The Steel Guitar Forum

Been playing a carter starter for a year. Just wondering how many are out there and any problem that I might need to watch out for. Thanks chip

Chip, If you have been playing it for a year, I would assume that you would have noticed any problems to look out for. I have never had one, but I hear that they are great guitars for the $$. I think John and Bud and the rest of the fella's make a fine instrument. I am sure that Boo Miller will correct me if I am wrong, but I do recall that he played one professionally for a time while his guitar was in the shop for repairs. If someone of Boo's caliper plays one and likes it, I am sure that you will also. Have fun with your Carter

Edited to correct the name

Don, I am Ben , he's Chip ..and you are Don

Now that we have that straight..hehe...how popular? very. Ive seen many fine players play em at gigs.
any problems...well yes, but as Don said if you've been playin yours for a year I wouldnt be concerned.
heres the problem , and I THINK (not sure) its only with older starters.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=131653

I just wanted to add something. Carter more than any other manufacturer it seems takes alot of heat. Some of it is directed at their customer service, which I found outstanding and never had a problem with, but alot of it is directed at the starter. I personally feel that the Starter is a service to the steel guitar community that goes largely unappreciated. No other manufacturer has so adeptly taken into consideration some of the elements that inhibit new players from taking the leap on a strange and expensive instrument like the psg, and addressed them so well with such a fine and reasonably priced product. I think that is something to be considered and hopefully appreciated. Their pro guitars I'm told are amongst the finest made....they didnt HAVE to make an affordable guitar aimed at drawing in beginners..but they did, and for the most part they did it extremely well. I imagine and hope it has been financially successful for them and wish them many many more sales.

Well said Ben,,

When I decided to try out pedal steel I was not willing to spend 2k on an instrument that I wasnt even sure I would be able to play. I was however, willing to try 650$, so I bought a starter. After a tour and some recordings I realized I was hooked and got a GFI ultra from Blackie Taylor. So in a way GFI and Blackie owe carter for my purchase, same with fender peavey and Keith Hilton.

When I started playing 6 string I got a cheap hondo guitar, and it paved the way for better guitars after I learned the basics. I never would have started with a 3k$ vintage strat or a new 2k Les Paul.

Carter has allowed steel guitarist to get their feet wet without drowning in debt. All these new Carter Starter players that continue and upgrade are helping keep steel guitar alive.

I wouldnt recomend one to a seasoned pro,, but then again there not called Carter "experienced player guitars".


with the kit they get you up and running with equipment,, a brief intro to the theory of the guitar via dvd, course recommendations to get you out of the basics, and a clear mind that you didnt make a foolish purchase.

Thank you Carter for allowing me to get into the pedal steel world!

absolutely no regrets on buying mine.. and

I wish I still had it as a back up

I bought a CS a week ago, to keep at the rehearsal house, so I can keep my pro Carter at home. I bought it used, with the volume pedal. The CS has a few major problems that I can see. The 1st is the LKL stop, which is ridiculously under-engineered- it is a roundhead screw,when the lever hits the screw, it bends towards you. I put a 5 cent medal bracket there, took 2 minutes and works much better now. Problem 2 is the large amount of travel on the LKR(lower e's). I have not tried to change the rods yet, maybe I can adjust it better. The gig bag is another weak point, they rip very easily.

The starter does stay in tune, plays accurately, and sounds pretty good. It is a really good starter guitar, and well named. A few inexpensive tweaks really help it out. JP

We at Steel Guitar Nashville have sold well over a hundred Carter starter student guitars. We have had NO problems with these guitars, no returns, no warrantee work needed. I sure wish I could say this for some of the famous name brand "pro" guitars.
These little guitars are the most wonderful thing to come onto the market in many years,,,,,,,,,,for the money!
I know of several that are being played professionally, every night with NO problems, only complaint I have ever heard was that the E to Eflat knee wasn't as smooth in operation as the other levers.
Over all, this is a wonderful guitar,,,,,,,,,,,,,,(for the money)

Bobbe

I found John Fabian's rationale for the guitar very compelling. You can get into a pedal steel for, say, $700, play it for say 2 years, and if you decide to either sell it and quit, or sell it and buy a pro model, you can still get about $500 or so for it used. So that would end up having cost you $100 per year to own this guitar, or under $10 a month! What other instrument in the world can you even RENT for under ten bucks a month!? It's a 'no-brainer' (as long as you've got the $700 to get started).

* I think I just talked myself into buying 3 of them and renting them out for $25 a month to guys who want to try their hand at pedal steel... Hmmm....

