Howard Guitars and Amps

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 9 May 2002 7:33 am

Does anyone know what happen to Tom McCormick. I think he is the one that had the Howard steel guitars and amps. When I was a kid growing up in Texas he had a store in Grandprarie and built the Howard guitars and amps. Tom had some really unique ideas and his amps sounded great. He had some steel guitars with some really unique ideas copedants. Some of his guitars had heel levers on them that you could use in combination with pedals and knee levers.I wanted to know if anyone knew about these tunings. Julian Tharpe played one of these guitars and amps at one time.If anyone has any ideas about the Howard guitars and amps please share with us.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 9 May 2002 8:44 am

Doc, Tom passed away quite a few years ago as I recall. I went to his shop when I first got to TX, 'cause I knew Bobby Garrett played a huge Howard amp at the Longhorn Ballroom.

Diamond Jim Richmond, who now plays fiddle with Tommy Alverson, played a Howard steel when he was with David Alan Coe. One of Tom's "ideas" was to fasten the carrying handle, normally on the top edge of the case, to the rear apron of the steel. Then he cut a hole in the top edge of the case to access the handle.

I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time!!

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

joe long · Post by **joe long** » 9 May 2002 11:21 am

I remember seeing one his guitar's that had folding legs. Although I wasn't a regular vistor I did manage to get to his store several times a month and was always impressed with his idea's. Those were the days before I could afford a pedal steel and was still playing a triple neck Fender Stringmaster.

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 9 May 2002 2:45 pm

Rusty,
That brings back some memories ... I had a Howard amp sometime around 65' ... I was telling a freind about this amp a couple of weeks ago .. it had modules in it and that was new back then. I took it to a repair shop and they just looked and scratched their head. I had to send it back to Howard.
It had a "splatter tone" which when you turned the switch on it sounded like the the whole thing was shaking loose. I spose it was a good amp but I went back to Standel!
Just reminesin' .... regards, fred

MARK GILES · Post by **MARK GILES** » 9 May 2002 7:08 pm

My first steel was a Howard S-10 bought at the shop in Grand Prairie. 2 pedals, 2 knees. RKR lowered E to Eb, RKL raised E to F#. Day pedal set-up. Still use that today. It had cable pulls instead of rods and they were tuned at the bell crank. worked just fine or at least I thought it did back then.

Ulf Edlund · Post by **Ulf Edlund** » 3 May 2003 4:04 pm

My first pedal steel was also a Howard.
It was an all aluminum s-10 2p 2k with RKR lowering 2nd string to D, and RKL raising 4 from E to F# so combined with A pedal it would give you the "C-pedal" change.
It had no cables, only rods, and you tuned the pedals at the bellcranks witch looked like sharkfins. It had very smooth pedal action, really nice. And it sounded really good too. I think everything you hear about the Emmons P-P sound applied to that guitar.
It stayed in tune pretty well, but it was allergic to temperature changes. You could hook it up to a tuner and use it as a thermometer.
I sometimes miss it for the sound and those swift pedals.

Uffe

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 4 May 2003 4:27 am

Ulf Edlund · Post by **Ulf Edlund** » 4 May 2003 7:55 am

Forgot to mention.
One of the bands i play in is named after that steel guitar. "The Howard Way"
There is some soundclips at the bottom right on this page: http://www.tonteknik.se/publishing/publishing.html There's also some clips with another of my bands "Northern road".

Cheers
Uffe