Domland Stereo (Revisited)

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 8 Aug 2010 4:37 am

Hello everyone!
This is my very first post here as I'm a new member as of yesterday. I have a question for all of you here and hope there are some folks out there that can assist. I have a Domland Stereo PSG that I picked up and am starting to refurb it. The guitar has seen some use and mods over the years and is actually a good sounding unit despite what it's seen over the years. I've checked the Forum archives for info and found a few posts about these but nothing in depth. What I would like is some pics of other Domlands if there ARE any out there for comparison on mine and also any help in the setup and adjustments for this guitar. Basically ANYTHING anyone has out there that will be of assistance in my quest for returning a unique PSG back to as close to stock as possible. I'm sure these are a rare bird these days, not sure on the year of mine but estimate it to be a 60's model. It's all cable drive and lot's of pedals but no knees ( It looks like they were there once but removed ). Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance and glad to be a full member now and not just a lurker in the weeds.
Bill

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 8 Aug 2010 4:56 am

How about YOU start posting a pic or too of your discovery?
You might get more feed back.

.... J-D.

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 8 Aug 2010 5:08 am

JD,
Just as soon as I get my camera back from my teenage son I will gladly post some pics of my find.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 8 Aug 2010 5:14 am

Bill Rode wrote:JD,
Just as soon as I get my camera back from my teenage son I will gladly post some pics of my find.

Good luck with that, Bill. Wouldn't it be easier to just buy yourself a new one?

... J-D.

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 8 Aug 2010 10:38 am

Okay here are some pics of it as I received it. I have since removed the LED light bars used for fret position reference and switch box that controlled them.

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 8 Aug 2010 12:38 pm

Nice looking wood. A lot of extra body behind the changers.

Larry Baker · Post by **Larry Baker** » 8 Aug 2010 3:53 pm

positioning the volume pedal looks like it would be a little tricky?????

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 8 Aug 2010 6:53 pm

I seem to remember having seen that guitar somewhere sometime. Must be many years ago. I checked ALL my stored pictures, but to no avail, sorry.

I am afraid this one will raise more questions than answers.

One thing I would like to know is what the little switches (?) along the top neck's changer are for?

The whole guitar seems a strange mix of Wright Custom/Bigsby era design (the wood, the rounded end plates, the fact that some strings seem to bypass the changer mechanism...) mixed with a touch of 1970's tech looks.

What does the undercarriage look like?

... J-D.

Dave Simonis · Post by **Dave Simonis** » 9 Aug 2010 5:42 pm

Bill,

Here's a few pics of a Domland I kept on my PC for the reason I liked the look. I believe I got these off Craigs List a few years back - maybe even belongs to a forumite? Not sure -

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 9 Aug 2010 5:56 pm

The little things along to top of each neck were ( as they are now removed )LED's for what looked like position marking in dim lighted areas I'm guessing. They were controlled by a box of 3 way switches at the rear of the top changer area. All this was home made and hard wired and soldered to pc boards, mounted to aluminum channel and screwed to the guitar. I was non-functioning when I received it and since it was not stock I removed it all.
Also non of the strings bypass the changer it must be the poor picture angle causing it to appear so.
Bill

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 9 Aug 2010 6:00 pm

Thanks Dave for the post and pics you have. If it's no trouble could you email me those so I may see them better for restoration considerations on mine please? I need undercarriage views especially as mine has the knee levers removed.
Bill

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 9 Aug 2010 6:51 pm

Bill, that is a cool looking guitar! It appears to have birdseye maple in the body. Think you could get some nice clear under-body shots as well? The solid look of it makes me think of the Blanton style of building. If it sounds as good as the Blanton, you got yourself a winner. Could you do me one more favor and weigh it? Easy, you know, use your bathroom scales.

Thiel Hatt · Post by **Thiel Hatt** » 9 Aug 2010 7:02 pm

Many years ago I had owned two different Domland Pedal Steel Guitars which I bought from Don Edwards in Denver Colorado. The first one was cable operated and had ten pedals and four knee levers. The last one was rod operated and had ten pedals and seven knee levers. Both had the single dual coil pick-ups. I got a lot of miles out of the rod operated guitar. I no longer own it but it is still around and still in good playing condition. (A pretty good instrument for it's time)

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 10 Aug 2010 2:52 am

This one has some very good looking wood and I think will clean up nicely. You gotta love Birdseye Maple!! This baby weighs a ton, Brent I'll weight it and get some more pics up in the next few days.
Thiel thanks for the input on the Dom's. Wish you had some pics of them, especially the cable one as mine is cable controlled. I keep getting the Don Edwards reference along with Willy Domland as the builders of these. Are they still with us or have they passed? Sure would be great to get some insite from them or family on the history of these fine guitars.
Bill

Thiel Hatt · Post by **Thiel Hatt** » 10 Aug 2010 7:39 pm

Willy Domland was the one who actually built the instruments. Don Edwards was the distributor through his Music Store. Don worked with Willy on ideas and changes and improvements on the guitars and was a real lover of pedal steel guitar. I'm not sure of the where-abouts of Willy Domland now but Don Edwards passed away several years ago. I knew him personally and had great respect for his upright dealings with his customers.

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 11 Aug 2010 6:51 pm

Bent,
Here are some updated pics for you. A couple underside shots and how it looks now WITHOUT the LED's and switchbox.
Still wondering about why no knee levers, looks like there may have been some but not there now. Hmmmmmm

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 11 Aug 2010 8:01 pm

Thanks so much Bill. Cables wow! Sure has that solid look to it.All we need now is a sound sample!

Dave Grothusen · Post by **Dave Grothusen** » 12 Aug 2010 3:55 am

Dick Meis being from Denver may be able to help with questions. Do a search here to find him. He does have a web site.
In 1967 I went to Denver to Don Edward Guitar hoping to pick one of these up and wound up buying and MSA, the only pedal steel he had in the store. It was a good choice.

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 15 Aug 2010 10:16 am

Still looking for any help from you folks here on the forum, any and all help would be appreciated.

John Bresler · Post by **John Bresler** » 15 Aug 2010 8:18 pm

Dick Meis' web site is www.pedalsteelguitar.net.

I was talking to Dick just a couple of weeks ago about the late Chuck Edwards Domland steel and he knows quite a lot about them.

Dicks phoine number is also on his web site.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 15 Aug 2010 8:32 pm

Terry Bethel used to play a Domland. I know we talked about it a long time ago, but I forget what was said. Maybe TB will chime in.

I'm looking at a Domland brochure I got back in the 60's. Now that I know more about steels than I did in 1966, I can see elements of Paul Bigsby and Chuck Wright, as was mentioned earlier.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 15 Aug 2010 10:38 pm

For some reason I've always thought that Don Davis is playing a very early Domland here, but were any Domlands really made that early on? The clip is from ca. -55:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_esNDABJ53s

Bill Rode · Post by **Bill Rode** » 16 Aug 2010 3:33 am

I sent an email to Dick Meis via his website but still haven't heard back from him. Herb I'd be very interested in seeing that brochure of yours as well.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Aug 2010 4:49 am

Jussi Huhtakangas wrote:For some reason I've always thought that Don Davis is playing a very early Domland here, but were any Domlands really made that early on? The clip is from ca. -55:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_esNDABJ53s

Davis is playing a Daland steel guitar. Very rare, I've only seen one in my life, but I recognize the logo. Bradshaw says only a few were made.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 17 Aug 2010 10:53 pm

Wow, thanks for the info Herb!! I've never heard of Daland, do you know who made them??