The Steel Guitar Forum

Just what was it about the Fender 400/1000 that made it so much better and popular than the Multi-Kord. If you had the same tuning and changes on both why was the Fender accepted more. Just kind of wondering.

There were some interesting things about the Multi-Kord--the pull-bars could be set up to compensate for pitch drop. Good tone, too.
But the playing position--kind of sideways--isn't like a modern psg or a Fender.
I can see why early M-K players might switch to a new 400.

DELETED.

You may as well add the Gibson Electra Harp in there with the Multi Chords. Just as disapointing in every way!! Use them for non pedal would be the best thing. Just chasing the pedals on those ol geetars will keep you busy, while every one else is playing there Fenders!!

Ernie

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I thought that the Fender were more than likely better quality all around. I'd like to get one.

I've seen post that the ease of change on the Multi-Kord made it worthwhile, and that some other PSG's have used its concepts.

A lot of early pedal steel classics and almost all the great "classic" players started on Fenders, it seems.

I've never seen a picture of Buddy Emmons - or any other "name" player, for that matter - on a Multi-Kord...

The cable Fenders, for all their quirks, were pro-quality instruments that still hold up as perfectly playable and useful.

I have an original album of Buddy Emmons playing jazz and on the front of the album is a big picture of a Multi-Kord. The picture is actually shown backwards. Ask Buddy.

It has been said that if you put strings on a 2X4 Buddy would make it sound good.

It's every bit as much in the hands of the player as it is the guitar.

Willie Nelson proves that all the time with that beat up looking guitar we see him with all the time. Not many play any better.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Danny James on 24 September 2006 at 10:21 AM.]</p></FONT>

Danny - did Buddy *play* the Multi-Kord, or was it just a stock shot used for an album cover (a normal practice years ago)?

The point is still that many "name" players used Fenders, but you don't hear of or see pictures of them using Multi-Kords or Electrharps.

I have heard that Buddy has played a Multi-Kord. Under what circumstances I do not know. It would be nice if he would care to comment on this subject.

Also when I was at Harlin Bros, the inventors of the Multi-Kord, they had a picture in their store of Alvino Rey sitting at an M-K. Most Steel players recognize Alvino as one of the first pedal steel players. I don't know if he ever actually owned an M-K.

I know Multi-Kords are classics and outdated to say the least, but I still play one that Jay Harlin set up for me back in the early 60's. I have replaced the cables with 3/16 stainless steel pedal rods that I made. I have installed cross braces on the pedal end of the legs to take some of the wobble out of it. When you adjust one of the other legs by unscrewing it a bit it gets pretty solid.

The one unique thing about them is you can set them up to raise or lower any or all strings with each pedal. Also you can change tuning setups in a matter of minutes without turning the guitar upside down and disassembling and re-assembling it.
The modern steels that I know of today are still limited somewhat in this area.

With all the modern technology available today I hope someone will develope and market a pedal steel guitar with a changer that has the same capabilities as the old Multi-Kords had way back in the 1940's. Tunings need to be capable of being changed and adjusted quickly and yet the guitar needs to be cost efficient.

Jim,

To answere your question. On the record album I have, I seriously doubt that Buddy was actually playing a Multi-Kord or that he ever did record with one.

Even though most people never appreciated them, to my knowledge (Jay Harlin) the Harlin Bros. were the first ones to ever patent a pedal steel guitar. Some think that Alvino Rey was the first to actually invent one. That is a controversial subject in which there was a pending lawsuite for a while.

I agree with Danny. I think that it would be pretty neat to have the the best of older technologies along with newer innovations.
Weren't the Fender PS-210 and the Whitney both developed with these ideas in mind.

I've got an old Multi-Kord and an old Fender 2000. I have to say that the Fender is far more versatile, especially if you add a couple of knee levers. And the tone is nicer in my opinion. But the Multi-Kord is a lot of fun. It's very light,and you can change copedents in minutes. You can change copedents very fast with the Fender too but you got to climb underneath to do it. The pedals on the Multi-Kord are the drawback and also the advantage! Yes they are a little weird because of the angle, but you don't have to assemble them, they just fold up. I like to bring my Multi-Kord to informal jams, even outside parties or camping. I just plug in to my little Dan Electro battery powered mini-amp. It's got the portability of a lap top but with pedals.

What Fred says about the portability of a laptop with the advantage of pedals I believe was the original intent of Jay Harlin. First and foremost it was primarily intended to be used as an affordable student "Hawaiian Guitar". Yes we played all kinds of music on it but Hawaiian was the main focus.
It's a shame they didn't further develope the Multi-Kord and arrange the pedals in the front of the guitar instead of on the end. Their double neck 6 & 8 string guitars only had pedals on one neck which also could have been improved as well as adding knee levers. Why they didn't do this I never could understand other than to keep cost down so young people could afford to have one. All of the Harlin Brothers were very young people oriented.

If the concept of promoting pedal steel guitar to young people isn't adhered to today we will see them slowly fade to extinction. Example when at the steel guitar clubs and conventions look around at the age groups attending. How many people under 50 yrs. old do you see attending?

Our young people of today are the future of America!

Due to the fact that Multi- Kords were around for years before the Fender pedal steels has a lot to do this. I don't know for sure when Fender hit the market. I have a Fender 1000, Serial # 235, it was dated August of 57 under the tuner pan. I know the Multi-Kord was around much earlier. i had one in 53 and it was well used when I bought it.This was the first decent guitar that was built as a pedal steel.After Bud Isaac's hit the air waves with Slowly everyone was scrambling to jury rig something to rais the B string.There were a lot of Fender , Gibson, Rick, Console's with holes drilled in them.
I played LLoyd Green's Rick Console on the Midnight Jamboree ,in 1959, that Shot put two pedals on .There were a lot of converted Lap steel at that time.
Another nice feature of the Multi-Kord was the ability to pull all the strings and make a full chord change instead of just two strings.

I assume that there's a big difference in tone. Fender and Bigsby had "that sound" in the 1950's. I've never heard anyone say anything good about the Multi-Kord's tone.

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