The Steel Guitar Forum

The blue guitar in question was called turquoise and was a LLII model prior to having the decals printed. I built it! Just prior to that we built a hybrid that was short keyhead but with LL model changer, a color called wineberry and had some other test changes. He traded that for the turquoise, I believe. We sold it but always wished I'd kept that one. After the turquoise we built another prototype that was plank maple, just prior to the LLIII. His final Emmons while I was there was a black LLIII which I remember him playing at Ron's funeral.

Another of his guitars that came through the shop once, which I wanted to keep, was a PP that was covered with polished aluminum sheeting held on by screws which appeared as rivets. Not sure what it was about but surely different. I think Weldon was a quinnea pig for Ron's experiments.

I remember watching Nashville Now one evening and Weldon was at the steel instead of Wimpy. Weldon was playing what looked to be a Burgandy color Emmons. Perhaps it was the Wineberry steel Jack mentioned. It appeared to have humbuckers and his tone was killer, vintage Emmons tone; the head turning type! Many of you may remember Weldon's telephone number was listed in the Nashville Directory. I decided to give him a call to talk about that steel. We had a nice conversation as he highly recommended the Emmons 108N Humbuckers.

Jack is this the guitar with sheets of aluminum?

Just a FWIW statement.....I was privileged to be backstage when Weldon took his first Sho-Bud out of the case and checked the tuning, He was with Bill Anderson at the time on a show in Augusta Ga. Weldon told me that they went by Shot"s and picked it up on the way out of N-ville. I remember the tuning key,it had an allen wrench welded to a GM car key. Early 60s I think. I thought Ms Judi may like to hear an interesting "flash from the past" I'm sure she would remember being it was one of Weldon's first Buds.

Bill

In Winston's Manual of Style book Jimmie Crawford and Weldon talk about watching Shot Jackson build his first few steels with pedals built in and i think they bought 2 of the first 5 or so.

Robert, that's the one.

Yes Doug, that's the one. I loved that guitar and should have kept it.

Thanks Jack. You referred to some "test changes". Would you care to post what some of those were? Unless it's some violation of proprietary info, Perhaps, in the future, you could elaborate on the "Strayhorn Era" at Emmons in a different post; say in the Pedal Steel section. DJ

This photo is from Winnie Winston's book. Not sure, but I think Weldon might be playing the lacquer steel that I own.

Where are his lap steels?

Or his standard guitars? I think he did a bit of recording around Big Spring in the 1950s on electric guitar before he bolted to Nashville.

30 plus years ago, I saw a photo of Weldon on stage with Buddy Holly. It was published in a European magazine devoted to vintage American rock and roll music.

Just a snapshot, from probably circa 1955 or 1956.

As I recall, Weldon was sitting down in a folding chair, playing a lap steel. I think it was a single neck, probably a Rickenbacher.

Does ANYONE have that picture??

I've been trying to find it for 20 years with no success.

I do believe this one fits the bill, a great sounding guitar, a 65’ Wraparound!

I know this thread is old, but I thought I’de show the 65 wrap of Weldon’s I have thanks to Kelcey O’neil, and My 71 fatback played by Weldon on the opry/ with area code 615 on the Johnny Cash show.

Very cool Silas, Its nice to see an old thread brought back up and extended,its one of the features that the Forum affords, and I appreciate all of the history.

Weldon was a dear friend and mentor to me. He got a new guitar almost every year. I played many of them but my favorite and the one I've always wanted to own is his first Emmons. The 65 wrap with split tuning. I actually got to play it at his house once before e sold it.

I used to own the 74 that Nathan Golub now has. there is a story to that guitar. Mike (Cookie) Jone had his guitar stolen when he was with Barbara Mandrel and needs a guitar quick and he contacted Welden and Welden sent him that guitar. Shortly after I sold the guitar Cookie called me up and asked if I still had it. He wanted to buy it back. So I'd say it must have been a pretty good guitar.

Does anyone know what instrument Weldon used to record Fairy Tale by the Pointer Sisters?

Jack Hanson wrote:Does anyone know what instrument Weldon used to record Fairy Tale by the Pointer Sisters?

My guess is a 74ish wood neck emmons. He used those in the studio alot around that time.

This first picture was from a magazine published in the UK. It's hard to see the color of this guitar. (Hal Rugg and Sonny Burnette in background)


This is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken over the last 60 years. GOO 1965 or'66, Weldon on his ShoBud, with Hal Rugg and Shot Jackson looking over his shoulder, Spider Wilson on guitar. Man, those were the days!

Roger Rettig wrote:Who's got my favourite Weldon guitar - his teal green Emmons LeGrande? He was playing it on the Opry in the mid-nineties when I met him and said: 'I decided I wanted one that would stand out on TV'.

Teal looks amazing illuminated by good overhead par cans. I had a Mullen with that same mica and it was, for a plain solid color, gorgeous under the lights.

Hi Bruce; Ricky Davis here.
This is such a great picture of Weldon playing his Sho~Bud Permanent.

Do you know where that one ended up?? Who has it?? What happened to it? I've been looking for it; as I want to put it back in the lime-light as that is actually the Pedal Steel he recorded backup on original "Once A Day" with Connie.
Also that D-10 Sho~bud in the middle that Hal Rugg played is so cool to see and Shot Jackson's Single-10 cool finish Permanent.>wow; what was that event. At that time in '65; Weldon had his Wrap-around Emmons, so maybe this was just before he received it??
Any help appreciated.
Ricky

What a great thread! Weldon played with as much authority as anyone who ever sat behind a steel guitar.

Always loved his sense of humor, too…