The Steel Guitar Forum

F.M.,

This is the first of introductory pictures of the "Lucky 7" and The "Hankey Upright Fretboard".

Bill, I like it....
What brand PSG is that,and what is that on the G# string?I think I know but,tell me anyhow.
Bill

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Bill Ford<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill Ford on 12 October 2002 at 06:39 PM.]</p></FONT>

Now I know what to do with all those old venetian blinds out in the barn!

Venetian blind? How do you make a Venetian blind? (Well, you KNEW somebodt was gonna ask)
This thing looks real, Bill. Congratulations. Really. No, I mean it.
You working on anything for the right hand yet?

Wow... I think that picture may be worth 10,000 words Bill! Home-built PSG, Lucky 7, Hankey Upright Fretboard, dual pickups, hand-carved wooden armrest... I'm wondering what you're hiding under that little cover on the endplate

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<font size=-1>My Site - Instruction | Doug's Free Tab | Steels and Accessories</font>

Bill, I like your idea but, I would not do away with the original fret board. Otherwise, your bar slants might be off the mark so to speak. I also think it would be an excellant accessary for those that like to play above the 17th fret like the GREAT John Hughey does. I have a friend that plays "Look At Us" and places a straight pick on his steel at the point he needs to be when playing that particular song.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

F.M.,

I traveled the rain, and foggy MA
turnpike yesterday to play the E.
Coast Steel Show. Thanks Frank for squeezing me in. It was fun chatting with Al Brisco, and Dana Flood. Both are top-notch steel guitarists. I invited both entertainers, as well as many others to view my Upright Fretboard. It turned out to be a lot of fun.


Bill H.

Looks like a neat learning tool for the beginner but please tell me you don't stare at your fretboard all the time when you're playing. I would highly recommend you try closing your eyes when playing. You want to teach your ears and muscles to KNOW where to go without having to look...using a fret marker to stay in tune is definitly not the way to go about it...ears know pitch, eyes don't.

Just my opinion FWIW.

Stephen LeBlanc,

Your stepping into a morass where
it may be difficult to extricate yourself from. You've thrown in a barb or two that have fallen short of their intended mark. What gave you the false impression that I stare at the fretboard? I said it once, and I'll say it again. In my opinion, I've got something special here, over conventional fretboards.
I'll never use a horizontal fretboard again. There is simply no reason to compare the Hankey Upright Fretboard to horizontal boards. It is entirely new in concept, and I am delighted beyond imagination. To say this works for me, is the understatement of the year. Are you saying that you don't look at the fretboard?

Bill H.

Please don't take what I said the wrong way Bill...I wasn't being uppity, just stating my view based on the picture I saw. I didn't intend to throw barbs...I'm sorry you took my comments that way.

I don't play much Pedal Steel, I'm not an expert on this but I do play piano, guitar, a good amount of Dobro and a few other instruments. I try not to look at the fretboard too much.

When I saw your picture my first thoughts were "why"? My Dad was a pretty darn good steeler who was also legally blind...if he taught me anything it was don't worry about the fretboard.

I also know it's not that simple, that in the course of mastering any instrument there are several methods used.

Your invention is great, I'm sure a lot of people will find something like that useful...I have a different approach, that's all.

I take back the first sentence of my earlier post...I didn't mean to be rude...I wasn't really assuming you stare at the fretboard and should have chosen my words more carefully...no insult intended at all.

Good luck..if you want me to clarify my opinion more I'll be glad to.

http://www.jamfree.com/ <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Stephen LeBlanc on 14 October 2002 at 05:39 PM.]</p></FONT>

I,for one,am particularly impressed with the simplicity of the tuning mechanism on the right-hand end of the guitar. Just one knob to turn. That's even more impressive than the frettboard! Just joking!
W.C.

Stephen LeBlanc,

May I wish you and your dad the very best in every musical endeavor. I hope that you pursue the rewards to be found in the music of the pedal steel guitar.

Bill H.

I've got the notes written in pencil on an old Gibson 6 string lap steel ... it was like that when I got it back in '77 from a pawn shop.

I find it re-assuring that, whatever I tune it to, it's always gonna be those notes.

