The Steel Guitar Forum

Over the last few weeks Mullen guitars have had forum members question the integrity of Del's latest model G2, and have also questioned the value placed upon my personal commitment to providing service, and sales for their older model guitars. I have personally known Del Mullen and Mike Mantey for several years now, not to mention his supporters like Herby Wallace, and the thousands of players that back their products. You will not find more committed individuals in the industry that have but one goal...and thats your complete satisfaction..
I would like to explain to you, my friends and peers, what it is that I, and Del Walters, are trying to provide for you through this forum.
My personal commitment began 2 years ago, when I decided that the lifetimes worth of playing experience that I had "bottled up" was not being shared....So, I decided to try and "give it all away" with my youtube channel...In time this turned into my first book..from there it was Mullen rep, repairman...and so on....And today...My total commitment to all of you, is a combination of "answer E" on most multiple test questions...ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Im a regular guy, a bit dysfunctional, but..I work hard, I play even harder..I don't like being misled, and I believe integrity is THE most important part of being a businessman(which those of you know me...know, I am not), and more importantly, a human being ...
I love steel guitar, its a passion..Im the guy that would welcome any of you into my home, and I would GIVE you anything I can possibly provide...Until you gave me a reason not to...I was raised in the South..
Recently an item I had for sale on the forum was removed because one individual just had to KNOW what made the guitar I was selling worth more than I purchased it for..MY Integrity was in question, and I found myself in a defensive mood. So in this thread..I will show YOU...some of the most common deficiencies I see in the guitars that I purchase for resale. Remember....You could have bought this guitar first...

This is a bent pedal rod attach point guide, The pedal energy transfer point to the cross shaft, and then to the pedal stop. Its deformed because the 5 guys that owned it before you used a wrench to loosen the collar at the pedal to set the height of the pedal. No part on ANY guitar leaves MY shop in this type of condition.


This image is your...CLEAN Changer..after 2 minutes in a freshly cycled solution sonic bath. Hershey's Chocolate syrup wont make this stuff palatable..and I have NO idea what these contaminants are..I wore gloves..

Your..."Working perfectly guitar" with a failed 4th string raise/return..that you couldn't possibly see, or identify, unless you purchased it, and had the guitar in your possession. This is the SAME changer that we just elected not to make chocolate milk out of!



These are just 3 pictures of a guitar that I PURCHASED...In order to refurbish into a guitar that I WOULD PLAY ANY DAY..And according to the seller,It needed nothing, and in all honesty, I KNOW thats what he believed... Am I angry because i bought this guitar, and it needs all these repairs to be as sound as the aircraft i fly every day?...No...But the time that I put into this guitar to make sure YOU DONT CRASH..IS worth the difference..And down the road, I will I stand behind, and guarantee my work.
Del Mullen not only designs great guitars, with Mike and Shawns support, they've run a successful business for many years. The G2 is the culmination of DECADES of hard work, testing, and refinement which have resulted the most innovative, easiest to service, best sounding guitars available today. I play them, I stand behind them, and I am proud that they support me...If you purchase A new Mullen from me, or a used guitar that I have refurbished, you can be sure that it will be more than right before I will put MY name on it....And thats what makes it worth the money..

Isn't this the very same reasons you take a used vehicle to a mechanic you trust before purchase ? Maybe thats a bad example. How about buying a "Certified Used Lexus" . It's peace of mind. For the dealer,it's just smart business. Some folks just don't get it Mick ! Rock on with your bad self. There will always be naysayers.

Mick's good people and his word is good as gold to me. I don't even know how somebody could knock a guy like Mickey or his work.

Or Mullen or any of the other pedal steels out there or any of the people on this forum....This place is here to bring everybody up, not tear each other down.

I have a lot of respect for Mickey as a person and a player. I've never even meet the dude in person but i can tell that he has a good soul and a whole lot of good kharma and lives a rad life because....he does a lot good stuff for people.

I have never met Mickey in person. We talked very briefly on the phone once. I feel I know Mickey as well as I know my best buddy here in London On.

