Fender PS210
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
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Russ - You said it all!!! The added screw acts just like a "bump" rod.
I was thinking it over last night, and there theoretically would be a way to balance a tandem pull on these guitars. If you wanted to raise 4 and 8 to F, you could over-raise the 8th string with the raise tuning screw, then add a lower-tuning screw to bring it back to F. That would force the 8th string mechanism to start moving at about the same time as the mechanism on #4, and depending mostly on string gages I guess, would stop at the same point or close to it. The drawback here is that the compression-type balance springs in a PS-210 changer are short. And while they are adjustable, a pull like this could be pretty unnecessarily stiff. I have never tried this on my guitar, but I think I will just to see if the idea works or even comes close.
PRR
I was thinking it over last night, and there theoretically would be a way to balance a tandem pull on these guitars. If you wanted to raise 4 and 8 to F, you could over-raise the 8th string with the raise tuning screw, then add a lower-tuning screw to bring it back to F. That would force the 8th string mechanism to start moving at about the same time as the mechanism on #4, and depending mostly on string gages I guess, would stop at the same point or close to it. The drawback here is that the compression-type balance springs in a PS-210 changer are short. And while they are adjustable, a pull like this could be pretty unnecessarily stiff. I have never tried this on my guitar, but I think I will just to see if the idea works or even comes close.
PRR
- Dwight Lewis
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- Alan Brookes
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEDWX:ITThomas Colvin wrote:There's one on ebay now. What do you suppose they're worth?
It went for $3,226. I'm sure it would have gone much higher except for the eBay rules which bring auctions to an end while the bidding is continuing, and which to me makes no sense whatsoever, for both buyers or seller.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0545189693
Anyone know who bought it?
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Alan - That guitar was either a deal or a steal depending on your perspective. It was and is worth much more.
Where are all the other remaining PS-210's? I do know that Bill Nauman owns one, Gene Fields still owns his one-off prototype, Basil bought his from Forumite, Al Gershen, in Oregon USA. Where are all the others hiding? They must be out there somewhere.
PRR
Where are all the other remaining PS-210's? I do know that Bill Nauman owns one, Gene Fields still owns his one-off prototype, Basil bought his from Forumite, Al Gershen, in Oregon USA. Where are all the others hiding? They must be out there somewhere.
PRR
- Alan Brookes
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- Jerry Hayes
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Blackie's PS210
When Blackie Taylor opened his store in Garbage Grove ..oops...Garden Grove, a new location in nearby Orange Co., saw the "Fender" logo on a D10 in the showroom, but had no idea at that time (mid '70's?) it was a factory guitar. I figured he had modified his own horn to suit his playing style, keyless inclusive, It was during his grand opening where I saw some well known steelers play with band members inside the store. Maybe BE among them? Or was it 'Reece? Memory fogs up. �
- Jerry Overstreet
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The blue 8 & 12 guitar. I think this one has the fretted front neck and may have been Gene's personal guitar.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... nder+ps210
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... nder+ps210
- memphislim
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Paul, brilliant idea, and yes, it does work! Tried it last night. The only caveat is, like you say, stiff action on the pedal. I did this to time the 3rd and 6th strings which are way off originally. Now they are timed perfect. I did have to change the leverage on the pedal to make the stiffening less noticeable. I'm going to change that even more and hopefully this will be a permanent, usable improvement.Paul Redmond wrote: I was thinking it over last night, and there theoretically would be a way to balance a tandem pull on these guitars. If you wanted to raise 4 and 8 to F, you could over-raise the 8th string with the raise tuning screw, then add a lower-tuning screw to bring it back to F. That would force the 8th string mechanism to start moving at about the same time as the mechanism on #4, and depending mostly on string gages I guess, would stop at the same point or close to it. The drawback here is that the compression-type balance springs in a PS-210 changer are short. And while they are adjustable, a pull like this could be pretty unnecessarily stiff. I have never tried this on my guitar, but I think I will just to see if the idea works or even comes close.
PRR
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end of PS210
Gene told me the death of the PS210 was because CBS stopped building all pedal steel guitars
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Reviving this old thread out of pure curiosity (and because...even though I don't play 10 string steels, just my trusty 9+2 Fender 400 "Sneakycaster II" - and because I keep hoping I'll stumble on one somewhere, somehow.......)
Did anyone ever compile a list of the "known" 210's? I still wonder how many are missing - just sitting in a a case in someone's garage!
Did anyone ever compile a list of the "known" 210's? I still wonder how many are missing - just sitting in a a case in someone's garage!
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional
- Jerry Overstreet
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There are some articles and interviews in the old Steel Guitar World Magazine concerning the PS210.
In one of those, Mr. Gene Fields relates some of the details of how he came to design it and build it.
He states it was in 1968 when he took on the project, but doesn't say when the first one was released.
Somewhere, in one of those magazine articles, either Gene or someone else associated with Fender at the time, states the quality of the metal parts was reduced after CBS acquisition through Fender's wanting to reduce costs.
Gene also states that the PS210 was the first Fender model with knee levers and when the request for everybody's different set ups came in, they didn't want to become a custom build entity and decided to stop production of the 210 and all pedal steels.
I can't recall which issue that was in...I'd have to go through the whole stack again and I'm just not up to reading all those issues kiver to kiver at the moment.
Basil probably has the best info on the PS210 around here and he may have even related the years and build count somewhere in this massive thread.
In one of those, Mr. Gene Fields relates some of the details of how he came to design it and build it.
He states it was in 1968 when he took on the project, but doesn't say when the first one was released.
Somewhere, in one of those magazine articles, either Gene or someone else associated with Fender at the time, states the quality of the metal parts was reduced after CBS acquisition through Fender's wanting to reduce costs.
Gene also states that the PS210 was the first Fender model with knee levers and when the request for everybody's different set ups came in, they didn't want to become a custom build entity and decided to stop production of the 210 and all pedal steels.
I can't recall which issue that was in...I'd have to go through the whole stack again and I'm just not up to reading all those issues kiver to kiver at the moment.
Basil probably has the best info on the PS210 around here and he may have even related the years and build count somewhere in this massive thread.
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They were first sold in 1970, and I believe they were offered up to 1973 or 1974. The price back then ($1500) wasn't bad compared to other pedal steels, but selling less than 20 of them in 4 years didn't speak well for their success. They cost more to make and assemble, and even the custom configurations (from 8+1 to 5+4, a max total of 9) couldn't sway buyers.Jerry Overstreet wrote:There are some articles and interviews in the old Steel Guitar World Magazine concerning the PS210. In one of those, Mr. Gene Fields relates some of the details of how he came to design it and build it.
He states it was in 1968 when he took on the project, but doesn't say when the first one was released.