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Remington D-10 sustain masters

Posted: 29 Dec 2015 1:17 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
I have found a D-10 that is virtually new in the case, rarely played but kept up to play ready status. It will arrive next week.
I read a lot of unfavorable posts regarding Herbs pedal steels.
so I feel I may be going against some odds here to get a good one.
I have read all the negative posts and stories regarding the pedal steels, now I sure would like to hear from those who have had good units. this one is #7079X built special order in 1996. It is an 8 X 5. Undercarriage has the Fessy hangers. The model says D-10m. I don't know what the m means. I wonder how many D-10's Herb may have had built for his sales. This one I was told bobby Bowman built. It is a one owner who picked it up from Herb and Herb treated him to a concert on this guitar.
Anyway looking for comfort I guess. This one may be set up at church.
I am spoiled already by my Sho-Bud D-10 I got from Tony Prior as it's is the best I have ever played on to date.
Please...anyone out there that is happy with their D-10 Remington sustain Masters?

Posted: 29 Dec 2015 1:41 pm
by David Higginbotham
There was a forum member here named Jim Harper who passed away quite some time back. He was a great guy and we stayed in touch for several years. He had a Remington Sustain Master and he said he played many brands and his search ended when he bought the Remimgton. I would count that on the positive side.
Dave

Posted: 29 Dec 2015 2:24 pm
by Henry Matthews
For what it's worth, I always thought they were great looking guitars if looks mean anything. Never played one though. Heard Herb play one many years ago at St. Louis and it sounded good.

Remington sustain masters

Posted: 29 Dec 2015 8:22 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
Hey thanks for the replies so far, sure appreciate it.
Anyone know how serial numbers were assigned?
Just very curious, there must be at least a few of these around.
Anyone else have some good experiences with this model?
Thanks much.
Dick

Remington D-10

Posted: 6 Jan 2016 10:39 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
My Remington arrived this week.
I have it set up and tuned.
My first surprise is to find smooth the pedal and knee lever action is. This the smoothest of all my pedal steels. there is enough feel to know you are pushing pedals, and none of the pedal or knee levers are hard to push.
And this guitar looks as though it has had no use at all, it is practically new old stock.

I am fortunate to have some really nice steels now, this D-10 8x5 Remington, a sho-Bud Pro III D-10 8 x 4. a beautiful Derby SD-10 3 x 5, a Fessenden SD-10 3x5, and a Hudson royal bengal 3/4SD-8 3x4.

Anyway isn't there more than 3 of us who have had good results with their Remington pedal steel?
:D :D

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 10:42 am
by Gino Cecchetto
I just bought a beautiful S12 Ext E9th SustainMaster. Hopefully it will turn out to be one of the good Remington's.

When I do a search on the forum, I don't find much info on the Remington's, but people talk about them like they are Satan's child or something. Where is all of this discussion content hiding?

Remingtons

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 11:00 am
by Dick Chapple Sr
I was looking at the s-12 on here, did you buy it/
I bet it will be good.
Yes the silence is deafening, I can't believe no one else out here is having a good experience with their Remington.
Dick

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 11:36 am
by Gino Cecchetto
Yep, I bought the SD12 from Mark Walls. Looks like a really nice guitar. Not sure how the Remington name could be so tainted from a PSG standpoint.

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 11:52 am
by Doc Hall
I had one several years ago and played it regularly for a couple of years. No complaints from me re: Herb's guitars. Mine played smoothly, sounded good, and looked classy. I actually liked the string spacing more so than most steels. I believe they were a tad wider in spacing. The only problem I ever had was with the guy playing the guitar...me!

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 12:00 pm
by Doc Hall
Another thing possibly worth noting...I believe that the earlier Remingtons had a different undercarriage. I think they were more like the BMI...not certain. Mine had an undercarriage similar to the Fessenden. Never had a problem with the mechanics. Mine also had a detuning device on it that Herb called a "turtle". It applied counter stress to the changer axle.

Remmy

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 2:02 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
Hi Doc: Yes mine is a 1996 model and it has the "turtles" and the Fessenden style undercarriage.

I know one of the things that was blurted out long ago was that the guitar was made out of plywood. Chuckle chuckle. while the apron is ply it is extremely strong. I believe it to be or similar to aircraft plywood.

