The Steel Guitar Forum

I feel the same as Chuck...if only I could be as good as my Remington!

I have a black T-8, short scale. The tone and sustain are excellent. The George L pickups are nicely mounted. Rick, I like how he painted them the same color as the guitar.

I don't know if everyone can see it from the pictures, but Herb makes a little indentation on each neck where the pinky finger of the picking hand rests. This is really a great ergonomic design to make the hand more comfortable, giving the fingers some extra room. The tuners are a little further from the nut, also to give the fingers more room when playing on the 1st fret.

I like the independent neck switches. It makes it easy to turn them on or off with a quick flick. It's easier for me to use than a "dial" system like is on my T-8 Magnatone...I say "system", because there's basically two switches (a knob and a 3 way lever switch) that have different neck configurations...it's easy to forget what postion I have to have them in.

Herb puts several coats of lacquer paint on the Steelmasters...you don't have to worry about it peeling like the paint on some of my other guitars have done.

Herb makes a fine instrument. Excellent quality and sound!

Rick,

Neat about the Hilton Digtal Sustain...your right about PSG pick-ups and the Hilton...still, to me, its great on the Stringmaster. Looking forward to hearing that beauty........what are you going to call it? Willie!!!.... TX
rgds,
Ron

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JCFSC member since 2005
"55" Stringmaster D8,"59" Stringmaster D6
"67" Telecaster,
"60"Fender Concert Amp 4-10's

<SMALL>I don't know if everyone can see it from the pictures, but Herb makes a little indentation on each neck where the pinky finger of the picking hand rests. This is really a great ergonomic design to make the hand more comfortable, giving the fingers some extra room.</SMALL>

It's ergonomic!

<SMALL>you're right about PSG pick-ups and the Hilton...still, to me, it's great on the Stringmaster.</SMALL>

Absolutely right, I always use it with the Stringmaster.

<SMALL> Looking forward to hearing that beauty........what are you going to call it? Willie!!!....</SMALL>

I'll play it in my next song, coming up soon. It's a new tune called "Dance With Your Angel Baby" and the tracks are pretty much all recorded except for the Steel. So it arrived just in time . .


Willie ?!? nahh, he's persona non grata! <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 11 February 2005 at 09:36 PM.]</p></FONT>

Gosh; I wish you would rip those George L pickups out of there and put some real pickups in...


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Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

What a beautiful machine and work of art, Rick.

I'm sure there have been other full reviews of Herb's Steels here before that I haven't noticed; But it's good to see Herb get such deserved coverage. That steel sure tickles my fancy.

Thanks for the number of nice things you've posted for all to enjoy.

Aloha shirts,
DT~

Well, thank you Denny. Yes Herb is quite a guy. He's given me a lot to think about in phone conversations we've had. All his music from Bob Wills to the present day is one of the most amazing bodies of work I've ever heard. His workshop videos have something for everyone - they've sure helped me a lot!
And he makes such great steels. So much history and so much thought went into this instrument, it's hard to fathom it all at once. The more I play it the more I love it. I haven't done much else in the past couple of days since it arrived . .

Man, you sure live in a beautiful part of the world. I've never been there, but I saw "Big Bounce" . . (3 times)

Hey Rick
Next time you see Herb,ask him for the lyrics to Remington Ride will ya? Thanks pal.

Herb giving me a lesson


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by HowardR on 12 February 2005 at 08:11 AM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Next time you see Herb,ask him for the lyrics to Remington Ride will ya?</SMALL>

Jody, here are the lyrics:

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
Until my bar drops on my foot


(2nd verse same as the 1st)


And then I'm going to go and have a cup of coffee
And if I want a smoke I'll have to go outside
And then I'll come back in and crank up my Steelmaster
And then I'll play the Remington Ride

I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
I'm going to hammer-on and hammer-off and hammer-on my steel git-ar
Until my bar drops on my
bar drops on my
bar drops on my foot
</pre></font>

But thankfully, it's usually performed as an instrumental . .


Howard - nice pic!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 12 February 2005 at 10:50 PM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Gosh; I wish you would rip those George L pickups out of there and put some real pickups in...</SMALL>

I don't know Ricky, if this guitar sounded any better I might not be able to stand it . .

What kind of pickups would you recommend?
They'd have to be available in the cream color so as to co-ordinate with the "Corn Silk" finish on the Steelmaster . .

Rick; here is a picture(old picture and excuse the Mullet as those days are gone..ha) of me playing my D-10 White SteelMaster that Herb built for me a long time ago.

