The Steel Guitar Forum

Todd -

How do the two styles differ in tone (47 vrs mid 50's)?

Hi Tom,
Tone is hard for me to describe. The differences are slight.
The wood necks have a slightly warmer tone,and tend to have a tighter sound. where as the aluminum has a bit more zing and almost reverbial type tone difference.
I like both. right now my main guitar is a D-8 wood necks /aluminum key heads. My next guitar will be a T-8 with cast aluminum necks.
Thanks for the interest
Todd

If you have access to Facebook, look up The Note Ropers page, it has 4 songs available for listening. Just go to the page and click BOXES. I recorded these with a D10 Clinesmith non pedal, thru a Gibson GA 20 amp with no effects. It sounds to me like the engineer might have added reverb to the overall mix though. Todd builds an amazing guitar.



Mike

Todd,

Beautiful guitars! Do you have any plans to build any guitars with the keyhead style changer ala Bud Isaacs?

If not, could the cable guitars be set up to pull three strings with one pedal like Bud's tuning?

E
B----C#
G#---A (pedal one)
F#
D----E
B----C#(pedal two)
G#---A
E

Thanks! Chris Scruggs

PS, on a non steel related side note, could you (or do you know of anyone) who could make authentic personalized Bigsby-styled guitar pickguards, ala Billy Byrd's L-5 or Lefty's J-200?

In re: Custom pickguards

If you follow this link, http://www.mirabellaguitars.com/ and navigate through their page to the services/pickguards page, you'll get a taste of their work. They are the finest makers of custom pickguards that I know of. Give them a call.

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the comments. I do not plan on using key head changers. I have thought about it, but the cost of making these would out weigh the interest. The later cable mechanics can pull 3 strings at one time.
As far as inlay in a pickguard goes. I would take a pickguard to a laser engraver,or CNC shop with the font or scanable drawing . They should be able to scan it and engrave it . Wood would work best for the laser since it is basically burning out the cavity. A CNC with a small bit would work too.
There are probably a few shops in the Nashville area that could do this for you.
Todd

I'll have my new Clinesmith on a quick swing through the south with Wayne Hancock:

Mar 11 The Bank & Blues Daytona, Florida
Mar 12 Pastimes Sarasota, Florida
Mar 13 Kreepytiki/ Monterey Club Ft.Lauderdale, Fl
Mar 14 Backbooth Orlando, Florida
Mar 15 The Chop Shop Lakeland, Florida
Mar 17 The White Mule Columbia, South Carolina
Mar 19 the Earl Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 20 Matty’s Alley Nashville, Tennessee

check his myspace for details

http://www.myspace.com/waynehancock

Chris Scruggs wrote:Todd,

Beautiful guitars! Do you have any plans to build any guitars with the keyhead style changer ala Bud Isaacs?

If not, could the cable guitars be set up to pull three strings with one pedal like Bud's tuning?

E
B----C#
G#---A (pedal one)
F#
D----E
B----C#(pedal two)
G#---A
E

Thanks! Chris Scruggs

That's how Buddy Emmons' Bigsby was; that tuning and pulls with cables, not keyhead rods. Definately no problem at all.

Just got home from seeing/hearing Mr. Hoffnar's amazing guitar. I'm now just one, little winning lottery ticket away from ordering one...

Truly a thing of beauty in all respects.

Vance Terry had this Isaacs tuning, correct? Was it a keyhead or cable changer. Aluminum necks?

Another question... Todd, will you offer a single neck 8 string pedal guitar?

Ray Montee has the Bud Issac's string changes as described above.....on his quad Bigsby with 6 pedals.
You can hear "Steelin' Away" on YouTube......as much like the record that I was able to produce at age 18-20. You can also hear "Swinging on the Steel" via the Heck Harper Television Show. True BIGSBY sound with a 1950's Fender 4 x 10 Bassman amp.

Hi,
Vance had a similar tuning. Two pedals, one pedal for each string change. Kinda back wards of the usual split pedal:

E
C# lower to B
G# Raise to A
F#
D
B
G#
E.
Metal necks with cables . Here is a photo. Notice behind him the Magnatone Triplex too.
I may offer a single down the line. A single on a double frame would be easier, but I have considered it.
Ray your Quad has all the classic tunings, you have cherished it, and best of all made it sound great. I'd be a proud owner
Todd

Thanks Todd!

I swear I hear some 4-note diminished chords on Brisbane Bop, but I don't see it on Vance's tuning (unless he pushed that low E forward with his thumb??)

I'll listen again.

I think he's playing his 19 pedal Wright on Brisbane Bop.

Vance used two or three different Wright Customs on those Brisbane Bop tracks, but I don't think he used the 19 pedal monster on those yet. That was a post mid 60's guitar and those recordings are a bit earlier. I have a couple of pics with that band in a tv-studio around that time and the Wright he has on those is a T8 with six pedals.

That makes sense to me, since it doesn't sound like he's got a ton of changes on the guitar he plays on Brisbane Bop. Jeez, I can only imagine what he could do with 19 pedals. Did he record with that guitar on anything we may have heard?

Careful, this might get bumped to the "Pedal Steel" section!

Since you're talking about Vance and Bud, I found these tuning charts in an old Tom Bradshaw steel newsletter from 1968. It was in the case of an old Wright Custom S-10 that I bought (and eventually sold) years later.

Mike and Jussi:

http://picosong.com/nKn

Above link is Vance at a live gig in 1983. This is likely the pink Sierra with all the pedals.

delete

Hi Mike, hope all is well with you.

Thanks for posting that image of Vance's tunings. I remember reading the threads Vance posted when he was staying with you; in fact, I read one again just a few days ago and it is where he said he played his Wright guitar on those gigs with Jimmie Rivers. I'll bet those pedals drove Vance nuts, too.

Mitch, thanks for that clip. I love the way the anticipation builds for Vance's solo. Got any more?

Here is a link to that old Forum post ... Vance posting on Mike Black's account (about halfway down the page), giving a history of which guitars on which recordings:

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/000816.html

Did anything come of the Terry vids or further live material?

I was fortunate to track him down by phone on a good day for him right near the end, maybe even that fateful day, and he was great in conversation.