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Clinesmith D8

Posted: 18 Mar 2008 9:02 pm
by Bob Hoffnar
On sunday as I was packing up to leave the Dallas show I decided to sit down at Todd Clinesmith's PA reissue D8.

Big Mistake !

First note I hit messed my head up. I'm thinking to myself "wow, this thing has got something to it"

I played it a bit and it just got worse and worse. I tried to walk away and only got 10 feet.

Within a few minutes of first looking it over I bought it.
I can not afford it and really have no use for another steel but what can you do ? I'm a weak man when confronted with such beauty.

Anyhoo, Todd made a heck of an amazing musical instrument and I hope I can do it justice. I had it on stage in Brooklyn within 30 hours of sitting down at it in Dallas. For weds night's gig I'll break out the Standell. Whoo Hoo !

Posted: 18 Mar 2008 10:42 pm
by Jussi Huhtakangas
Congrats Bob, and Todd too!!! :D Playing that guitar through a Standel will be a match made in guitar heaven!!

Posted: 18 Mar 2008 11:27 pm
by Andy Sandoval
Is Todd building a single neck version?

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 1:26 am
by Jussi Huhtakangas
Andy, here's a link to an older topic about Todd's guitars:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... clinesmith

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 6:43 am
by Tom Pettingill
Those PA's of Todd's are stunning, nice score :)

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 9:04 am
by Ian Campbell
What's up with Todd's website? Is it offline? Does anyone know what the wait time is for the PA reissues? Months, years, they look amazing.

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 9:31 am
by Bob Hoffnar
When I asked Todd what the wait time would be to get a new one with the name inlay he said 8 months or so.

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 10:57 am
by Todd Clinesmith
Bob,
Glad you are enjoying the guitar.
It was pretty funny to watch the magnetic attraction between Bob and the steel. He wanted to walk away but just could not.
After 30 seconds of playing the guitar , he said something like " why did I sit down and play this". I would have had the same experience if it was me. The next steel out the door goes to Mike Neer in NY as well.

Andy , I am working on the single neck lap guitar . There is a new aluminum pattern I am working on for the single necks that should be ready to cast with in a month. I imagine in 6 months I should be able to take orders for a single neck.

My website has been down ( great timing). The server I have been using is horrible and has been up and down alot over the last few months. I switched servers yesterday and they claim it will be up by today or tomorrow . Bob is correct . The wait is 8 months as of today. It will go up after a few more orders.
Thanks for the comments Ian and Tom.

Jussi thanks for posting the link. Those are basically the photos on my website.

10 string guitars are next. The 10 string patterns should begin casting this month . The first will go to Bobbe Seymour.... D10 with 8 pedals.

At the show I had my T-8 wood neck guitar that is basically a late 40's model.
I'll post a photo when Fed Ex drops it off (gently I hope).

Todd

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 7:07 pm
by Andy Sandoval
All my lap steels are 6 string except for my Ricky B-7. I've always had this idea of ownin an 8 string lap steel but could never decide on which one. I'm thinkin now I might hold off for awhile...

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 9:58 pm
by Eric Dunst
Howdy.

I just came back from Bob's gig... and let me say that Todd Clinesmith's PA reissue sounded incredible (It's possible that Bob had something to do with it).

Seriously, Bob, you sounded great! Thanks for offering to let me try it out. Maybe if no one else was there to witness I'd have accepted. I'll try and stop in at Tea Lounge on my way home Saturday after my gig. I hope that some of the other NYC forumites make the trip to brooklyn.

~eric

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 10:03 pm
by Bob Hoffnar
I just played a gig with the Clinesmith and my Standell. Just rediculous tone. In the morning I'm recording a radio show (WFMU) with Smokey Hormel. I'll post the broadcast times unless I screw up too much.

The thing that gets to me about Todd's steel is how it feels to play it. It sounds better than any straight steel I have ever played and there is nothing to push, fight or work around anywhere on the neck.

You lucky dawg!

Posted: 19 Mar 2008 11:38 pm
by Ron Whitfield
Can the bar come off the nut easily/quietly, or do the strings seat a bit/a lot?

Do the strings feed straight 'in line' from the board/nut to the gears?

Thanx

Posted: 20 Mar 2008 3:31 am
by Gary Boyett
Here is a picture from another thread showing the strings.


Image


Very nice indeed.

Posted: 20 Mar 2008 4:57 am
by seldomfed
Todd, great meeting you and playing your guitars! Fantastic sound. Thanks for letting me try them. I knew Bob was going to get the guitar! - you could see it in his eyes - congrats Bob -

till next time,
chris

Posted: 20 Mar 2008 5:52 am
by HowardR
yes,.....Bob was crazed....... :D.....he wasn't leaving the hotel without that steel......

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 4:27 am
by Joey Ace
Congrats Bob!
You and that guitar are a match made in heaven.

I spent a lot of time visiting Todd and playing his Resos. I felt that "magnetic pull" that kept pulling me back.

Lookin forward to doing it again...

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 8:21 am
by Todd Clinesmith
Ron, I seat the high strings more than half way into the nut. The wound strings are seated about half way in , depending on the gauges.

Chris , is was great to meet you. Also great to finally get my hands on one of Rick Aiello's Dustpans. Thanks for bringing that by. I hope Rick starts these up again, I will be first on his list.

Joey .... look forward to next time.

Fed Ex is a day late with my steel T-8 , I'll get a photo up tomorrow.
Looks like my web site is back up. I am in the middle of switching web hosts so it may go down again.
Todd

son of Bigsby

Posted: 22 Mar 2008 8:13 pm
by William Steward
Bob...glad this objet d'art went to a loving home. That D-8 is a retro thing of beauty that I kept walking by to look at as well! Listening to your new CD while looking out on a rather strange urban landscape of New Delhi, India and the soundtrack seems surprisingly appropriate! 8) Really enjoying the tracks. Cheers, Wil

Posted: 22 Mar 2008 8:26 pm
by Ron Whitfield
Thanx Gary, for posting that angle.

Todd, what's the meaningful differences between the all wood vs the wood and metal tops?

Are you doing/gonna do multi neck 10 stringers, and multi 10s with pedals?

Posted: 22 Mar 2008 10:13 pm
by Bob Hoffnar
I just got back from my 5th gig (busy week) with the Clinesmith D8 and I like it more and more as I get to know it better.

Great work, Todd. Thanks for building such a special steel.

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 11:14 am
by HowardR
Joey Ace wrote:Congrats Bob!
I felt that "magnetic pull" that kept pulling me back.


err,.......Joey,.......that was Todd tugging at your belt loop......you were liking his resophonic guitars too much...... :)

Re: Clinesmith D8

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 12:13 pm
by Alan Brookes
Bob Hoffnar wrote:...Within a few minutes of first looking it over I bought it...
As the man said, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Go by your gut feeling and jump in ! :D

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 8:12 pm
by Edward Meisse
If he hadn't, someone else would have. And he'd be reading about it here. How would he have felt then?

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:25 pm
by Bob Hoffnar
Edward,
I bought the steel after the show was over. Todd's spot was right in the lobby so everybody had plenty of chances to check out the Clinesmith steels. If I didn't buy it he would have packed it up and taken it home. If you want one I think that the triple neck might still be available. They are not cheap but they are worth it.
They are glorious instruments !

Posted: 24 Mar 2008 8:39 am
by Todd Clinesmith
Ron,
I will be doing multiple 10's and 10 with pedals. In the original style , with cables and traditional changers. The aluminum necks are a bit brighter, and the wood necks a touch warmer in tone.

Thanks again Bob. Can't wait to hear what you do with that steel.
Enjoy
Todd