Mickey, I chanced upon you on youtube.I believe you were demo'ing your newly acquired Mullen..I think some of the noodling involved Highway 40 Blues. I had no other info on you at that time, but I knew that here I have a man of integrity, willingness to share, teaching abilities and plain friendliness. I was not wrong.

Mickey, you know you have my undying respect and admiration.Your word is gold and in the end, your honesty and ethical ways will survive the controversy created by a precious few who have nothing better to do than whine.

I am still looking forward to the day when you send me an email saying that you will be landing at YXU and we can meet & shake hands.
as always with respect,
Bent

You'd think for what those refurbished Mullen cost, Mickey could at least bother to fix all those bent and deformed cross rods.

But seriously, I agree with Bent...though we've never met in person, I definitely trust Mickey. He's a good guy, and he knows what he's doing. For the amount of work that goes into thoroughly refurbishing a steel guitar (and the huge difference it makes), he's really not charging all that much for it.

Mickey -

I believe that the operable word is "integrity" - a concept which seems to have taken a back seat all too often and in recent times.

You apparently have more than enough integrity - the "right stuff".

Stick by your guns, son, for it's the proper thing to do.

Respectfully,

Richard

This forum sees posts from pro players and from pro builders/maintainers. It also sees posts from people saying 'Why don't more of the pro's post on here?' It is necessary to see and acknowledge the pro for what he is. The workman is worthy of his hire. Just because someone is a member of the forum does not mean that he has to work for free. A professional operator places a price on his services and displays the result on the market place - if anyone wishes to buy fine - if another decides that the price is too much that is fine too. There is no cause, no reason and certainly no justification for calling that workman out regarding his prices. If he has got it wrong then the market will let him know. Simply put, if you don't like it (for what ever reason), don't buy it. But don't forget, it is an offer to sell, not an instruction to buy.

I purchased a "refurbushed" guitar from Mickey a few months ago. He put my set-up on it and made sure everything was right before he shipped it to me.
The photo is from Perl-Jam 2010 here in Los Angeles and it was taken 2 days after I received the guitar from Mickey. I was then and still am "a happy camper" about the quality of his work and the more than fair price I paid for my Mullen.
JE:-)>

I bought this Mullen from Mickey last November. He rebuilt it and set it to my copedent. I play it an average of 4 hours per day, seven days per week...and I can honestly say it plays flawlessly. Of the many steels I have owned, this one has the smoothest action. Thanks Mickey for all you do and for the super you-tube videos.

I havent met Mickey either but talked many times. He has gone ABOVE and BEYOND for me in more ways than one relating to pedal steel. There will most definitely be a Mullen G2 in my future !! thanks for all you do for the steel community Mickey

Hang in there Mickey...I first saw you on You-Tube, that was all it took for me to think "you're a good dude"...I've enjoyed them all...will you ever 'tab' any of it?...Joking!!!

"Im the guy that would welcome any of you into my home, and I would GIVE you anything I can possibly provide...Until you gave me a reason not to...I was raised in the South.."

I was raised in the North. Yeah, we are more uptight here but we know a "mensch" when we see one. Mickey gives of his time and talents for no other reason than to help those who are learning. He buys and sells pedal steels and is an honest businessman. What I would have done for his knowledge 40 years ago when I was "young and eager!" I'm older, wiser and know a good thing when I see it. Thank you Mickey for sharing everything pedal steel!

I have known Mickey for about a year now. My 86 Mullen S-12 was one of the first he refurbished. He is a true friend. Integrity, is the cornerstone to Mickey. he does what he say he'll do, and more.

I not sure about the dysfunctional statement he calls himself, he seem perfectly normal to me. ( It might say something about my mental status though.lol) Together, Mickey refurbished for me, and sold over 15 guitar, this last year. I not sure how many Mickey has done in total. I never had one complaint on his work, or a complaint to whom I sold the guitar to. Nor in his dealings. That been my experience.

I know both of us are very passionate about pedal steel guitar, Mickey does things right before and after a sale.

I have had the great fortune of learning to play by Mickey teachings-great teacher. He has instructed me about the pedal steel guitars. I learned invaluable lessons watching, and helping Mickey refurbishing multiple Mullen guitars. I very proud to call him my mentor and best friend. That is also my experience. Thanks to you Mickey, Doc

So mote it be and
Amen

I don't understand why anyone would question this practice.

