The Steel Guitar Forum

I have an Emmons GS-10 3x2 that I never really play on. I am thinking about selling it, but I have a few questions.

I'd like to get as much as I can for it, but I recently noticed some flaws with it.

Underneath the cabinet, there is a slight crack where the head is screwed in to the cabinet. Also, it looks like the mica siding has some very slight warps in it. It still plays as it should, sounds great and has no problems staying in tune.

I am thinking about rebuilding the cabinet using a hard maple wood, and not putting mica around it. I would leave the natural wood look (obviously sealing and finishing it first).

But I am scared that would be a bad move for resale, considering I'd like to get what I paid for it back ($1,000). Should I try and just sell it as is, or should I try to rebuild it and make it purdy?

I have quite a bit of experience building guitars (6 strings, no steels), so I am not concerned with the quality of the finished products, just the particular resale value of this particular model.

get away! don't touch it! sell it as it is.

i don't know if the market bears what you want but you will screw up a neat little steel otherwise.

I am familiar with Emmons. So is Chris Ivey and there are others who I am sure will join in here.

Based solely on your description, and without any pictures, I do not think that the slight crack you mention is a serious problem. Nor are the slight warps in the mica siding.

I definitely would not rebuild the cabinet if the above "problems" (if they could even be described as that) are all that is amiss with the guitar. There is no question in my mind, and opinion, that the value of the steel would drop if you were to do any refinishing or rebuilding.

As it is, student model Emmons are nice steels, ESPECIALLY if they have more than one knee lever. As you mention, yours has two. It's also a push-pull and I have always been of the opinion that Emmons students models often have the best tone, even when compared to their "bigger brothers".

Best of luck in your sale.

Haha! Well, that settles it! I'm glad I asked.
Now I have to figure what to do with all this hard maple I have!

From watching this forum and Ebay, guitars that are hybrids don't seem to appeal to a lot of folks. That cabinet will probably still be intact after all of us are long gone.

Do you still have this guitar?