In late '69, I bought a new Emmons P/P "fullback" with 9 and 2. It had two strips like Bobbe talked about. They ran from the front to the rear aprons and were of course black flocked.
It was obvious what these metal straps were for. Wide arpons on a PSG hanging in mid air have nothing to make them rigid. These metal straps was THE answer for that. Pulling strings on a PSG, creates a lot of stress on the cabinet and aprons play a role here. So the straps are important IMO.
8 years later, I gutted the guitar; corrected some factory "goofs"; and tried to install 9 more knee levers; and one more pedal. Much to my consternation, the metal staps got in the way of several of the new knee levers.
Since I rarely follow the policy of "live for the moment", I walked away from the partially assembled guitar and studied it for days and days, trying to figure away to "have my cake and eat it too!". In a word, "them straps were on there, and they are going to STAY there unless there is NO way around it!"
Months went by. I was about ready to do away with the straps, rationlizing "most other make guitars had never used them". Then has happened sooo much in my life, Jesus guided me to the Emmons booth at ISGC, and they had newer Emmons (of course) and they had the rear apron cut away. BUT they had a single strap going from front to back. But it was bent (offset) to account for the difference in heights of the two aprons.
Praise Jesus, THAT was the answer. So even though my guitar was designed for level straps, I took some 1" wide x 1'8" thick bar steel and bent them in the middle making and offset about 1/2" creating a step down towards the back. And installed them under the guitar. This then solved my knee lever problems. And since the straps were steel, the bend did not take anything away from the rigidity. This I liked. I didn't flock them, But I did paint them flat black. Looked great.
Interesting side bit about this guitar. I did NOT like the tone of the guitar from day one. NEVER did like it. So naturally I scoffed at all the P/P hooplah; even remarking negatively on this forum in the early days concerning it.
But about 3 yrs before I started posting, my friend in Atlanta, (Mac Atcheson) had loaned me a set of 19K PU's to try and get a better sound. Mine came with 14.5K. But I procrastinated and never got around to putting them in. "Them PU's aint gonna make that sound any better!"
Then I decided to sell the "stupid" guitar; after I got my LeGrande. When I got a firm bid on it, I thought, "This is not right, the sound of this Emmons' is NOT what this buyer is probably expecting. And this is NOT the Christian thing to do".
So I remembered those 19K PU's that Mac had loaned me. (I know, it takes me a while
, but Mac is the last soul on this earth to ever care. He is a prince of a man). So I dug them out and replaced them on the 69 P/P.
I wanted to cry. THERE was the sound. THERE it was. Could NOT believe it. Oh how I wanted to back out of the deal. But it was too late. I would not go back on a firm bid. So I gave Mac the 14.5K's (which he WANTED all along) and shipped the guitar to a lucky buyer. I got 1600 dollars for it.
A '69 Emmons' with 10 pedals, 11 knee levers, fat back WITH two straps and a sound to die for. And never played out of my house!
But ya know what. Our Lord said,
"To whom much is given, much shall be required". So I shipped it an never looked back. And the blessings flowed even more,
Praise His holy name,
carl
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by C Dixon on 23 February 2003 at 10:15 AM.]</p></FONT>