Carter Guitars Not Many For Sale?

Jim Saunders · Post by **Jim Saunders** » 30 May 2021 4:16 pm

It seems that not many Carters are listed for sale. Back when they were being made it seems they were the most popular brand around. Are the owners just keeping them? Anyone know how many were made.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 30 May 2021 7:33 pm

There were a little over two thousand made. I think most people are holding on to them. One comes up for sale occasionally.

Jim Saunders · Post by **Jim Saunders** » 31 May 2021 5:12 am

I bought and sold two D-10s and one SD-12. I wish I had kept one of the D10s. I got frustrated with the 12 string "experiment" and traded it for the second d-10. I sold the first D-10 to a guy in New Orleans and I suspect it was lost in the Katrina floods.

Charlie Hansen · Post by **Charlie Hansen** » 31 May 2021 6:19 am

I have an S10, one of the last made in July of 2010 and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Plays well and has great tone.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 31 May 2021 6:20 am

For many years, they were very readily available, and were dirt cheap compared to other steels..They were considered a "workingmans" pedal steel.. Well made but not "top of the line".

They often had to be very well priced to move...
I can recall gorgeous highly figured wood bodies in dead mint shape selling well under 2 K, and nice S10 and SD 10 mica models selling at $1200...

Then as with other pedal steel guitars [MSA comes to mind], players realized the quality, reliability, supreme functionality, and GREAT sound these guitars had, and guys started keeping them, they became less available, and more expensive when one did come up for sale... I miss my first black Carter S10 5+5... Easily one of the very best steels I ever owned, and it served me very well in the trenches as a performance/recording guitar for a solid decade, maybe even longer.

They still haven't reached price parity with some other brands, but have closed the gap.. Yes, guys are keeping them.. Same with old MSA Classics.. Too high quality to sell cheap "just because"....

Carter was simply a great guitar.. Never a fan of the tiny brass dogbones in the pull system, and I hated the fact that they loctited all those tiny screws, but those were really minor issues.
Lots of Carters were made, but not many for sale any longer... bob

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 31 May 2021 6:31 am

I've kept my 1999 SD 12. I lube it every now and then and adjusted one knee lever--but other than that have never touched it for repairs!

It works well, gets a good recorded sound, has all the stuff I need (5 pedals, 6 levers). Why change now?

I ordered the Carter after playing MSA, BTW. And I keep another MSA set up at home.

Chris

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 31 May 2021 10:45 am

Good enough for the late Rusty YoungðŸ’”

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 31 May 2021 10:54 am

Buddy Emmons wrote:I have two Legrande III models, one of which I used on Gene Watson's last album. Just for the record, I used a Carter D-10 on Gene's Gospel album and for all practical purposes, I can't tell a dime's worth of difference, but what do I know?

(2/17/02)

Dennis Montgomery · Post by **Dennis Montgomery** » 31 May 2021 11:15 am

Back when I was living near San Jose I bought a brand new blond mica 2005 SD-10 3x4 with a beautiful rose of Texas design on the black arm rest direct from Carter. Don't recall the model name but it cost me $2500+. Kept it until 2012 then decided to sell it. Put it on craigslist for a couple weeks...nothing. Finally sold it on consignment at Guitar Showcase for pennies on the dollar after it sat for a couple months.

I doubt the reason I had so much trouble selling it was because it was a Carter, more likely because pedal steels are seen as an oddity in the SF Bay Area

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 31 May 2021 11:21 am

I am the 3rd owner of a nice natural wood-tone mica S12 4+5. Bought it from a friend a year and a half ago for under $2k, and I will be keeping it.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 31 May 2021 3:20 pm

I don't see much difference in the sales numbers of Carters and the other commonly available pedal steels.

Over the past year, about 30 units listed here....that's about one every other week. Not counting the other online listings or the Starters and Magnums.

I played a Carter over the weekend. It's just fine but, all due respect, it's just not in the same price class as the top brands like Zum, Mullen, Emmons, Sho-Bud, Sierra, MSA etc. That's no dig, just the way it is. I don't think they were meant to be.

I think Utility is a good descriptive word for them. There are still a lot of them around. Numbers built on a similar par with the old MSAs. If you wanted a moderately priced, ready made pedal steel in a hurry, they were readily available and that's how I saw the manufacturing and the marketing.

They're smaller and lighter overall in cabinet and components and fine for what they are, but they're just not up there with the top dogs and I don't see them ever commanding the same prices, at least to me.

Of course with owners talking them up like they do around here, who knows?

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 31 May 2021 7:59 pm

Ron Pruter wrote:Good enough for the late Rusty YoungðŸ’”

who seriously abused the leg sockets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsfgWcVbwXo

chuck lemasters · Post by **chuck lemasters** » 1 Jun 2021 5:06 am

I agree with Jerry to a point. I have seen several listed for sale. Utility is a good description...yes, Carters are built lighter. The design of the knee levers may be weaker than some other brands, though I've had no trouble, and there is the dog bone issue, or non-issue, which can be remedied. I have owned a 2004 SD 10 since '07 or '08. I've considered selling it a few times, even listing it once, but each time I backed out. It's the guitar I most often carry to a gig( when I had gigs). It plays so easily, stays in tune, has little cabinet drop, and a fat tone.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 1 Jun 2021 5:34 am

Gene Tani wrote:
Ron Pruter wrote:Good enough for the late Rusty YoungðŸ’”
who seriously abused the leg sockets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsfgWcVbwXo

I was in the opening band at that gig. At the end of the video youâ€™ll see the steel go out of frame. Well it fell right off the stage about 6 feet down to the pavement and landed right on the corner of one of the end plates. I bet it knocked a few things out of whack but at least it didnâ€™t bend one of the legs or the tuning keys.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Jun 2021 12:29 pm

chuck lemasters wrote:I agree with Jerry to a point. I have seen several listed for sale. Utility is a good description...yes, Carters are built lighter. The design of the knee levers may be weaker than some other brands, though I've had no trouble, and there is the dog bone issue, or non-issue, which can be remedied. I have owned a 2004 SD 10 since '07 or '08. I've considered selling it a few times, even listing it once, but each time I backed out. It's the guitar I most often carry to a gig( when I had gigs). It plays so easily, stays in tune, has little cabinet drop, and a fat tone.