Of course it had George L pickups in it and sure it sounded Good; but did not sound like a Hawaiian Steel> it sounded like a Pedal steel(and I had a pedal steel). If that is the sound you want; than I'm sure it can't sound any better to you> but if you want it to sound more like a Hawaiian steel should and continue the history of a real steel guitar sound; I suggest SINGLE COIL pickups and get rid of anything in line from your guitar/volume pedal to your Amp.
Herb has already learned how to make a instrument sound great with his hands in playing technique; so he can have any pickup and any enhancement in-line and still sound great. But we are mere students of the steel guitar and we are Robbing ourselves of what our hands can do/become and what the instrument can do/become; as long as we do anything other than the most basic route to get the steel guitar sound.
This may or may not be for you Rick; I don't know, but these are my opinions and beliefs in what I've learned so far in my Quest. Take it for what it is> "Polite Suggestions" but a goal for one may not be the goal for another; as it really depends on what ones inner-self is really wanting to accomplish and the original reason one wanted to start that quest in the first place.




------------------
Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 12 February 2005 at 07:02 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ricky, I do appreciate your comments and suggestions - they're always welcome and have always proved helpful and insightful. Fact is, I've learned a lot from you. And you certainly raise some good points here.


My main Steel is a 57 Stringmaster T8, which I love dearly. I'm not forsaking it at all, in fact the Stringmaster & the Steelmaster are set up side by side in my studio right now. I like to try all different sounds/styles etc in my Quest. I've been making my living singing and playing Guitar for 40+ years. I'm a Singer/Songwriter. And I'll never be a pedal steel player - I stand up, I sing, and I play guitar. I even jump around a little. When I do shows I play my Strat or ES335 and my Stringmaster. It looks and sounds like this.

I guess what I'm getting at - this is the closest I'll come to adding a pedal steel type sound to any of my mixes. (I also play Bass, Mandolin, Banjo, Keyboards, Harmonica, Drums, Percussion, Diddley Bow and Kazoo - I work alone)

But I didn't really plan it in terms of getting a Pedal Steel sound per se - I just saw pics of Steelmasters and heard Cindy Cashdollar playing one and Herb is one of my heroes - so I asked him to build me one.

I really like the sound and feel of it. To me the Stringmaster/Steelmaster comparison is apples to oranges - I want both!


I have 3 Stringmasters and an assortment of other steels (Herb calls it "The Museum")
They're on display at http://rickalexander.com/BigSteel along with several of my tunes, purchasing info on my CDs, and various other whacky stuff.

Anyway, I'm going on and on here - see what happens when you get me thinking? It's true what you said about the single coil/hawaiian sound - and you'll hear it in some of my tunes. I haven't recorded with The Steelmaster yet, mainly because I just got it. But I'm a-fixin' to - I already have all the tracks recorded for the first song I'm going to use it in. I just have to get more used to it and also work up the part. It takes me longer to work up Steel parts than anything else!




And Ricky, BTW - if you're ever in South Florida, stop by my studio and lay down a few tracks - we'd be stars in no time! <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 12 February 2005 at 10:03 PM.]</p></FONT>

You bet Rick; Herb is one heckuva Fellow. The few times I've spoken with him over the last 40 years ...me greener'n grass behind the ears and a nobody he wouldn't know any better'n adam's housecat; ...he always had the genuine CARE "everyone" "dreams" an icon / idol would have.

-------

Just casual thoughts: Ricky makes a very good point about single coil "old"-Steel type tone(s), ...but were that Steelmaster mine (drool) I would leave it like it is for at least several months of exploring what Herb had in mind in a culmination of his many years of expertise that could likely never be explained / presented even in many pow-wow sittings with him. And I suspect that I would wind up experimenting with one or a pair of split coil humbuckers on at least one neck, for the variety of tones afforded in the several wiring / switching options ...even if I had to have 2 "strat"-width humbuckers made to fit the cavity and string span. 4 coils would afford allot of variety options in impedence, phasing, scale datum position and compound phase signal (as in humbucking).

Aloha skirts,
DT~

Denny, I've thought about that too - 2 humbucking pickups. But this particular guitar is just too purty to tear up, and Herb put a lot into it, as you said.
I think if I was going to do something like that I would do it on another guitar, or rather have it done by somebody who knows what they're doing. I'm no luthier that's for sure.
I'll tell ya though, this guitar sounds amazing just as is! For a short scale, it has tons of sustain - and when I run it through the Hilton Digital Sustain it just goes on and on and on.