If a steel mechanic reconditions, adjusts or rebuilds a guitar before selling it, that is similar to a homeowner buying a home, doing necessary improvements and then selling at a higher price.......It's called sweat equity.

Most people don't understand just how time-intensive it is to work on (or build) steel guitars. I'm sure Mickey isn't getting rich at this. Fact is, steel "mechanic-ing" is a labor of love, not profit.

I have had the pleasure of being Mickey's friend for the last couple of years. Besides being a great steel guitar teacher and player, he is also a great guitar player.

There was a comment about a post that Mickey made where he changed out pickups several times in his guitar. Folks I can tell you that he has a relentless quest to get the best tone out there for him and his buddies. If you will recall, the two of spent hours comparing pedals and preamps as well. Not to decide which one is best but rather to help people make an informed decision on buying gear.

You will not find a more giving person anywhere. Whether it be time to repair or just to hang he is ready to be there.

Those pictures at the beginning tell it all IMHO.

If Mickey tells you something, you can take to the bank. Jody.

Mickey Adams is a stand-up guy. If he tells you something you can believe it, if he sells you something you can count on it being dependable and of the highest quality.

If I were in the market for another steel (it's always tempting) I would buy one that he went through and refurbished in a freakin' heartbeat.

I would certainly pay more for a used guitar that a steel expert went through and cleaned & adjusted it.

The fact that someone has questioned his integrity makes me mad. He has given so much to the steel community and is always willing to talk shop with novices and pros alike.

Casey

P.s. He picks a pretty mean 6-string too!!!

Micky,you have taught me more about steel guitar than you imagine.One thing the forum members may not no is you are the PIC.That means pilot in charge.If you take a person flying,you are responsable for that person.That's carries on thru every thing we do.I also am a pilot.That other thread has turned into a bar room brawl.Please think nothing of it.Elbo

Mickey Adams wrote:This is a bent pedal rod attach point guide, The pedal energy transfer point to the cross shaft, and then to the pedal stop. Its deformed because the 5 guys that owned it before you used a wrench to loosen the collar at the pedal to set the height of the pedal.

I know this is off-topic, but I've done that. What's the alternative? Removing the pedal rod and putting the hook end in a vise?

Brint, yes, exactly. In lieu of a vise, you clamp vise grips to the pedal rod and hold it, while turning the locking nut that hold the collar in place. That way, the twisting force is against your vise grip and not the pedal rod attach plate.

After reading Mickey's initial post concerning the fact that he withdrew his ad because someone insisted on knowing why he felt he should be compensated for his labors, reminded me that a similar situation faced Tommy Young when he developed his "mod". Certain individuals would badger him each time he posted a guitar for sale, insisting that he disclose his methods of improving the tonal capabilities of the guitars that he worked on. When Tommy refused to reveal his secrets, the next step was for these individuals to question the necessity, and even the validity of these improvements to the point where I have not seen a post by Tommy in some time. (I personally own a pre RP that Tommy worked on and for whatever reason, it is one of the better sounding guitars I have owned.) I feel it would be a shame for a certain few to discourage persons such as Mickey from working towards benefiting the many of us who sincerely appreciate their efforts.

To whoever is giving Mickey a hard time: regardless of your opinion of Mickey or what he does, basically what it comes down to is, if you don't believe that something is worth the price it's being sold for, then don't buy it, and shut up about it. If you don't think the work Mickey or other steel mechanics do to improve a guitar is worth paying extra for, then don't buy a guitar from him. If you think it's a rip-off, that's your choice, but don't insult anyone for it. It's basic respect.

All I can say is Mickey is ,one in a million, for anyone to have the audacity to question his work,motive, priceing, etc. is one of the minions who have little to no integrity, and/or are just a putz...bless ya Mickey and keep on doin what you do cause you have massive cloud of friends and supporters here. DON'T mess with the Mick or u be messin with all of us....nuff said...Stormy..

if there is anyone, who's top notch, honest, reliable & devoted, you de one Mickey !