Graham

Graham G.,

Your reacquisition of the 6 strings
guitar in 1977 is an interesting thought. Yes, denotations have a very special place in our lives. Ask any carpenter who relies on the scribes made to complete their work. The "Hankey Upright Fretboard" shown at the beginning of this post, has been treated to subtle modifications. It has been trimmed to provide maximum visual acuity. The new concept is ideal for many reasons. Individual preferences governing that which pleases one viewer, and not another, is not a problem. There would be any number of decorative fretboards available, should this new concept attract others who may be interested in eliminating
wearisome eyestrain.

Bill H.

Kenny D.,

When Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue in 1492", his mates wanted to toss him overboard, and turn the ship around. They panicked thinking that the earth was flat, like a steel guitar fretboard. My new invention, smacks of the trending away from any sort of flat fretboard concepts. Mine has been removed, and the "Hankey Upright Fretboard" is all I'll ever need to enjoy playing songs with the fretboard clearly showing frets throughout performances. You wrote in your reply that a problem may exist while positioning the bar on the lower strings. Not so, turn back and rethink the would be helpful assumption. There are two words to describe the new concept, "Visually acceptable".

Bill H.

Bill, I was going to send you a Columbus Day card yesterday, but on the way to the store to buy one, I drove off the edge of the world.

Bill Ford,

I'm pleased to read that you like the idea of relocating the steel guitar fretboard. Yes, it's the "Lucky 7" at the third string pull. I will be showing pictures to provide a better view of the attachment.

Bill H.

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 21 October 2002 at 02:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bill, I still want to know when you're gonna introduce the "Hankey Right-Hand Blocking Pad." With wings, for extra protection!

Oh yeah, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then why do we still get the thousand words??? JUST KIDDING

Stephen G.,

I have been experimenting with a blocking technique that may very well be worth the effort, and time needed to correctly apply it as a new style while playing the steel.
I've spent some time trying to look at how best to work it into my music. The "Hankey Upright Fretboard" has brought much pleasure to me, and now I'm back to serious practice sessions. I hope to spend some time at each session
looking for ways to advance the blocking technique to new levels of expertise.

Bill H.

The slanting fretboard, mounted at approximately the same angle as a reader would hold a newspaper, or book, has the potential to create a mountain of thoughts. I have trimmed the fretboard at the bottom edge, which has produced a lower profile in over-all appearance. The excessive height can be observed in the first photo of the prototype. A correct calculation of proper configuration is pending, and will be determined accordingly. Citing the advantages over the flat fretboard, which is only visible in front of, or behind the bar hand, and the annoyance of playing off pitch, the Upright Fretboard features the necessary visual acuity to eliminate the stress associated with obscurities of the standard steel guitar fretboard.

Bill H.

I like it! I have noticed many times that a quick reference to the fretboard is all I need and this slanted fretboard might just be at the right line of sight to do the job. Don't think I would eliminate the factory fretboard.

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Sierra U-12
Sho-Bud D-12
Fender Dual Professional

Mark Z.,

Thanks for the response. I am enjoying the Upright Fretboard. It is everything I've ever wanted in finding a solution to difficult viewing of the horizontal fretboard. The original fretboard is just a memory. It is no longer needed for any reason.

Bill H.

How does it work for bar slants, Bill?

Bobby Lee,

Bar slants are traditionally for show. They coasted on out of town with the inception of pedals and knee levers. However, the H.U.F.
(Hankey Upright Fretboard) offers exceedingly more visual accuracy should one resort to fanciful bar maneuverability. I watched Herb Remington use bar slants while jamming with Jeff Newman, and Hal Rugg, from a distance of 5 feet. It was then and there that I saw him use bar slants that approached becoming parallel with the strings. All of the frets on the H.U.F. are visible throughout a performance. The technique used is gunsighting the bar, which means total accuracy when adapting showmanship methods of playing bar slants. You would have a much better view of both ends of the bar in relation to the its position for extreme bar slanting. There is no substitute for visual acuity, which is the most prominent feature of the H.U.F.

Bill H. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 22 October 2002 at 02:29 AM.]</p></FONT>

For those of you who have read the error before I made the correction, I'm really sorry.
I had good intentions, when I erroneously typed "pedal", instead of fretboard. The sad part in the matter, was, that I wanted to originate a concise identification for the new "Upright Fretboard". There was a delay in posting on the webb, so I drifted off to sleep. When I saw the mistake this morning, I quickly edited the error. I'll have to practice keeping my mind on one thing at a time, especially while at the keyboard.

Bill H.