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ETS Steels
Posted: 7 Sep 2014 6:52 pm
by Bob Poole
Recently,someone posted a couple of clips of an ETS steel.the tone was just incredible.are they still being made???[/img]
Posted: 7 Sep 2014 7:25 pm
by Jim Palenscar
Sadly they are not as one of the principals- Larry Agan- was killed in an auto accident.
Posted: 7 Sep 2014 7:25 pm
by Jeff Metz Jr.
As I understand they were in production for only a short while. They were being built by Bud Carter and the late Larry Agan. I believe production stopped due to Larry's Passing.
Look up forum member Raymond Eicher for questions, and testimonials for this Brand, as he owns more than one of them!
Good Luck
Posted: 7 Sep 2014 7:59 pm
by Brendan Mitchell
I play one and am very happy with it .
Posted: 8 Sep 2014 12:24 am
by Jeff Metz Jr.
wow Jim! I never saw another post happen at the exact time as mine ! Haha thanks!
ETS steels
Posted: 10 Sep 2014 4:04 am
by Raymond Eicher
Yes I have two ETS steels here in Baltimore and one of my students has another one.
They are light, reliable and sound and look great with their sparkle finishes.
Both of mine were set up perfectly by Bud Carter himself and I could not be happier!
Both are 3x5.
Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:02 am
by Malcolm McMaster
I believe that it was mentioned somewhere on forum that Bud would have liked to carry on building but due to legal matters concerning Larry's estate things were on hold till that was settled .Excellent guitars had pleasure of trying one at Dallas, but then anything Bud builds is excellent.
Posted: 10 Sep 2014 2:24 pm
by Keith Currie
Al Brisco (steel guitars of Canada) was selling them not sure if he has any left or not. He played one here a couple years ago in my home town on tour with Carol Baker and he used my Nashville 400 and it did sound very good.
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 3:51 am
by Joey Ace
You can hear Al playing an ETS in this lesson we posted a while back:
http://youtu.be/pvC_CCApEG4
It's also a great lesson / exercise on hammer-ons and pull-offs, Ralph Mooney style.
Al's web site is
http://www.steelguitarscanada.com/
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 5:25 am
by Jana Lockaby
Larry would have been thrilled to hear such nice comments about the guitars he, and Bud, were building. He took such pride in each one.
We all miss him very much.
Posted: 21 Jul 2015 11:53 am
by Joachim Kettner
Thanks Barry!
Here's Asa Brosius playing one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg5Kxh9wMOQ
Posted: 21 Jul 2015 1:03 pm
by Barry Blackwood
As I understand they were in production for only a short while. They were being built by Bud Carter and the late Larry Agan. I believe production stopped due to Larry's Passing.
Now that Bud and Larry have both died, it seems unlikely this brand will continue.
Posted: 21 Jul 2015 3:14 pm
by Russ Tkac
Posted: 21 Jul 2015 6:22 pm
by Herb Steiner
Very much worth it, I would say. A perfect fly guitar for a traveling professional.
ETS Steels and the late great Bud Carter
Posted: 21 Jul 2015 6:24 pm
by Raymond Eicher
Here are two posts I made in 2013 and 2014 regarding the friend that I never met in person, Bud Carter and ETS Steels.
Early in the summer I purchased a beautiful ETS steel from a Forum member.
I discovered more than a few modifications and botched "improvements" that I was not made aware of before the sale.
Through the Forum I then met Al Brisco from Steel Guitars of Canada. He kindly recommended that I contact Bud Carter directly to solve the "issues" that this potentially great guitar had. Boy, am I glad I did !
After a few phone conversations with Bud I shipped my ETS off to Texas.
In less than a week Mr Carter had totally re-built the underside of my guitar! He replaced every stripped screw, re-did all of the tuning rods, tightened and reset the knee levers to the standard Carter set up.
"It'll play just the way I like them to play" he assured me. He charged me a VERY fair price for all of his labor and shipped it back within seven days!
It is now a brand new ETS steel and I love it.
Thank you Al for your advice and thank you Bud for your knowledge, wisdom, talent and kindness! I'm not sure that Bud even uses the Internet, but this message is a testimony for members who have or who are thinking about playing any of Bud Carter's guitars.
Ray Eicher, Baltimore, MD.
After my original post about Bud Carter, I was so happy to see so many people respond with the kindness and respect that he deserves. He just sent me a copy of a live show he played at a steel guitar convention with some hand picked musicians playing jazz standards. It is awesome!
Late in the fall I was lucky enough to buy my second ETS steel here on the forum and I immediately sent it off to Bud to go over it.
One week later I received what seemed to be a brand new feeling guitar! It's pedal action was so smooth, it's pedal rod adjustments perfect. This particular steel was built before Bud began his relationship with ETS. The changer was a different model and the fretboard was different too. Some of the rods weren't cut to the right length and the hex ends would pop off when being adjusted. He took the whole under carriage apart and started over with all new tuning rods and hex ends. The knee levers are now are firm, precise and properly positioned, making my average playing sound and feel so much better!
I don't believe he'll ever read all the nice comments and praise he receives here on the forum, but if anyone reading this speaks with him please make him aware. I've told him often that I can't thank him enough for the fair priced precision work he's done for me and many others and the pedal steel guitar in general.
My hope is that he will be able to one day restart production of the ETS steel. It is really a great light weight, professional,affordable 3x5 steel guitar.
Ray Eicher,
Baltimore, MD.
_________________
ETS S-10, Justice 3x4, Rickenbacher, Fender and Supro lap steels, Tut Taylor and National resonators.Fender Deluxe, Marshall Class 5, Peavey amps and way too many guitars.
Posted: 22 Jul 2015 7:10 am
by Mitchell Smithey
Just before Larry died, they were taking orders on 12 strings. Bud also told me they had figured out with the shop that built their bodies how to form a double 10. This company was going to produce a great product at a good price point. I'll miss them both a lot.
Posted: 22 Jul 2015 8:59 am
by Damir Besic
Asa is playing an Encore now, I sold it to him couple months ago, he sold his ETS
Posted: 22 Jul 2015 9:09 am
by Joachim Kettner
He's a very good steel player, Damir!
Posted: 22 Jul 2015 9:12 am
by Damir Besic
Joachim Kettner wrote:He's a very good steel player, Damir!
yes, and a super nice guy, lives here in Nashville too
Posted: 14 Aug 2015 1:11 pm
by Rich Upright
They DO sound nice. Looks light, too.