I think you're right about the culmination of his expertise - there are qualities about this guitar that aren't readily explainable. Why is the tone so even up and down the neck and from string to string? Why does the sustain go on and on? Why does it play so in tune? What makes the harmonics chime out like that? etc. etc.

I know he experimented a lot to find that "honey hole" for pickup placement and height. Everything is set just right, he put in a lot of time making sure it was all "true". He takes a lot of pride in his guitars.


And like I mentioned earlier, I'll never be a pedal steel player - this is as close as I'll come. All 3 necks are balanced perfectly with each other, and I just wouldn't want to mess with that. Wait'll you hear this thing!

But I sure do like that dual split coil humbucker idea. Next guitar . . .

Ricky,
I think you have something there. I just read your post and re- wired my guitars:
Dual-Pro & Stringmaster into A/B switch- into volume pedal- one cord from volume pedal to effects/ mixer- Evans amp/ one cord from volume pedal straight to 1950 Fender Deluxe.

I love it! The straight through sound like Leon is setting in my room. )He just can't play like he used to though)

The only problem with ths set-up is when I rum BIAB. I get a high pitch hum.

Any ideas?

------------------
JCFSC member since 2005
D-8 Stringmaster
Fender Dual Pro

Rick,

I didn't mean to cut Herb's guitar at all ... godforbid . It looks to me like a pair of thin humbuckers like those being made for strats (custom made for the 8 string span), placed in tandem right next to each other, would fit that cavity, and provide 4 coils of variety. It looks to me like they could be mounted onto a base-plate that could use the existing mounting screws' pits. No biggie ... just thought I'd clarify my thoughts. Besides, another Steel would surely be better as a test bed! If I can ever catch up around here, ...I've been thinking about picking up one of the Dynalap kits to make a test-bed ...cutting the pickup cavity all the way through so different pickups could be mounted from the back side.

Aloha,
DT~
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 13 February 2005 at 05:24 AM.]</p></FONT>

Gary it sounds like a ground loop problem.
Rick; yeah I can dig where your coming from. Absolutely don't tear up the pickup cavity. If you do want to experiment with a single coil; just send the measurements to Jerry Wallace and he'll wind you up something pretty special. When I say "hawaiian Steel" I'm not particularly saying "Hawaiian sound". I call all steel guitars without pedals "Hawaiian Steel Guitar".
Have fun with it.
Ricky

Well, now you guys got me thinking . .
(always a dangerous situation)
I'm definitely not going to do anything to change this Steelmaster, BUT . . .
another triple neck with custom pickups would be cool. Maybe one that doesn't have such a perfect finish on it. I'm kind of afraid to even take this one to a gig - I'd hate to even put one little scratch on it. In fact, Gary Preston is making a cover for it to keep the dust off it - he does such nice work.


But, a triple neck with dual coil tap humbuckers on each neck - hmmm . .
maybe a black one, or natural finish . .

------------------

Rick Alexander
57 Fender Stringmaster T8, Remington Steelmaster T8, 49 Fender Custom, 69 Strat, 68 Tele, Gibson ES 335.
Music Man, Fender & Peavey Amps


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 13 February 2005 at 06:30 PM.]</p></FONT>

Think of it this way Rick. It's like having a baby- It takes 9 months and your not sure what to expect!

In that case let's make it natural . .

I don't know if I mentioned the custom color of this Steelmaster - it's called "Corn Silk".


with matching cream colored George L pickups -
that was Herb's idea . .

Just thought I'd let you know - I was just talking to Herb, and a friend of his in Houston printed up this thread and brought it over to him. He has just finished reading it, and he's tickled to death by all your nice comments.
He says he's going to keep it as a souvenir . .

Also well worth mentioning - Drew Howard, fellow forumite and webmaster extrordinaire, is the man who does the web site for Remington Steel Guitars. It's at http://remingtonsteelguitars.com and Drew will soon be re-designing and upgrading it. I hear there will be lots of cool new pics, info, and other goodies - so be sure to bookmark the URL and pay it a visit every so often to see what's new and exciting!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 15 February 2005 at 05:17 PM.]</p></FONT>

I finished re-designing Herb's site today, thanks to Rick for his pix and his enthusiasm!

http://www.remingtonsteelguitars.com

cheers,
Drew

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<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>Drew Howard - website - Fessy D-10 8/8, Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3</pre></font>


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Drew Howard on 16 February 2005 at 09:47 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Drew Howard on 08 March 2005 at 06:09 PM.]</p></FONT>

Here's my black T-8 Steelmaster with a natural-ash single neck along side....



I think my multi-colored fretboards were some of the first Herb did in a short scale, as they were hand colored by Mrs. Remington!