The Steel Guitar Forum

Todd-I am really happy that you have carried on the Bigsby tradition with the torch I have passed on to you-I know you are passionate about your work and indeed it shows-I am impressed to say the least-I wish you all the best in your new endeavor-and I believe you are indeed the one who was destined to make your mark in the continuing legacy of The Great Paul A. Bigsby-PW

What an initiative !
Congratulations Todd
i too wish you the very best
Now there's a good reason to start savin' $$$$ up

Beautiful work!

Thanks again . I got home late last night after working on my new spray booth, what a great response . I am very passionate about these steels, and feel fortunate to be carrying on this legacy, and trying my best to do PAB's work justice.
I have had quite a few emails and I am working on getting back to everybody this AM.
I forgot to mension these are a 24.5 inch scale.

Will, thanks .... glad you are enjoying the reso. I will get back to you here soon by email.

Andy S, I belive it is against forum rules to post a price. I will send you an email.

Bobbe S , you are crazy my freind , and I share that in common with you. I will try and call here soon.

Gary S. I am working on a single neck now.... I have a template for six string wood neck guitars and I would probably build some if I saw the intrest.

Paul W. Your words mean alot to me. I tried calling you last week and I will try you again here soon. I have a few things that are ready for you.

Todd

Great looking guitars, Todd. Show some of your resonators too. They are beautiful as well.

Chris

Somewhere PA is smiling....

Yee-Hahhh; The too-long silent wait is over. I hope this dreamin' ain't in my sleep. And just my luck; When my ship comes in ...I'm down at the darn bus station ...having to panhandle!

Dare I add to my frustration by asking what the deserving prices might be.....

Thanks for the invite Chris.
Heres a few of my favorites although the one I just sent out to Will I am extremely pleased with.

My personal Koa Guitar . This wood looks like a topo map in person. Truly one of the nicest boards I will probably ever get my hands on. Oil finish, Koa neck and Koa binding.



Heres another I built for Dobro wizard Roger Williams.
Curly Maple with Gold Harware



Also a photo of one of my Hawaiian guitars which I have recently stopped taking orders for. Alot of folks have wondered why I stopped building these guitars. The reason is because I was focussing on getting these PA Reissues off the ground. Being a one man shop I can't do it all. I just sent a great Hawaiian out to a forum member a few weeks back. I would love to show a photo of it by my digital camera was dropped by my 10 month old



Denny I sent you an email. Thanks for keeping the tight lip.
Thanks again everybody for your kind words.
Todd

GORGEOUS! could a feller get one with an ashtray installed?

I was so impressed by the pictures of the D8 and T8. A huge task and such beautiful work. The reso and Weiss knocked me out too.

Todd, Great news. When are you gong to have ordering info and priceing? Or will it be a piece by piece endevour? Are you winding your own PU's?
I've wanted to do the same thing for years, but only offering non pedals. As a solo project I couldn't realistically see building Non pedal steels to be much more than a self supporting hobby at best. But as an addition to your Reso line it'll be a great match and will hopefully keep you swamped with orders for both!

Dustin I do have a few ashtrays around here. One original and a few recasts. When I start up my back yard foundry I will do projects like making ashtrays ect. So , yes I could install one on a guitar.

Thanks Mitch for the comments. Hope I did not stray too far off topic with my other guitars.
When I brought the steels to my freinds studio here in Oregon. I had forgot to put back on my hand rests on the D-8. I took them off to show the pickups to some folks who were looking at my steel. These will included on the cast neck guitars as well.








Todd

Mike,
I will have my web guy put a few photos up on my website here soon, as well as some basic pricing. He is a on the road musician, so it might be a little bit. This winter sometime we will be redesigning my website. By then I will have a few customers steels done and photographed. As well as another model I am working on . I have answered alot of emails ... giving pricing and ordering info. I did build a nice pickup winder but have a freind doing them for me. As with my Resonators these will be a custom ordered guitar, with the ocasional in stock instrument.

I also will be offering a few parts for original guitars that need help as Paul Warnik did. Mostly just items like legs and side rails for the triple necks, and doing repairs, pedal set ups/ upgrades. It will be a bit before I offer rails ect to other owners since I am just trying to take care of my own guitars for the time being. Plus I don't want to overload my machinist with too much. Every time I bring a new part to get machined he says " wow, how many parts are on these guitars, you sure are driven "
I guess thats what it takes . I know we both share the same passion for these guitars.
Todd

?

My new Clinesmith. The maple binding really highlites the beauty of the rest of the guitar. Todd is a master.

Todd Clinesmith wrote: When I start up my back yard foundry I will do projects like making ashtrays ect.

I had forgot to put back on my hand rests on the D-8. I took them off to show the pickups to some folks who were looking at my steel. These will included on the cast neck guitars as well.

I've been gazing at these photos for the last half hour and I'm speechless! What an artist!

Amazing. I can't wait to play one....!!

Rick,
I hope you know your the inspiration on the back yard foundry.
I have been slowly collecting flasks, and books on casting. I actually made the flask for my foundry to cast my necks since they did not have one large enough.

Todd

I can only compliment you on your excellent work. These are truly works of art.

I particularly like the highly polished pick-up covers or as some say, ARM RESTS! That's a really fine touch.

What about the underside of the guitars? Are you using pullys and wires for the pedals or, are you using an Emmons/Sho-Bud type pedal system? Just curious.....

I do find the black volume and tone knobs to be distracting from the rest of this beautiful instrument. Are they plastic or Bakelite?

If these are TRULY Paul Bigsby 'look a-likes'.....how long of a waiting period does one have to endure to acquire one of your artistic endeavors? I had to wait three years for mine.

Good Luck to you!

Thank you Ray. I will have to bring one up to Portland sometime. I was actually up there monday .
The undersides are traditional cable , duck foot pulley bases and phenolic aircraft pulleys. I did not get any undercarriage photos taken at my photgraphers studio. Oh yeah the fingers are cast from PA's original pattern, and the springs are NOS.

I appreciate the feed back on the knobs. They are also NOS cast aluminum knobs. I have seen original guitars with these knobs left plain and painted. My wife shares your same thoughts. I also felt the plain aluminum gave an unfinished look. On the photos up above there is some serious flash glare on the knobs and makes them look a tad more glossy than in person. I guess either way would be traditional.
I have alot of Resonator guitars on order and have spaced them so I can fit some steels in. I would quote 6 months for a steel guitar. This might reflect an early 50's waiting period .
I am surprised you did not ask if I would be building quads
Thanks again

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Here's a bump to the top for a work of art!!

OMG! Those are gorgeous! I think I am going to have to get me a PA D8 soon.
--Jamie

Can those be fitted with Rickenbacher horseshoe styled PUs?

Any Joaquin Murphy/Bigsby styled laps possible?

Top notch work Todd! I too am waiting for details on that lap model per my previous contact.
DD

Ron,
I am sure these can be fitted with a horseshoe style pickup with a narrow horseshoe. After seeing the photos of Murphs T-8 the thought has crossed my mind. I will look into it at sometime. Although I would not do anything to get the Rickenbacker co. breathing down my neck.... I like to keep life simple.

I am working on a J.M style guitar as well, more based on his T-8 , but down the line probably will work on a D-8 lap as well.
I have had alot of intrest on a lap guitar. I should have my prototype done here soon. Dana I will email you when I get the prototype finished.

Todd