The one design flaw that jumps out at me on my CarterStarter is the fact that the tuning nuts for the lowers are not aligned properly in the tuning window of the endplate. They are actually a bit below the lower lip of the tuning window. I don't know if its on all CStarters, but on mine, you have to bend the tuning nut up a bit to get the wrench on it--not good.

NEWS! Because of this thread, I am doing a fresh video on this guitar, some fast stuff, slow country favorites and some fingerstyle things.
Danny Bentley and Terry Crisp will also be in this clip, it should be finished today. We'll put a link to it.

This would be a GREAT second guitar for any pro player along with it's intended perpose of helping the beginner get a fully equiped instrument for a fourth the money of a pro guitar with the same levers and pedals. Tone? Seriously, it's better than a lot of pro guitars that cost five times as much. Proof is in the video. Then if you figure in the weight, this is an incredible guitar. There are many places this guitar fits in a players needs that no other guitar will be as good. Dependability is a strong point also.

Keep watching for this demo link on this little guitar.

I also might add, I'll sell them for less than anyone anywhere at anytime, and we have many in stock.
This guitar is doing a lot to promote steel guitar the world over, remember, this is the best steel in the world for those that can't afford $2000.00 for a comparable pro guitar.

Seriously, I could and would play one on any steel show, club gig, or even a session. I'd miss the C6th neck, but they don't make a D-10 Carter starter. If they did, I'd have to have one.

I have made this post to help promote steel guitar, not to make money as I'm selling these guitars at near wholesale. Let's all help to get steel guitars into the hands of those that need them and aren't exactely "flush" at the moment.

Demo here: www.steelguitar.net


Bobbe

Bobbe,

I had a Carter Starter for a year when I moved up to a Carson Wells SD-10. The Starter was exactly what I needed to try out and take lessons with for that year and I enjoyed it a great deal. A few small things I could critisize but on a 1-10 I rate the Carter Starter a 9.5. The LKR did have too much travel to it and I adjusted it as the John Fabian CD said to and it helped pretty good. I bought mine used and then threw the gig bag in the dumpster first thing. I bought a case from Carter and then followed directions that were supplied on the John Fabian CD and enjoyed the process of learning with a great teacher here in San Antonio. My Carson Wells is a great guitar and I enjoy it more than I thought I would but do think a Carter Starter is well worth the money at under 1000.00. If I had it to do all over again I would do the same thing.I had a psg, 2 small amps, all for less than 800.00. One other note is that John and Anne Fabian were very helpful to me even tho I had bought my Starter from an individual. They do business the right way...

bobbe is such an angel.....!

Bobbe, have the knee levers been improved on the newer starters? I agree that I could use my starter on a gig, but the long lower lever and imprecise raise would take away a lot of the fun factor. Not picking a fight here, just wondering if Carter has fixed the 2 weak spots on an otherwise pretty decent guitar. Thanks, JP

Jim, No, it's the same, it works, but doesn't feel positive like a new GFI Expo or equivelent guitar.
However, this is a VERY easy mod that anyone (almost) can take care of.
We have a couple of fixes that we can do to the guitars that help both of the most important knees, but even in stock form, it's a very workable steel.
Don't you agree?

Bobbe

The demo on this guitar I promised you guys is on my webpage, click on it and it takes you directly to youtube.
I play, Danny plays then the great Terry Crisp plays, (and very well too!)
It is a 10 min long video but is worth it to the prospective buyer. Just seeing Terry play "We Could" is worth the wait!

www.steelguitar.net


Bobbe

The only beef I ever had about the Starter was that Carter refused to sell parts to anyone other than the owner, and they refused to sell parts to enhance its capabilities. I've taken some heat from John and Ann over this, but I sure wouldn't want to buy a cheap new car only to discover I couldn't buy a replacement headlight or the like. I think the guitar speaks for itself and has most definitely opened a lot of doors to 'new' players at a time when there really aren't any alternatives. There are no more Maverick's or any so-called 'student models' out there at this point in history that are even worth a mention. The Starter IS getting people involved in the steel guitar who might otherwise just pass it off as a 'too-expensive' instrument to get involved with if they were unsure of their abilities. I would only encourage Carter to lighten up on their parts policies a little. I have mentioned in prior posts that I set up a Starter for a dear friend of mine who had just 'had his chest split' during a heart by-pass operation. His doctor absolutely forbid him to lift anything heavy for at least six months. I won't get into the details...they're unimportant now. I made do with what I had to work with. The guitar is very job-playable now and I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to play a gig with it. There are players out there with extenuating circumstances and a bit of cooperation along these lines would be welcomed I'm sure by others. That little Starter is a fine effort IMO. Since my customer got a bit hacked and bought a new GFI, I've been trying to con him out of his Starter for 'reasonable' price. It remains in his closet, but he won't sell it to me.
PRR

I also sell the CS at MSP Productions Steel Shop. I'm planning on buying one for myself to play at future steel shows before to long. The CS is a little powerhouse package. I ran the last one I sold through a FSK w/DD-3 and the buyer couldn't believe the tone. For a beginner guitar, it's much more in my opinion.

