The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wondering how many of you play a BMI? I've seen a few ZB owners on the forum and haven't noticed a couple of BMI pickers. I have a great vintage BMI D10 with 7 knee levers... serial #229. I can't seem to find out when it was made. I've had no luck getting a response from BMI yet. Anyone have any idea just how old it is... so far I'm told probably early 70s.

My S-10 Ser. # 1024 is from 1983.
Question is, are there different sets of numbers for the different models (S-10, D-10, 12 stringers) or just one sequence for everything that came out the Beck shop.
Of course my info doesn't get you much of anywhere but its a piece of data.

I play 2 12 keyless and getting an all wood body 12 keyless.

Dan(BMI)

when i first started playing steel i bought a used
B.M.I d-10 steel in racine wisconsin for $600.00
it was a 70's model it was a great guitar sounding
like a emmons. but, it was alittle to much for me at
that time. i would love to get another after all these years

p.w

Frank, I don't think your's is an early seventies model as you have the large logo which came later. Mine is a middle seventies vintage and came with the smaller logo. Mine was originally all black mica but I added an oak veneer strip to the front and the molding in the middle to give it a little more character. I can afford another steel but I see no reason to replace my BMI as it does anything I need it to do, stays in tune, looks good, and sounds great...........JH in Va.

Dear Frank,

I found a stray pedal steel guitar, a BMI S-10 of uncertain date, at Blues Angel in Pensacola, and I took it home last September. I believe it's from the 70's, and it has an odd pickup, single-coil type, that screws into the frame through rubber cushions at each corner. It's my first PSG, although I am expecting a D-10 in a transaction with another Forum member.

The BMI is a fine guitar, and it's grown on me as I progress and treat it better. I had two new knee levers installed so it's now 3 floor and 5 knees, and that's plenty for now. The guitar sounds good, strings break only rarely, and it keeps in tune quite well. I'm not surprised to hear others are also very positive about their BMI's.

John

I just sold this S-12 (with armrest; not a real SD-12)

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

and have a black S-10. One is 0225; the other is 0260. I don't remember which is which. It's my impression that the 0200s are fairly early...depending on when exactly BMI started.

I traded a 12 string e9th Sho-bud for a B.M.I. s10 serial #1105 i love th sound it has and havent broken a string since changing to Jagwire strings, i usually play them till they become dull.....
jerry

I have a black mica BMI D10. It is my first PSG and I'm madly in love with it. I actually had a converted Sho-bud crossover for about a week, but I took it back and traded it in and got the BMI. Stays in tune, sounds great and looks super cool. I'm still very confused why the BMIs are relatively so cheap. Mine cost half what a comparable Emmons does, surely it can't be HALF as good?

Abe,
We feel that BMI's steel are as good as any of them out there. At one time we were producing more steels than any other in the "Student Market." In fact, Zane Beck saturated the market with student models in the hope that they would come back for our Pro Models. That never happened, or at least it didn't while he was alive.

Zane died to soon, before he had a chance to be appreciated for his talent and his ability as a builder.

We have had to fight the reputation of the "Student Market" syndrome ever since. Even though great artist like Julian Tharpe, Speedy West, Zane King, Cowboy Eddie Long and Robby Turner have all played BMI.

The most sought after ZB's are the scranton models.
All of our guitar models were designed by Zane himself.

All I can tell you is preception is everything and we are trying to change that.

We are the cheapest on the market compared to the others.

We haven't raised our prices like everybody else because we know times are hard and money isn't as easy to come by as it once was.

We call our steels, "The Working Man's Steel" because we believe our prices fit the working man and we believe we are providing an excellent product for the money.

Thanks for playing BMI,

Dan Burnham (BMI)

A big amen to that...JH in Va.

