The Steel Guitar Forum

Thanx for the heads up MVA
a couple of guys here that i helped get their CSs for, mentioned this far throw prob

Bang ! 4 the $, £ or € : Carter Starter does Quite well
i too will Thank Carter fer bein' smack dab in the middle
just be advised, you don't get a T Bird w: yer Fairlane

Doug E & Bruce Z have got the ZumSteel Stage 1 back in production
now that's good competition

Student models nowadays are way ahead & better than what was available 20/30 years ago

I'm a little incredulous about the overall positive response to this question. This topic comes up so often, and the overall response is usually very negative. I guess the negative proponents, like myself, are just fed up of writing the same response over and over....

CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS THREADS OR LIVE TO REGRET IT.

By the way, my first pedal steel was a Carter Starter, and my response to the question is BAD.

I later bought a used Sho-Bud for less than I had paid for the Carter Starter, which went straight into storage. The difference between a professional model and a starter is overwhelming.
Starting with a Starter is like starting to play the regular guitar with a cheap guitar with bad action and getting dispondant at not being able to hold down the strings.

Having said that I have no problem with the regular Carter instruments... ...but the Starter... no way.

Alan F. Brookes wrote:I'm a little incredulous about the overall positive response to this question. This topic comes up so often, and the overall response is usually very negative.

Baloney.

Alan F. Brookes wrote:CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS THREADS OR LIVE TO REGRET IT.

Way over the top.

Alan F. Brookes wrote:The difference between a professional model and a starter is overwhelming.
Starting with a Starter is like starting to play the regular guitar with a cheap guitar with bad action and getting dispondant at not being able to hold down the strings.

B.S. Comparing any steel guitar to a regular guitar simply makes no sense at all. The action of a fretted instrument has nothing to do with the way a steel is played.

I've owned a "professional" steel, and a Starter. Starters stay in tune, all the pedals and levers work as they should, they are inexpensive and lightweight.

In contrast, my friend with Sho-Bud Maverick had nothing but problems with it.

If the Starter were such a terrible guitar, it would not be such a marketing success.

Get a grip, dude. Find something else to rant about.

I agree. Start out with a Red Baron if you really want bad.
There are many Starters floating around out there. Clearly, they fill a gap in the instrument range.

Alan Kirk wrote: Get a grip, dude. Find something else to rant about.

I'm not ranting, just expressing my opinion. I could go into all the specific problems I have with the Starter, but I've already done that many times over. It's not ranting to suggest that someone read all the previous threads.

I'm not comparing a regular guitar to a pedal steel: I was just suggesting that if you buy a cheapo instrument of any sort you'll be apt to blame yourself as a novice for shortcuts taken in the manufacture.

As I mentioned in previous threads, the Starter's pedals are just L-shaped bar stock. They don't feel right. The pedal rack is much too flimsy, and bends when you depress the pedals. I called Carter to point this out, and they just dismissed the complaint. You can't add any extra pedals, and changing the copedant needs an expert, if it can be done at all. It DOES stay in tune, and it also stays in tune when you depress the pedals.

Obviously a manufacturer who produces a student model has to cut costs, and Carter are not to be blamed in producing an instrument which is not as good as their professional models. The same goes for the Sho-Bud Maverick. But the question arises from the newcomer's perspective, whether it is better to buy a student model or to buy a used professional model. This is what I believe the question to be, and I would recommend anyone to not waste their money on a student model which is limiting, and which they're obviously going to have to trade in if they take to the instrument. So my recommendation is to "CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS THREADS OR LIVE TO REGRET IT."

It's not baloney to mention that previous discussions on the subject have been very negative. If you don't remember them that way I recommend that you re-read them. Again, recommending that someone read previous threads is always good advice.

I see from previous threads that you own a Carter Starter. After one has invested in anything one's natural tendency is to convince oneself that it was a good decision. I myself bought a Carter Starter after 45 years of playing non-pedal, simply because I looked at the prices of new steels and figured I couldn't afford one. I look back on that purchase now as a waste of money, and I wish I had had the advice then of someone saying exactly what I am saying now....

Alan F. Brookes wrote: I myself bought a Carter Starter after 45 years of playing non-pedal, simply because I looked at the prices of new steels and figured I couldn't afford one.

And there you have it. The Starter did what it was designed to do: bring cost-conscious curiosity-seekers into the fold. Who knows, Alan, maybe you would have never made the jump to pedal steel if you hadn't had the Starter as an option?

Once on board, a Starter can be sold for almost what was paid for it. And if the player doesn't "take" to pedal steel, they at least got to try out a guitar for a third of the price of a new pro model, and half the cost of a used pro model.

I started on a Carter Starter, and found it to be a great way to get an introduction to PSG without putting up too much money. I enjoyed my Starter, but what really sold me on Carter was the great service I got, despite buying second hand. I had a minor mechanical problem, which I caused, and called up Carter. I was immediately forwarded to John Fabian, who diagnosed my problem and had me fixed up in a matter of minutes.

I now play a Carter S10.

Alan F. Brookes wrote:...Carter Starter, which went straight into storage.

Wanna sell it?

See what Bobbe Seymour has to say about it in the clip below. He says in the clip;

It's a perfect guitar for a beginner ~ it's a perfect guitar for a pro ~ it's a perfect guitar for anybody

In the clip, I believe he had just taken it out of the box and plugged it straight into a Nashville 112. If I could make it sound like him, I'd be proud to own one... Then again, Bobbe could make anything sound good.

http://www.steelguitar.net/audio/carterstarter.wmv

Respectfully,
David Burr

Alan Kirk wrote:

Alan F. Brookes wrote:...Carter Starter, which went straight into storage.

Wanna sell it?

Don't you already have several ?

Tucker Jackson wrote: Who knows, Alan, maybe you would have never made the jump to pedal steel if you hadn't had the Starter as an option...

You're a man of great wisdom and forethought, Tucker. What a great loss to the music world that would have been...

Alan F. Brookes wrote:

Alan Kirk wrote:

Alan F. Brookes wrote:...Carter Starter, which went straight into storage.

Wanna sell it?

Don't you already have several ? :)

I'm serious. If you want to put it on the market, I'll make you an offer.

Im relatively new and probably should not get involved with this topic, but my first guitar was a Sho-Bud Maverick. I played a Carter Starter, and much preferred the maverick. I wont comment on the technical aspects of why, because I'm not checked-out enough by far; but I'll still stand by the maverick.

And to what Bobbe Seymour said about it...that may be true...but he's a steel guitar player (and one of the best Ive ever heard) AND a salesman...

-corey

I have one, and while I am getting about to the point I am ready to say, OK, it really is getting time to step Up, I happen to like it a lot. It DOES stay in tune.
Lately probably (due to a change in string brands) I am keeping them on longer w/o popping thirds... the KLs are a little gimpy looking compared to a few other brands, but then, you're getting a decent instrument (and comparable worth). I am happy, and feel lucky I found one, for the price- years of wishing I could get a psg & saying naw, could not afford it without saving up for a year, that's all over now, it was an excellent opportunity.
For what it's advertised as (they don't claim it's top of the line anyway) I think it's a judicious use of the $.