Williams Steel

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 23 Feb 2003 6:36 pm

b0b, Yes. I might buy one anyway and put a different fret board on it. But I'd rather not have to.

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 23 Feb 2003 6:51 pm

b0b, any reason you didn't get your crossover in keyless?

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Don Walters
Carter D-10, 8p/6k
Session 500 with Lemay Mod

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 23 Feb 2003 9:28 pm

Mine was the first production crossover model, and Bill Rudolph wasn't sure when I ordered it that the mechanism would fit in the shorter keyless cabinet. So we agreed early on to make it with keys. I have no regrets.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 24 Feb 2003 12:48 am

I played one several times now, I love it!
It playes smooth, has a nice tone, looks beautiful and stays in tune well! Good instrument!!
JJ

Scott Howard · Post by **Scott Howard** » 25 Feb 2003 4:37 pm

I have Crossover #3 and I ordered it keyless and with a extra knee lever. It is a well built great guitar but I had to let the fret board grow on me. I had no other option for a D-10 due to a health condition and needed a crossover. I can not play past pedal 5 or so without pain and the crossover solved that.
I was hesitant to buy a new guitar but Bill is a Great guy to do business with and I would highly reccomend a Williams both the guitar and the company. I love the keyless and the compact size. Its very comfortable to play either neck from the one position.[This message was edited by Scott Howard on 25 February 2003 at 04:50 PM.]

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 25 Feb 2003 5:43 pm

Here is the fretboard in question. On poorly lighted stages, It works well and on bright stages there is no glare problem.

JMHO - milage may vary

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 25 Feb 2003 7:40 pm

I just saw Bill's crossover this last weekend and what a cool guitar. Very well put together. 5 and 5 on each neck sounds appealing. I don't think a person could go wrong.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Feb 2003 8:06 pm

How much does a keyless Williams crossover D10 weigh in the case? Larry?

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 25 Feb 2003 8:41 pm

Jim:

It is amazingly light for a wood guitar. 36 pounds out, 53 or so in the case. It sounds like a wood guitar should without the extra 20 pounds my old sho-bud added.
lab

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 26 Feb 2003 6:35 am

53 lbs.? That would make it thru the new FAA weight restrictions, no?
Ok, who's going to mention the FFA?

I'd rather deal with the FFA than the FAA anyday.

The Williams fretboards look good to me.

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 26 Feb 2003 12:00 pm

Everyone considering a pedal steel guitar should check out the Williams, and talk to Bill Rudolph, one of the industry's most respected builders.

I've had a Williams for almost 10 years now, and even after all the road miles it still plays smoothly. Right now it goes into an RV3 and then into an old Session w/original "Made for Peavey" JBL, and I couldn't be much happier.

My black #300 D10 (keyed) Williams has the plain silver markers, which I really like.
I played on a 400 in St. Louis, and the sustain and tone seemed really lively to me, very good indeed. Hopefully I can get a 400 series in the next couple years, but Bill says only colored fretboards now. Oh well.

There's a few small samples, the guitar going through a ProfexII into a Pro-tools studio, at this site:
http://www.musicroom.org/KarenPoston/

Scott Howard · Post by **Scott Howard** » 26 Feb 2003 3:02 pm

I ordered split cases with mine.For less than 100.00 extra I got a case for the body and a neat little case for the pedal board and legs.With me having back problems already it cut the weight to a acceptable level.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 27 Feb 2003 7:02 pm

The "Willy" is a real work of art, beauty, mechanically, compactness and a very good price for a laquar guitar. Mine is an S-12 universal keyless, burgundy birdseye maple with the 400 changer. Unfortunately I've got to dispose of some equipment and this guitar will probably go on block soon. Someone will get a real deal as this guitar is virtually brand new (6 months old and never out of my house).

LARRY COLE · Post by **LARRY COLE** » 27 Feb 2003 7:14 pm

Sonny, sounds just like my Willy. It is almost three years old.

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LC. WILLIAMS U12, SHO-BUD PRO1,CARVIN TL60

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 May 2003 9:03 pm

53 lbs.? That would make it thru the new FAA weight restrictions, no?

Actually, no it wouldn't. The new limit, at least at several major airlines, is 50 lbs. But if you take out the legs and put them in your suitcase, you'll be under 50 lbs, I think... In fact, I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'...

