What sounds closest to a Franklin?

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I wish I had started steel guitar earlier when Franklin steels were still in business! I've been watching this youtube clip all week long, and just can't get past the sound of Mike Johnson playing his Franklin -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70KyY9GNUPk

It's doubtful that I will ever get my hands on one of these beautiful steels, but what sounds closest to you? It seems to me that the closest sounding steel to a Franklin is a Rains.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Also, which neck is he playing on here? I can't see from the camera view. Sounds like the C6 maybe? I just have an S-10...

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

E9th. Front neck.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Tim Russell · From: Pennsylvania, USA

E9th neck - You can tell by the changes and watching the knees/pedals as well.
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Sierra Crown D-10

Clark Doughty · From: KANSAS

Nothing against the Franklin guitars but I'll bet that if you could hear MIKE JOHNSON playing the same song on his Emmons with everything else being the same you wouldn't be able to tell which one was which. I think the biggest thing we're hearing in that clip is the huge difference MIKE JOHNSON makes playing any PSG.....clark

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

David,
Listen to this YouTube clip of Gary Carter playing Lighthouse Tales. To my ear, there is a lot of similarity in the tone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI56hQOsmos

Anybody else like Gary's tone?

Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The tonal difference in a Franklin is really subtle, just a bit of edge in the midrange.
They come up on the used market now and then, just have a big pile of cash at the ready.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Thanks, Richard and Tim. I guess the pedals and levers on an S-10 are in the same location as a D-10.

And Clark, maybe it is the musicality of Mike's playing that I enjoy more than his make of steel. The tone I'm hearing might be coming from that mesa boogie pre-amp too...

But it seems like every time I hear a Franklin, there is a definite difference in sound.

Craig, thanks for posting that! Listening to them back-to-back, I can definitely hear some great similarity in tone. But to me, the Zum still sounds like a Zum and the Franklin still sounds like a Franklin. I can't exactly describe it. They are both very professional sounding, and both deserve great respect, but the differences are certainly still there for me.

Tim Russell · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The "Franklin change" is lowering 5,6 & 10 a whole.
I think Tommy White gets the name on the 1&2 raise.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

you know...and i'm not trying to discredit any steel...but of all the steels i've heard buddy emmons play, it's interesting i never heard him play a franklin.
i would expect it to sound fantastic.
...or a jch...
in the early 80's those were the happening steels..
emmons legrande
jch
franklin
zum

you would think he would have done a little comparison checking.

Jack Stanton · From: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

Chris,
Buddy did have a JCH for a short time, didn't keep it very long.
No idea why..

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Pretty much all of the 24 1/4 " scale guitars with aluminum necks will sound the same. Franklin, Zum, JCH, LeGrande,etc. For some reason, Franklins seem to have gotten hot & gone up in value, now it's happening with Zums.

PP has a tone of it's own. Then you have the wood neck Sho-Bud & keyless sounding guitars.
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Just thought I would add Buddy played MCI too Chris. His Christmas album had some of my favorite Buddy tone along side of his blade guitar.

David in my opinion its more how you play than what you play if you are going for a certain tone/timber response to a certain extent. That being said most all pull aluminum neck guitars might get you in the ball feild.
You will not get that sound on a bud. They are a diferent beast all together.

Tim Russell · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Never posted this before, but it's very timely.

Here's a quote direct from the coffee shop at Philadelphia International Airport in 1984. I was sitting next to the man, he said it directly to me. . . Remember, it was 1984:

"Paul Franklin is the world's oldest teenager, but I really love his his tone"
. . . Buddy Emmons

CB
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"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Lol!!

He definately makes every note count.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i thought it was attributed to paul at first.

i know buddy played p/p
legrande skh
legrande 111
mci
emci
carter
derby
sierra
sho-bud
bigsby
and probably others

i liked him best on all of them.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I think Paul just put that first string raise on the map, because so many songs coming out used that change. If you remember, several years ago, that change was getting blasted because of it's "overuse". It may have been used by someone before that.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Actually before it was commonly used on a knee lever, I have seen/heard both Jeff Newmand and Lloyd Green do the raise by pulling the 1st string with their finger behind the bar ...quite a lot of fun to attack it that way and sounds a little different too Very Happy

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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

what about the 2nd string raise that goes with it?

i haven't put those changes on my steels.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

A Franklin sounds like a Franklin. If I had the financial room I would buy one.. The guitar has character. The same for a Emmons PP. The same for Sho~Bud.
I love characterguitars, not the guitars from brands whoms players say the they sound like the other brand.
I have different guitars, each with their own character, all build very well.
I love my Fender, my Sierra, my Derby, my WBS. They are all beasts with their own tone. I couldn't get used to the PPtone from '82 Emmons PP that I had, so I sold it. It also has character, but we don't match... Smile

I was always chasing the Franklin-tone, but in the years I found out I was more chasing the Paul Franklin tone.... that he gets out of everything :)JJ

Marco Schouten · From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Not an answer to your question, but I like how Buck Reid's JCH sounds here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_a6s2HyyiI
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo

Niels Andrews · From: Salinas, California, USA

Johan hit the nail on the head. I think it is attribute a sound to an instrument, when it is really the sound of the player. Wouldn't it be interesting to take five great players and ten different guitars and do a blind study and then have people try to match them up?
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Good Stuff like Zum S-12, Wolfe Resoport
MSA SS-12, Telonics Combo.

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