

Also, I saw Ray Norren Playing with Hank Thompson on Labor Day night of 1951.

Dale Granstrom

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 4 Jul 2007 10:03 am

Todd, I think you're on the right track; reading the letter seems like ms Decker was in charge of business when PA was away. I think the purpose of the trip to Europe was to get a distribution deal for vibrato units with the Selmer co ( another letter shortly after reveals this ). And Dale, number # 17 in -49 sounds like very possible, although even Murph's guitar had a stamped date underneath. But then again, my guitar has black cable guide marks underneath too, which look like by "magic marker" and I guarantee they're original.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 5 Jul 2007 11:15 am

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Lee Jeffriess · Post by **Lee Jeffriess** » 5 Jul 2007 11:57 am

Dale, I think you saw, Dusty Stewart on that labour day show, he played through 51 with Thompson, then was replaced by Chalker,PeeWee Whitewing told me when he was being brought on board he and, Chalker played twin steel's for the last three weeks of Curly's stint.
Getting back to the original subject, during my national touring days, I had met three steel player's, who had witnessed Ray in action, Johnny Feilds in Minneapolis, Frank Kay in KC and, Hal Clampitt in Bellingham WA, they all pretty much said the same thing, that Ray at the time, was the most safisticated country/jazz? player they had heard and I was using Murphey as my yard stick.
Given Chalker's exsposure to Ray and, the description's of his style.I have often wondered if, he had influenced Chalker's re direction in the late 50's.
Lee

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 6 Jul 2007 12:48 pm

Jussi,
as you know I have alot of Paul Bigsby's patterns and jigs, and alot of them are dated or labeled with Black marker, that are definately original .

MLA , did you see a triple 10 of Mack Thomas' dated in around 1958 ?

Todd

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 8 Jul 2007 10:37 am

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Larry W. Jones · Post by **Larry W. Jones** » 29 Aug 2007 1:31 am

Dale, I think you saw, Dusty Stewart on that labour day show.

I've seen Dusty stewart three times this year. He plays steel for the Liberty Opry band in Liberty, Texas.
http://libertyopry.com/
You can email the owners, Bruce and Brenda boerner at texasrozbud@sbcglobal.net for info on Dusty.

Dusty Stewart (on right) and wife, and Harry Chance

The Steel Guitar Forum

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T-8 Bigsby