The GFI Student Model and the Stage One both seem like viable student or starter level guitars too.

The great thing about the Carter starter is the tuning, it has a simple raise lower mech. Tunes just like any pro model. Not so with Zum, GFI Maverick and all others.

By the way, these guitars have a full warranty, if you get them from any authorized dealer. Parts are no problem to the purchaser through the dealer.

Haven't seen a Carter Starter guitar that needed any parts yet. And we have sold many many of these guitars.

Tried to find any Maverick parts lately? Red Baron Parts? How about Dek-lee Parts? Sierra parts? C/S parts are pretty easy to get comparativley. very easy for a dealer. As easy to aquire as the regular Carter or Magnum steels.

Bobbe

Right on, Billy. When I worked on Carl Tucker's Starter, when he came to pick it up, I played it for him thru my RV-3 and into my Evans FET-500. I had installed the 'short Uni' tuning on it and he was amazed at how it sounded. As I recall, that pickup was designed specifically for that guitar. For what the guitar costs, it definitely will do the job and is capable of projecting a quality sound. I found that by cutting back the highs a bit and leaving the lows and mids set the way I play my guitars with, it sounded pretty awesome.
PRR

I started playing lap steel about 1954, had a Fender double neck with Doc Martin installed "Bud Isaacs" pedal until I built my first homemade Multichord type pedal guitar with the horizontal pull fingers at the left end and played it until about 1959 when I built my first ShoBud permanent copy again homemade. It was a D8, later I rebuilt it to a D9 then finally a D10. It had 6 pedals and no levers. I had to tune the 8th string down 1/2 tone to play the solo in "Another Bridge To Burn". Not until 1980 when Zane Beck traded me a new BMI in exchange for me building his kitchen cabinets (lake cabin) did I have a truly good guitar. I would have been one happy guy to have had a Carter Starter through all those years leading up to 1980. I am a Starter dealer and teacher and have ordered several Starters for students and I have played them quite a bit and I find no fault in them whatsoever. It is a great value.
Jerry

I have an arsenal of pro steels that I attempt to play. And then I ran across a CS for $400 a few months back. It came with a seat, cords, nice bar, and a Goodrich 120. How could I not get it? Well, it isn't a pro unit but darn if it isn't a nice to take to a lot of places - if only just to practice on. If I'm doing an overnight business thing, then playing the CS in the hotel room sure beats watching TV. Yeah, I miss the back neck but, really, so what? And I keep thinking and agreeing with what others have said. That is, this is a great steel to begin learning on. Dang, a steel with three down and four up and cheaper than a lot of guitars? You bet.

I've got one and really like it. Mine's about 18 months old and has the same LKL problem, I'll have to try the mod suggested earlier. I managed to adjust the LKR to where it seems more comfortable, I've never played any other PSG model though so don't have anything to compare the travel to.

Has anyone had any problem with using an unwound 6th string? The manual reccomends a wound one. I've recently noticed loads of intonation problems on this string. Is using an unwound one to blame or is it something else? I get some cabinet drop effect but only on that string, no other strings suffer the same problem?? I haven't got round to trying a wound one again yet, as I've been trying to investigate the other reasons for the problem.

Apart from that, I'm really impressed with the sound and it's definitely got me really excited about getting better at playing.

Robbie Roberts wrote: Has anyone had any problem with using an unwound 6th string? The manual recomends a wound one. I've recently noticed loads of intonation problems on this string. Is using an unwound one to blame or is it something else? I get some cabinet drop effect but only on that string, no other strings suffer the same problem?? I haven't got round to trying a wound one again yet, as I've been trying to investigate the other reasons for the problem.

Going back to a wound 6th string will cure the intonation problem and make the Starter play better. The wound .022 has the same core wire as the .011 3rd string and requires a lot more movement to hear pitch differences.

Thanks John, I wasn't sure why it made a difference. That makes sense. I shall get hold of some wound .022s asap.