The Steel Guitar Forum

I have a 72 6140 built by Paul Franklin. It was set up for C6 when I got it, I converted it to E9. I removed 2 pedals and added 4 knee levers.

James, you characterized the 2-hole puller as an upgrade from the rack system. In what way? Your parts are beautiful, but how would they improve the R&B system?

Mind you, I'm not issuing a challenge: I'd just like to know.

Thanks.

Gary Patterson wrote:James, you characterized the 2-hole puller as an upgrade from the rack system. In what way? Your parts are beautiful, but how would they improve the R&B system?

Mind you, I'm not issuing a challenge: I'd just like to know.

Thanks.

There's only the amount of metal necessary to activate the needed change. You don't need a bracket with 22 holes and a lot of metal to pull only one string.

With the two hole pullers there's a lot less rattle and clank, and more importantly less overall "slop" in the action, although that's not to imply that the R&B guitars don't play just fine, and they are certainly easier to make copedant changes on. On the other hand, on a loaded 8+4 D10 with R&B there is less (read "no") room to add or reposition knee levers, vs. one with pullers.

My 6140 has serial number 1026 on the body and end plate, but doesn't say "6140" anywhere. It has 6 pedals located somewhat to right of center from the player's perspective. No KL. Wood wrap around neck with zig zag inlay. No "Baldwin" sticker. It had tone and volume controls with a coil tap switch, currently removed (the TrueTone I have in it doesn't have a coil tap, and those pots in the circuit don't help the tone -- I had bypassed them prior to removing them).

Jack

My very first steel was a 6139, purchased at Nick The Greek's Music and Antiques in Boulder Colorado in 1972. Straight E9, 3 x 1 at purchase. I played it on Larry Hosford's first two albums, and over time modified it quite a bit... As can be seen in these photos, I had the end plates cut and widened (the joint in under the "Frenchy's Steel Guitar Emporium" sticker)aadded maple and an wrist pad, and by the time of these shots had pumped it up to 4x4. What a great tone that thing had! These pictures were taken in about 1982, and also show the Dekley that was put together for me by Jim Gurley (I got a "cost endorsement" as I was on the road with Lacy J. Dalton at the time). I was turned on to Dekley by Wally Murphy, who at that time was with Asleep At The Wheel. Also shown is my beloved Webb 614E that Jim Webb built for me (I still have the "owners's manual" and sales receipt, which I am going to scan and post because it is quite a crackup); I picked up the amp from Jimmy at the factory in Antioch, which was only a short drive from Santa Cruz where I was living then. Over the years, I stupidly sold everything in these photos- and believe me, I kick myself every day!

Daniel,
Just read the post on your guitar and thought I would furnish the information I have. I haven't done this for a while because it was taking too much time.
Your guitar, Model 6140 ser. # 1384 was built 8/10/71
Built by L.T. (don't know who) Checked by Shot Jackson
I think, that's what the initials look like. It was shipped 11/2/71 to Hal Leonard Music in Winona Minn.
I don't have a date but it was sent back to the factory and refinished because of a (crack in right end). That's all that's on the production card.

I just opened the case on the 6140 that I have here. It's serial number is 7992. It only has room for 5 pedals. The rack stops are on the front apron and it has the wood wrap around changer. It belongs to a friend of mine who wants me to add 4 knee levers sometime.

Here's one for sale here in Melbourne :
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SHO-BUD-PEDA ... 4ab976a4f8
All my resorces are going towards a Vintage Martin at the moment or this would be mine .

Gene Haugh wrote:Daniel,
Just read the post on your guitar and thought I would furnish the information I have. I haven't done this for a while because it was taking too much time.
Your guitar, Model 6140 ser. # 1384 was built 8/10/71
Built by L.T. (don't know who) Checked by Shot Jackson
I think, that's what the initials look like. It was shipped 11/2/71 to Hal Leonard Music in Winona Minn.
I don't have a date but it was sent back to the factory and refinished because of a (crack in right end). That's all that's on the production card.

Hi Gene,

Thanks for posting the info on my guitar.

Best regards, Dan

I also have a Sho~Bud 6140 S10 with six pedals, the 5th one of which was blocked and had no knee levers. Didn't know poop about a PSG when I bought it so it didn't matter. Now, I can't understand why one would disable a pedal but maybe he was driven utterly mad trying to figure out the function of the other 5 pedals, ha ha.

The ubiquitous Jim Palenscar re-enabled the blocked pedal and reset the copedence as follows: F A B C E D, which works for a newbie just starting PSG who wouldn't know what to do with a knee lever!

After I got my sealegs and some understanding of PSG I found I could learn 99% of the stuff taught by the pros on YouTube or DVD. Only problem was, without KNLs, I had to do the cha cha cha dancin back and forth on the pedals on certain songs especially those that required the F or FA pedals in combination with the others. Needed three feet at times! Now I'm ready for some KNLs! Jus sayin. Johnny