The Steel Guitar Forum

Just got my Bolt-On back from Mike Cass last week. It looks like it just came off the showroom floor. And of course since he set it up, it plays just like butter. I had recently bought this from a fellow forumite who had been working on this to restore it. I sent it to Mike Cass to correct some problems that it had and to add some knee levers, and change the original type fretboard to a later model with the white outline which I feel is easier to see when playing in dark conditions. The guitar came back set up to my copedent with 8 floor & 9 knee levers. The work is just awesome. All of the problems I mentioned to him were fixed along with problems that I hadn't mentioned to him. If anyone needs work done on their guitar check with Mike Cass. Outstanding work, not to mention looking great also. Regards,
Louis

Ditto!

He's the best!

Congrats Louise, had the same thing done myself. 9 knees on my '72 fullback. Cass is a maniac(in the good sense)

louis!!!
glad to hear the guitar is working for ya!! whats the sound like ? i only played it out like once!! did you keep those fret boards? they are really hard to find and part of the over all worth of that guitar.
let me know
BOO

I don't think you can heap enough praise
on Mike's work! Whenever you play an
old Push/Pull that he's worked on, you can
really appreciate the time & effort he
puts into them. He treats them like their
his own steels!

And it's worth the price of the ticket just to take the ride with him.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Mike did an "OUTSTANDING" job for me on my 75P/P, Wood/Wood, 8/4. Mike worked his magic and took 20yrs of hard living off of her and I got back a guitar that was really better than brand new and I'd know, because I'm her original owner!
JE:-)>

Al, I gave the old fretboards to Mike Cass. They were in good condition but I liked the later model ones with the white outlines. They seemed to pick up whatever light was available in the dark situations. As far as the sound goes, I have a 1980 push-pull so in comparison I would say the biggest factor to me is that the bolt-on is clearer with greater string separation and the tone is mellower. I have been playing it out exclusively since I got it, and it is smooth as silk in the mechanics, very reliable. Mike Cass did some real great work on this.
Louis

Black mica D-10 Serial Nr-1019D Used to be my main horn-it was "Cassified" some years ago-it was the best steel I owned until I got a'65 Wraparound from Mike-that was several years ago and the like new 66 bolt-on has been retired to its case since then-such a shame I dont use it anymore but it is a reminder of a time that was a high point in my playing career so I would hate to sell it cause its a REDBELLY-MIKE

Paul,
Even though I just got the bolt-on back and it is such a great guitar, I am still looking for a wraparound. For me it would be the greatest. Probably not much hope of finding one there weren't too many made. But I still keep looking. Regards,
Louis

<img src=http://home.hvc.rr.com/jsganz/Wraparound.jpg><font face=loosiescript><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jay Ganz on 09 October 2002 at 09:46 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jay G-stop teasing everyone-your wraparound is great to look at-I need only go so far as my bedroom and downstairs to see my two of them-but not everyone can have a 65 or know what it is like to play one for that matter-though I could afford any new pedal steel I wanted-I will just go on being a snob and stick to what I know myself to be and others in this forum also feel is the best production model of the finest pedal steel guitar ever made-it was some of the best money I ever spent on a guitar-because as I have stated here before-quite simply-the 65 wraparound Emmons makes me play better and sound better than I really am <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by PAUL WARNIK on 18 July 2002 at 09:30 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jay,
That guitar is just tooooo great for words, and the sound is something else. I believe if the sound is great that it helps bring your playing up to another lever.Maybe one day somebody will let one of those wraparounds loose and I will have one too.
Louis

Jay,
That is gorgeous and exactly what I am looking for

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Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas

thanks for all the kinds words folks
I still believe that a correctly setup p/p is all the guitar most of us will ever need!
Since I figured out a way to economically(travel-wise) raise 1&2 0n the E9 while still having the lower & its 1/2 tone feel, I cant really think of any other"modern changes" that arent adaptable to the p/p.....'cept for those darn splits
& im with PW re: Jay Ganz...you keep waving that thing around too much, you just might lose it!

I currently have 5 lovely originals and every one has passed through the hands of the master mechanic-from just needing setup to total restoration down to the bare wood cabinet-having your Emmons "Cassified" may just prove to show you that "The Big M.C." tells it like it is-now just try to find yourself that old wraparound or bolt on "Lots of Luck" Good to hear from you Mike

I have a couple of 66's myself. Tried & true, I agree with Paul Warnick. . .nothing else can stack up once you've played a 65' wraparound or a 66' bolt-on. I'm not gonna waive mine around like Jay, but you guys can click on below if you want to take a peek. NR

http://personal.bellsouth.net/bna/a/m/am1070/page12.html <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Nick Reed on 20 July 2002 at 01:03 AM.]</p></FONT>

I have banged my head against the wall for a long time trying to find a good bolt-on and wraparound. I finally got smart and let Mike Cass get me one. My new Bolt-on was not a bargain, but it was a fair price and it is a great guitar. AND, I got it. I could not find one for sale on my own.
I had an exceptional Emmons D10 before my bolt-on. But the bolt-on does have a great sound -- especially in the middle and lower strings.
Mike Cass set up two of the three Emmons push pulls I have owned. Both Cassified guitars are the smoothest playing push pulls I can imagine possible.

I dont have a 65 or a 66 emmons but I love my 1975 rosewood d-10 emmons 8&4 and Im proud of it.Hope that doesnt sound rude or anything.

Robert

Some ot the early split-tails ain't so bad either... 1967, another Mike Cass guitar.



Should swept the deck I guess..

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Bill T-nice looking 67-I had one of those once too and they are my next choice from a wraparound or bolt-on-I believe the early cut-tails lack the patent number stamped into the end-I have seen at least one guitar that had them removed in attempt to make it look earlier

Paul, my cuttail is a #1329D and has no patent numbers on it. I think it's around a '69-70.

Mine is SN-1140D. I know this has been said about P/Ps a million times, but I took it out of the case last night, tweaked the G# 3rd and it was in tune... happens that way at almost every gig. I don't know about bolt-ons or wrap-arounds, but this is by far the most solid guitar I've ever owned. It's a tank..

BTW, I still pester Mike with questions 6 months after the purchase, and always get a quick response and lots of free help. I know there are plenty of good P/P mechanics out there, but Mike is one heckuva guy.

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Home Page

Very interesting thread!
My current favorite guitars are cut tails. One is a few numbers away from "the Blade" the other is an early 80s. These two guitars are very different feeling, but the newer one has the original single coil pups and is my current favorite. My bolt ons all have some kind of humbucking type pickups (due to a "buzzy" club I WAS playing 2 nights a week) Now that I'm not there anymore, I need to put the single coil pups back in the bolt ons and re-listen. I too would love to check out a wraparound! Most of my PPs have been "Cassified" ...and someday they will all be!