The Steel Guitar Forum

I bought a Black D10 Legrande III (E9 compensator) S/N 1785L from Al Brisco in Ontario, Canada the fall of 1998.
I think he took delivery of it in late August that year.
Still sounds great!
George Webb

I picked up a Legrande last fall in Guelph, Ontario. It's black with S/N 586L.

Ron it looks like our S/N's are pretty close!

Ron Funk wrote:Could you fellas help me zone in on year of manufacture of Black LeGrande D10, 9 + 6, with silver pedals.

Serial Number 596L

Bobby Boggs wrote:John in the 800's and 900's I've seen both 4 and 14 hole bellcranks as we know them today. Hal Rugg got the first 14 hole crank guitar. serial # 6xx. I have the 2nd. Serial# 6xx and Jeff Peterson has a 6xx or 7xx with 14 hole cranks. Both Hals, mine and likely Jeff Peterson have the thicker machined 14 hole bellcranks. Mine was delivered in late Oct 1990. But was held up because Ron wanted to go with the 14 hole cranks due to the amount of 1/2 tone stops I had and I load my pedals and knee's heaver than most. Especially for that time period. Otherwise mine would have arrived earlier with 4 hole bellcranks.

Edited to say I'm sure their were a few more machined 14 hole bellcrank guitars than the above mentioned. But I have no idea how many. Also I seem to remember seeing several Lashley Legrande guitars with the counterforce that were branded Lashley Legrandes. This was in the very early days of the counterforce. And they may have even been Labeled LII's. Again, this was a long time ago.

I have an LL2: s/n 7xx that has the thicker machined14-hole bell-cranks

Emmons / Lashley LeGrande purchased circa 1992 stamped 859L. Grey Burl mica with 14 hole bell cranks. Three knees were added to the C6 by Jim Palenscar around 2015 and now it sits as an 8+8.

Tony G.:

Interesting to see those heavier-gauged bell-cranks! I had completely forgotten this but, several years ago I found that, on my E-Eb lower (LKL in my case), the bell-crank was breaking at the weld (close to the cross-shaft). It would fracture at first and then, under strain, the crack would open up and 'let go'. It was a pain-in-the-neck because it always happened when I was busy, usually wnen I was away 'on the road', and would require me robbing my C6 neck of a bell-crank so I could soldier on.

Passing through Nashville on the way to my FL home, somebody suggested these heavier bell-cranks. I'm not sure who - maybe Bobbe Seymour but it's more likely to have been Dave Robbins at that particular time. If memory serves me right, they were an after-market part and were of a much higher quality than the standard BCs that came as standard om the guitars. I believe that they're cast in one piece and not welded. Whoever did the 'mod' for me had worked out a kind of linked double-bell-crank arrangement - I can't illustrate it here because my steel is currently in transit from the UK - that removed all tension from the function.

I haven't had any trouble with it since and, as I said, I'd quite forgotten it until I saw the photo above.

Hey,
I've got a Cayman Green Emmons Lashley LeGrande II.
Serial No. is 1600L.
The original owner told me he thinks it's from somewhere around 1994. Could this be right?
Best,
Artur