The Steel Guitar Forum

Good evening folks. I was wondering if there is anyone in the central Florida area who plays the universal tuning and would be willing to let an inept player...that would be me, try it out. The idea of the U tuning sounds really interesting, but I am hesitant, along with being much too poor, to buy one without knowing what I am getting myself into. I am willing to travel and promise to wash my hands very well before I touch your steel. Additionally, I will probably pay for lunch, or dinner, in return... if you happen to be hungry, that is.
Thanking you in advance, whoever you might be,
Duncan

Duncan, that insatiable curiosity will get you in trouble yet I bet there are Uni players here somewhere...just try to control youself when you get down to Desert Rose this winter
Regards, Stan

There's none that I recall that have ever come to the FSGC jams.

Like Jack said there haven't been any who have joined us at our FSGC jams.
I know of two of our friends who play a Uni but they are in the Tampa area and I'm not sure they play anymore as I haven't seen them in a couple years.
Good luck.
Don

Duncan, I am not in Central FL, I live near St. Augustine. However, I do play a U12 with the Jeff Newman setup. If you are ever up this way, or if I get a gig down that way, I would be glad to have you try it out.

John L.

Larry Bell he lives in south Fl. he has three, Shobud, fessondon, and I think a Emmons. Larry has been to the fl. club a couple of times . Larry is a very good player, he is up north doing the Patsy cline show, or will be soon. His Bud has a broken pin right now but will be fixed soon.

ernie

Ernie, thanks for reminding me. Larry did pick at one of our club shows.

Larry is not in Central Fl, tho. He lives in Inglewood (south of Sarasota).

check with floyd lowery..he has a Carter u12.that you could check out the tuning. He lives in Deland. email alabamafloyd@embarqmail.com

Thanks to everyone who responded. I really appreciate the help. I've been really busy the last few days, but will contact individuals soon to try a U out.
Again, to all who posted, you have been a great help.
Duncan

I was almost certain Roy Ayers plays a U12. ?
Guess not. Surely someone would've mentioned him.
james

My house has been on the market for two weeks and as soon as it is sold we're coming down somewhere between Leesburg and Zepher Hills. My daughter lives in Leesburg and we're be there a lot. Let's keep in touch. Larry

James, Roy does not play a standard universal tuning. It's a 10 string with a custom tuning on it, sort of a non-pedal tuning that has been adapted to pedals. He also has a lever to change the tuning to something else.

Maybe Roy will chime in on this post and tells us about his tuning.

Thanks Jack,
I'm glad to hear this.......I was begining to think I was seeing and hearing things. I knew there was more than the norm of pedals. Didn't count the strings, but just assumed, by the way he plays that it's a universal.
What ever Mr. Roy calls it, it's just plain beautiful!!!
james
btw, I know what you do when you "ass u-m-e" something!

Just a simple old E 6/9 with a lock-in lever that changes it to an A6. I have 6 pedals and 4 knee levers. The first three pedals and the 4 knee levers all raise or lower from 1 to 4 strings, and pedals 4, 5 and 6 are the same to my A6 as the 5, 6 and 7 pedals are to the standard C6 pedal copedent. No chromatics, but I can get any chord in the book -- almost all chords consisting of from 5 to 10 notes. As Jack said, my tunings are two of the non-pedal tunings I used for about 50 years before going to pedals about 15 years ago. Mitsuo Fugi will be adding a left knee vertical to my 10-string Excel in St, Louis in September, giving me a second inversion of a flatted fifth.

But, it is so non-standard, who cares anyway.

That's quite a set up, Mr. Roy.
Thanks for sharing that info.
I do love to hear you play, and right, who cares if it's standard!?
james

Roy's setup sounds pretty good to me. He can , as he says , get C6 3 main 3 pedals on his A6, and his E6/9 on the first 3 pedals, all on 10 strings. That Excel is lightweight and easy to carry around too...al

Thanks, guys. That little Excel was given to me in St. Louis three years ago by my wonderful wife as a SURPRISE present for my 75th birthday. She had found a file in my word processor named "My Dream Guitar" where I had written specs for a steel I hoped someday to afford to order. Knowing that I really admired Bill Stafford's Excel, she sent the specs to Bill, he forwarded them on to Mitsuo Fugi and coordinated the building of the steel with Mitsuo. Mitsuo had brought it with him to the convention by prior arrangements with Laurie. And -- NO GUYS -- she does NOT have a sister.
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Edited to say:
Duncan -- I apologize for hijacking your thread, but I couldn't resist as I seldom get an opportunity to boast about my Excel.

Hello Roy,
As someone who is an incessant "thread hijacker", myself, please feel free to hijack anything I may post. From your posts here on the Forum you actually appear to know what you are talking about and have a lot of good information to share, as opposed to most of my inane ramblings.
Going back to my post, thanks to the assistance of the great folks here on the SGF, I have been in contact with some folks who live near me and have very generously offered to let my try out their universal. So, I guess we can close this one up, unless you gentleman want to continue the discussion.
Thanks again to everyone, Duncan

Duncan-Larry Bell is in that part of Florida and he is an expert on the Universal, and a great guy. I am sure he will help you out if he can get together with you.Look him up...al.

Duncan,

Al knows of what he speaks. Larry is a simply great steeler; one of the very best and one of my favorite stylists.

When you get an opportunity you should attend one of the Manasota Steel Guitar Club sessions the third Tuesday of each month in Bradenton. And the Florida Steel Guitar Club (Jack Stoner and Don Sulesky) will resume their jams this Fall.