The Steel Guitar Forum

Does Mullen have split tuning or a counterforce lever ?

Also..... what Nick said....

yes & no

Have had both .The Mullen was a u12 ,the Emmons was/is D10 8&5.

I bought the Emmons planing to go back to a double neck. After buying the D10, I could not make up my mind which I wanted to keep, so I put both of them up for sell.

The Mullen,probably because it was least expensive, sold first.

That is another comparing oranges and apples.

I had less string breakage on the Mullen than any of 5 steels I have owned and the mechanics were tighter and quiter than any steel I have ever owned.I was happy with it in every way.I am not unhappy at all with my Emmons,just trying to fairly give you my opinions.

Finally,though I have never owned one,The Zum is the tightest and quitest steel I have ever played.

As already mentioned,don't worry about it,there are at least 5 or 6 good choices you could make with no regrets.

What about tone? Mullen vs Emmons. Tone, timbre, voice, etc.

Brad Sarno

I believe that tones and different sounds are great things. Difference is the point I make. The artist will make it sound the way his or her heart tells them to. I have heard great musicians pick up 10 cent instruments and make em sound better than I thought was ever possible. Put two guys with two separate Emmons' side by side and listen to the difference. Same guitar just different hearts. I bought an MSA with 10 strings one neck and 12 on the other. Learning to play the thing and then listening to the greats I just knew that the sound(TONE) coming from mine was inferior. I also played with a buddy of mine Skip Mertz.. who plays an Emmons and envied the sound his (Guitar) made. Wrong wrong wrng.. Skip just plays a good steel and has a good heart in it when he plays. He can make the 10 cent guitar sing. I recently purchased a Mullen D-10. Boys does it sound good. Was going to sell the MSA to help lesson the burden of all that money in a steel. The MSA is a great guitar ...it just has a different tone and who knows...someday when I get really good I'll set em both up and switch off and have some fun. I love the sound of both now. I love the sound of an Emmons. Hell I love steel guitars. Well boys that's my unqualified 2 cents worth but if ya don't use it all...don't look for any change.
Ray Walker
Mullen D-10 10/7
MSA D-10 8/4

Oh...by the way. If ya think the MSA doesn't sound good Listen to some of Ty Herdon's older stuff. Jim Lindsey played the MSA I now own for Ty. That MSA is a hoss in the hands of a pro... Just that it ain't in the hands of a pro right now(hehe)