I really wonder how many pedal Remmy's are out here.
I was a tad apprehensive after I committed to buying this one but not now.
Dick :) :)

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 2:14 pm
by Gino Cecchetto
Do you folks know how to read the Remington serial numbers? If I'm reading it right in the photo, I think the serial number on the one I just bought is 901089.

Remmy serial #'s

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 2:35 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
I just looked at mine again and I had listed it wrong the first time.
It is 90797.
wild guess here but I wonder if mine is number 907 made in 1997?
the fellow I bought mine from had it special ordered and picked it up directly from Herb but he told me it was 1996 when he bought it.
It would be nice to see a geaneology chart developed for the pedal Remmy's such as one finds for Sho-buds etc.
Come on Remmy pedalists unite!!
Pictures of yours maybe???

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 2:38 pm
by Gino Cecchetto
Hmmmm, would seem I have one too many numbers.

#'s

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 2:50 pm
by Dick Chapple Sr
Or maybe yours was the 10th one built in 1989? It looks newer than that though. And mine the 7th one in 1997? still doesn't quite address that extra zero though does it.
Or maybe 90 was a number assigned to all pedal steels and your was built Oct 89, and mine July 97???
More input fellows?? anybody??

Posted: 7 Jan 2016 3:42 pm
by Gino Cecchetto
Or there could be numbers that are date codes for the month of manufacture or something, like fender amps. Without any info, we're just throwing darts

Re: Remmy serial #'s

Posted: 8 Jan 2016 10:37 am
by b0b
Dick Chapple Sr wrote:I just looked at mine again and I had listed it wrong the first time.
It is 90797.
wild guess here but I wonder if mine is number 907 made in 1997?
I seriously doubt that Remington made anywhere near 907 pedal steels, or even made it to triple digits. It could simply be the date: September 7, 1997.

Posted: 8 Jan 2016 10:46 am
by Gino Cecchetto
Sure would be nice if someone who used to be involved with these when they were being made and sold popped out of the woodwork and shed some light on this.. Now I'm getting really curious, didn't know I was buying something so rare.

Funny how sometimes being so rare drives the value sky high, and other times makes it a white elephant.

Involved

Posted: 8 Jan 2016 11:48 am
by Dick Chapple Sr
I do know that Herb had Bobby Bowman doing assembling work and there was someone else I believe also helping. Because Bobby built mine.
Like you, very curious.
I dug all over the internet but only found a small handful of factiods.
I would like to keep this string going until we can joggle a few people loose with info etc.
I agree with you on Rare or white.
Dick

Re: Remmy serial #'s

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 7:51 am
by Donny Hinson
b0b wrote: I seriously doubt that Remington made anywhere near 907 pedal steels, or even made it to triple digits.
That sounds very reasonable, to me. It's a brand we very rarely hear about.

Count.

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 8:53 am
by Dick Chapple Sr
Yesterday I emailed my friend who had bought my Remmy new from Herb. He had also along the way had Herb build him a 2nd pedal steel, an S-10, built with same undercarriage and all but with a teak wood finish. His S-10 does not have a serial number.
I really love the pedal and knee lever action, it is so smooth and quiet.
I need to take some pictures and put on here.
Dick

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 9:24 am
by Gino Cecchetto
Hey Dick, have you looked at the photos of the Remington I bought? I'm curious if the undercarriage looks the same as yours?

S-12

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 9:31 am
by Dick Chapple Sr
Gino I did look, but I need to look again.
I really thought hard about yours, wondering if I could get used to 12 strings. As opposed to a D-10.
If the pictures are still up, I'll take a look now.
Dick

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 9:36 am
by Gino Cecchetto
Thanks Dick. I'm hoping it has the same style undercarriage since you are so impressed with yours. The previous owner said the thing about this one, super smooth and quiet.

undercarraige

Posted: 9 Jan 2016 10:39 am
by Dick Chapple Sr
Gino:
Looks identical to mine. You do have 3 extra support mounts??? probably not the right terminology but on 3 of your cross bars, the B & C pedals and the RKR crossbars yours have clamps or supports or support mounts with what looks like rubber or neoprene support or stabilizers in the clamps. I don't have those.

I hope to get some time to post pictures today for comparison.