There is no problem with the knee levers (except on the starters)

Dog bones (pull pins) - worst design I have ever seen on a steel guitar. Have broken 3, 2 on gigs. I just (today) completed changing over to the parts Bill Lipscomb has to replace the dog bones and with new rods on my E9 neck.

Also replaced the BL 710 with a BL XR16 with a switch to change from humbucker to single coil.

I like my Carter. But would never buy another. Nor will I sell it.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 1 Jun 2021 3:21 pm

Actually there have been several failures on the reversing knee levers documented here....just as an FYI.

Not to belabor the debate but there are cases of the fulcrum portion of the lever breaking on the right acting portion of some reversing systems.

It's all a one piece machining or casting with the 90 degree fulcrum portion molded or machined in.

No guitar is perfect however, and some wear and tear can be expected.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... knee+lever

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 1 Jun 2021 6:34 pm

So if weight determines the quality of the instrument we should all be playing Sho~Bud Crossovers or 70's MSA's.

The worst for breaking knee levers were the pot metal Sho~Buds, considered good guitars by most. I played a Carter from 1997 until probably 2011. Gigging one or two nights a week most of the time. Never any issues or complaints and as John LeMaster said, no complaints with the tone.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Jun 2021 4:31 am

Jerry Overstreet wrote:Actually there have been several failures on the reversing knee levers documented here....just as an FYI.

Not to belabor the debate but there are cases of the fulcrum portion of the lever breaking on the right acting portion of some reversing systems.

It's all a one piece machining or casting with the 90 degree fulcrum portion molded or machined in.

No guitar is perfect however, and some wear and tear can be expected.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... knee+lever

Now that you mention it, I do remember. I have had no problems with them in it's 22 years. Knock on wood. ðŸšª

The other thing I hate about them is those darn torx screws that hold the bellcranks to the cross rods. They tightened them down so tight the head (and the torx wrench) would strip when trying to remove.

Michael Lester · Post by **Michael Lester** » 2 Jun 2021 6:38 am

If 'supply and demand' is any measure it would seem that there are a lot more Carter buyers than sellers.

A sure indicator of a product that fills a market niche properly.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 2 Jun 2021 9:35 am

Carterâ€™s were good guitars for the money. Bought a new one in 90â€™s at steel show in Dallas and it played and sounded great. Never had any issues with it. I sold it later and just played my Emmons. Then, couple 3 or 4 years ago, bought a black Carter D-10 from an estate sale. Tried playing that thing out and even guys in my band said donâ€™t ever bring that guitar to play with us. It had no tone and no sustain and sounded like a strung up wet log. Donâ€™t know what problem was, tried different pickups to no avail. Later sold it for little or nothing locally and I told the buyer about it but he is still tickled to death so go figure.

Charley Bond · Post by **Charley Bond** » 3 Jun 2021 3:27 pm

I wouldn't sell it because you couldn't buy one for what you'd get, same goes for my Sierra...

I'm going to have some hand surgery, in a few months & if it works, I'll be back in the saddle... if not, My Sierra will be on the Market, cause I'll be Through...

Paul Mozen · Post by **Paul Mozen** » 2 Apr 2023 10:33 am

Well I have Rusty Youngs D-10. He didn't beat it up too much. The tone is to die for.
I might be selling it, If I buy a 10 grand Resound. Any one think I should?

Mark Shuda · Post by **Mark Shuda** » 3 Apr 2023 10:06 am

Donny Hinson wrote:
Buddy Emmons wrote:I have two Legrande III models, one of which I used on Gene Watson's last album. Just for the record, I used a Carter D-10 on Gene's Gospel album and for all practical purposes, I can't tell a dime's worth of difference, but what do I know?

(2/17/02)

Just stumbled on Donny's post from last year. Buddy's post pretty much says what I always thought. You can spend a lot more money and not buy a better steel, and the Carters are "The poor man's Franklin".

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 5 Apr 2023 2:48 pm

Carter (Magnum) is one of the most underrated steels out there …

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 5 Apr 2023 8:13 pm

I have several memories of Carter Steel Guitars-in 1998, before I started playing steel, I joined Carter's mailing list, and they sent me things about the company-brochures, lists of Carter players, and show announcements, and I got really excited and wondered if I could try out a Carter. While looking at the list of players, I got excited because Teddy Carr, who was Ricochet's steel guitarist had played a Carter, and I was thinking how great it would be to play a Carter. My other favorite memory of Carter was when they were at the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis in '03, and I was at the show. It was a Saturday evening and I was walking around the area where the steels and vendors were set up, and I walked up to the Carter booth, where I met Bud Carter, John Fabian, Ann Fabian, and Billy Phelps, and they asked me if I'd like to try out a Carter steel, and of course I said yes, so I was playing on an S-10, I think, and next thing I knew, Mike Brown of Peavey Electronics was teaching me how to play chords on steel, and for some reason, I think I accidentally turned the amp up to full volume with the volume pedal, but the experience itself was awesome!

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