The Steel Guitar Forum

I bought this no-name S10 3 pedal 1 knee off eBay many years ago and I'm ready to sell it, but I don't know who made it or what it's worth. Any comments from the group would be appreciated, and any offers will be considered if you are so inclined...


for more pics go to:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... mId=486947

The nut rollers at the key end look similar to those used on a Multi-Kord as well as the legs, fretboard and the body of the guitar.

I wonder if someone hasn't built one in a home shop using some parts salvaged from other guitars??

It looks to be well done from what I can see.

I clicked on the links for more pictures with no results.

Best of luck

Danny, this was a kit steel guitar that was put together nicely, but only a beginner guitar that was sold in music stores.

Any idea of the age or who made the kit? It's in really good shape and I would guess the 70'S or earlier.

There is one link to the pictures and it's working from my computer(s). Maybe a firewall is blocking it or something on your end.

Thanks to you both for the input!

That looks almost exactly like the kit I built in the late 70's.Never did get the thing to work right. Gave it away. ..PJ..

Chris,
When I click on the link a big ad for "My Space" comes up, but nothing else.

Maybe it's because I'm not signed up for it, or as you say my computer might be blocking it.

Papa Joe, do you remember where you got the kit?

Danny, the pictures are from my MySpace page and you shouldn't need to be logged into the site to view them. When they load you do see a huge MySpace header but then if you scroll down the page there are lots of pictures.

It could be a Market-Rite kit PSG. They were sold in the 1970s. The owner had to assemble the guitar and finish it. The last one of these I saw was put together very 'sloppily' by it's owner. Things didn't line up properly and the finish looked terrible. The one posted here looks pretty good though. As I remember, the kit sold for $149 in the 1970s.

Thanks Doug.

I've been provided with some info that this is a "Little Buddy" made by a company in Michigan.

Maybe it was a kit and sold under different names?

Chris,I don't remember the mans name or the product name[for sure],but I think it was a Market-Rite.I drove up to the guys place in the northern lower peninsula Michigan.Paid $200.00 as I recall.If I hadn't had some mechanical expertise I would not have been able to make the thing work at all.The problem was getting it to return to pitch.It always seem to hang up somewhere.I cleaned and polished parts and added more springs until It worked good enough to learn to play on.Then I got my Blanton and gave the kit to a guy that I didn't like ..PJ..
BTW,I still have the original pickup..I replaced it with an Emmons.If that guitar has an Emmons pup in it,it might have been mine.The finnish looks the same..

That sounds right, Papa Joe. I'm pretty sure that Market-Rite was made in Michigan by Freeman Cowgar, who later made Cougar pedal steels.

Chris, have you played this guitar does it stay in tune?

Not sure about that, Jack.

I just brought it back from my warehouse last week and set it up to take pictures. It's been so long since I bought it I really don't remember how it behaved then except for it played and everything seemed to work.

I guess I need to change the strings and clean her up and play a little so I can answer that question!

Thanks to all for the very helpful comments.

Here is what I found today based on what I learned yesterday:

Market-Rite is a brand name of Market-Rite Guitar Company, a Michigan-based manufacturer of pedal steel guitars. Company existed in the 1970s and was selling guitars as a build-it-yourself kit for a relatively low price, suitable for students. Later name was changed to Cougar Steel Guitars, which ceased to exist in 2003 due to death of its owner.

Product lineup
There are 2 known products:

Mark I: E9 chromatic tuning, 3 foot pedals, 1 knee lever

Mark II Thinline: EC, 10 strings, E9 chromatic tuning, 1 knee lever, 3 foot pedals, Roman numeral position markers, chrome tuners, one single coil pickup, 1/4" output jack, red and black covering

http://www.elderly.com/items/185U-198.htm

I still haven't found a picture that exactly matches mine but I think this is at least on the right track.

I also found a bunch of posts in the old archives that suggest that some of these kits were assembled at the factory which could be what I have here, and why it seems to be of better quality.

So now I know what it is. I'll probably just sell it for whatever I can get on ebay and focus on the Multi-Kord.

I'm done, peace and chicken grease to all!

I had the Mark I kit that I purchased from a Guitar Player magazine ad back in th 70's for $149.00.

Thanks Len.

Does anyone have any pictures of a Market-Rite that looks like this one? I am really curious to see a similar model for comparison. I have yet to see another one with the black pedals...might be a clue for when it was made.

Market-Rite sounds correct. I started on one of these a couple of years ago. It was a hand-me-down from a great friend. He's actually a machinist, and had little problem assembling his years ago. I even had aluminum leg sockets he had milled for it. Same guitar, and I too still have the pickup. Swapped my coil for a True-Tone. Should have kept the TT coil. Ha ha! BTW, mine did have the black pedals and 1 KL for Eb/D (2) and E/Eb (8) changes.

I am interested. I am looking to spend the $200 that I will be receiving in a week for a lap steel that I just sold.

How much do you want for it?

Chris,

I may have a buyer here in VT if Mike doesn't want it.