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 6 May 2003 9:30 pm

Jim,
You could bring it in under 50lbs by using those replacement aluminum legs.

Bob

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 7 May 2003 12:12 am

9-10 year old Williams. U-12.
Natural blonde finish/has darkened somewhat.
Birdseye Maple. 8 pedals/6 knee levers.

My Williams is really "compact".
My knees are very touchy. Once I'm sitting
at the "beast", well, I can not be diddly-daddlying aound with all those gorgeous brunettes, cause I'll really go out of tune that quickly.

"closeness" of knee levers...it's just tight fitting......so...this has pros
and cons.....

My Williams was basically fitted to my
short, stout, and stubborn bod.

I asked Billy Rudolph to make the legs and
pedal rods 1" shorter than his stock dimensions. No extra charge for this.

As it has turned out, I have had to put knee-levr extension pads on all of my 6 knees.

Well...I didn't have to put the extendors on,
but, well, yes.....I did have to.

The Williams is one beautiful guitar.

Hows this? I bought the U-12 I'm talking of, now, from Uncle Bill Rudolph over the phone.

I had been hearing at this time about William's reputation.

Then, in one of our steel guitar UPDATE
magazines, I saw Wally, "No-Holds-Barred", Murphy, sitting (and actually smiling) behind a WILLIAMS guitar. I'm pretty sure the mag was the Northeast Pedal Steel Guitar Association.

BUT....I do have a complaint about the Williams. And maybe this is because I purchased a relatively 1st series edtion.

As I say, I play a U-12.

String 12 is a real TOUGHIE to lock in to William's tailpiece........

gotta go for now

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 7 May 2003 8:00 am

Funny thing about the fretboard. Mine came thru with the same colored rectangles as there are now, but mine were simply rectangled
outlines. Just borders, with the gray of the fretboard showing thru.

So I took the guitar to a sign painter, and he was able to glue-in some colored rectangles. I'm used to the fretboard now.
At first, they seemed a little plain and spaced-age for my liking; didn't really grab
you, the way the greatest fretboard markers of all time did - EMMONS - the atom. Can't get much more cosmic than this.[This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 07 May 2003 at 09:01 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 7 May 2003 9:28 am

I asked Billy Rudolph to make the legs and pedal rods 1" shorter than his stock dimensions. No extra charge for this.

I did the same. The standard height was a bit too high for me to play comfortably. I'm 5'8" tall.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 17 May 2003 1:24 pm

There will be a special feature article in the June/July PedalSteel.us Magazine on Williams Guitars

(Special thanks to Larry Beck for doing an exceptional job

) Sounds like a fine quality instrument to say the very least!

My2¢,
Terry

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PedalSteel.us Magazine

TheEarlyDays.com

and appearing regularly...aLotOfSpace.com
Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks... and Buddy Emmons on Bass!

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 18 May 2003 3:42 pm

No one has asked, but for the curious. The Williams uses a 24 1/4 inch scale, just like Zum, Emmons, and a few others.

Gary Preston · Post by **Gary Preston** » 19 May 2003 6:52 pm

gentlemen i just bought a new ''WILLY'' and i love it the sound is great and the sustain is unbelievable and it's a lot lighter than my ''SHO-BUD''thanks MR.RUDOLPH. G.P.

Jeff A. Smith · Post by **Jeff A. Smith** » 19 May 2003 7:53 pm

The Williams is definitely on my list of steels to consider in the future.

One thing that seems pretty unique (as far as I know) is that Mr. Rudolph charges the same price for a lacquer finish as a mica. Does anybody have an idea how he can swing that, or does he just love making pretty steels that much?

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 22 May 2003 7:55 am

I have never owned a Williams but one came to my home once and because the owner had a problem with it:
The reason for his tone and tuning problem turned out to be that the changer-scissor-finger-stop-plate was loose. Based on the design applied on this particular guitar it seemed to be something that could quite easily happen as this plate was attached to the endplates with the same screws that set the tension of the return springs. In other words, if one would have re-set the tension of the return springs, the plate the changer finger have to rest against may end up loose.
Besides, the guitar had in my opinion a stiffer action than most modern guitars today.
But it sounded and looked good.