The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey guys, Just wanted to share my pleasure having received my Emmons S-10 4/4. When I purchased it a couple months ago it was in pitiful shape, but the price was right. The individual I purchased the guitar from highly recommended Dana Flood, an Emmons expert located in Bangor, ME. (Email address: pedalman2@yahoo.com) to do the much needed repairs. Well, I'm happy to say, it was a good move. As you can see in the pics, he completely went thru the guitar and then some. The guitar was originally wood grain formica with some unwanted holes on the topside and back. On my last minute request Dana resurfaced it with new BLACK formica. Dana was very helpful throughout the process with his in depth knowledge of the "push-pull" emmons guitar.
Oh, and yes this thing is a "tone monster"!!javascript:emoticon(':)')
Happy picking,
Leif

Having a problem sending along the pics...?!!Picture file

nice. i like that he put the bracket to guide the pull rods. that keeps it neat and solid.

i had a black single emmons 4+4 back in the seventies...had the decal logo emblem....probably 69 or earlier. my first 'real' steel and i wish i still had it.

I do not see the advantage of that fabricated guide strap if it requires bending the pull rods for strings 3 and 4. I would rather those rods have a straight pull than an artificially indirect pull because of the after-market guide. He could have used Emmons bellcranks for guides the way a factory job would have -- or a factory authorized repair person.

Also, why the Sho-Bud bellcrank? Didn't he have the correct parts?

As for the modified pedal cranks - I hope you are happy with them. I guess that is what is important.

Chris - I would suspect:

1] ...that the Sho-Bud bell-crank was used to get a a little more leverage to for a 1st string whole-tone raise

2] ... the fabricated guide is cheaper and easier to use for rod stiffening than individual bell cranks, which are increasingly short supply

Chris Lucker wrote:I do not see the advantage of that fabricated guide strap...

My thoughts are along the same line, only for a different reason. "Tightening things up" will sometimes reduce the sustain, as it dampens vibrations that are being transferred from the string into the changer finger. I've heard the small wire "links" connecting the pull rods to the changer fingers on a p/p were actually designed to keep the vibrations in the changer from going into the pulling train and then into the aprons of the guitar, thereby improving the sustain.

At any rate, as long as the guitar pleases you, that is all that's necessary.

Real nice! The rod guide and new bellcranks for the pedal rods look like Albert Johnson's work.

Definitely not kosher if your a vintage P/P purist, but extremely nice workmanship nonetheless. I'm sure it plays and sounds great.

I notice he also shrink-wrapped the pull-rod wires 'a la Lynn Stafford.

Well, yes I do get a whole tone on the 1st string. Also, you'll notice that there are no return springs, that's because it makes the p/p easier to play, less tension on the pedals and knee levers. When I commissioned Dana to do the repairs I explicitely mentioned I wanted neat straight lines under the hood. This guitar's mechanics are quiet which I to me is a big plus! Purist? No, I'm not a purist, I encourage and demand improvement to a design if it improves playability. I do not believe the tonal quality of the guitar has been compromised in any way with the installation of the rod alignment bracket. This guitar is definite the best guitar tonally I have ever played and I am very please with it.
Sorry, I took so long to answer any concerns, but I was busy playing the Emmons pedal steel guitar!!! Leif

I see you have that have the "pedal" return springs off (I do that on pedals 1 & 2 sometimes), but you still have "changer" return springs which are essential to the mechanism - without them lowers would never return to their open notes.

FWIW, if I went to all the trouble to add those new "pedal-cranks", I'd have taken it one step farther and gotten rid of those crappy rod ends that Emmons has always used. It is the one aspect of the P/P that I've never liked.

Again, kudos to Dana Flood for a very nice job.

Tony, you are correct. Changer springs are still intact. Also, your comment for kudos to Dana Flood is appreciated also, thanks...

I want to thank everyone who left comments. I appreciate the input!
Again thank you,
Leif