Dan... "right on"! I absolutely LOVE my BMI. I've had a go at Sho-Buds & Emmons in the past and none have impressed me more than my own BMI. It's a great PSG, stays tuned and plays smoooooth. Thanks for the great feedback from everyone so far. Keep'm coming... BMI players, "stand up and testify!" Wasn't that one by Mel McDaniel? LOL

Count me in

I am proud to be a BMI dealer. I play a Blue D10 8+8 BMI and like it very much. It sounds super good.
I would post some photos but it is on stage at the Little O' Oprey at this time. Edit: I brought it home to re-string so here is a photo.

Jerry

Count me in too. S10 3x4 My very 1st pedal steel. I still have it. I don't know the exact year, but it's surely a very rock solid instrument. Beautiful tone too.

I play 2 BMI steels. One was probably made in the 70's, the other Don custom built for me in 2007.

They are both great guitars, and have covered many miles / kilometres with me.

Easy to work on, stay in tune well - reliable instruments.

Damien

My black BMI D10's serial number is 386. I was told that it was probably early 80s.

Well, here's my D-12 with 8/5. Serial number 758




It was built January 15, 1981. It has always been very reliable. For years it was my main guitar and it never let me down on a gig. It still plays well, and sounds very good.

Cheers!
Benton

I play the little black 1979 S-10 that's been converted to keyless that's been posted on the Forum which was purchased new in 1979, and my old workhorse which was built in 1978. I bought it from Zane at Scotty's in 1980...it belonged to Darrell Owens of CA. It's an all-maple D-11...a rare bird. It has Zane's hand-wound, tapped pickups in it and will bring a tear to a glass eye. I put a lot of food on the table back in the 80's with this guitar. It's the model with all the holes drilled into the right endplate and the full-length neck rails screwed to the changer head. I will never sell this guitar!!! You can purchase it from my executrix when I'm looking at the roots instead of the tops!!!
PRR

I have two BMI's, an S10 3x4 and an SD10 3x4, I also have a Emmons SD10 and A Sho~Bud Pro1, the little Black S10 BMI is one of the sweetest playing and sounding. The BMT's are very underated
Wayne

I have an older 3 x 4 BMI.

I keep it in Florida , where I spend the winters.

I added two of the kneelevers, and attached an armrest.
This is my second BMI . I sold the first along with a volume pedal , pack-a-seat, tuner, and all my books ,records etc., for way too little money when I decided to go to Florida.

After moping around with withdrawal symptoms, my wife suggested that I buy another steel.

I didn't hesitate, and found a steel on the forum; a Dekley.

Later I bought this BMI to keep in Florida, while the Dekley resides in Pennsylvania.

I really like the BMI. It's all I need, and the sound is great.

Dean

This is my BMI. The original owner was Larry Petree and then Nick Beason and then me. This is a sweet old axe and I really enjoy playing it. Being serial # 055, I would assume it was made in the 1970's. Larry, if you are online could you elaborate?...rj

Rick - My D-11 has serial number 0178. It displays the same full-length neck rail and the endplate configuration as yours. The pickups are different, but Zane was always experimenting with pickups and coming up with new ideas. Darrell Owens in CA bought the guitar new and I believe it was built in 1978. I bought it in 1980 and Zane told me it was two years old at the time. Maybe Darrell could jump in here and clarify this...or Dan or Don. Your guitar may have been built in 1977...just a guess here based on the number of guitars Zane was building at the time.
PRR

I have a BMI D10/12 ~ 8 pedal/5 lever & power-boost pickups, #0288, that was definitely built in 1978. It looks quite similar to yours and the logo and wood laminate are the same.

I have traditionally had no luck with contacting BMI via email. Direct phone contact is usually the only way to get a response and even then, it may take several days to reach someone.

Russell

Hi Frank, I play a BMI SD-10. It was a Jimmy Day setup when I received it, but my friend Bent Romnes (on the forum here) helped me turn it over to an Emmons style setup. I learned a lot about the workings of a pedal steel doing this, and I have to say BMI's flat-bar design is simple and very effective.

Jerry Hayes wrote:

Jerry, I see the ME-50 on the floor there. I've got one too. I don't use it for steel much (unless I want a bit of delay), but I use it a lot with my six stringers. Also, is that a Peavey Classic 50 there?