The Steel Guitar Forum

About a year ago, I think it was, I posted a list of steel brands past and present, and asked people to add their additions and corrections. Since then I've come up with a few more entries, and made a few revisions. There are still a number of items which I've been unable to verify, but have left on the list in the hopes someone can decisively say are right or wrong. Where a brand is (apparently) made in a country other than the U.S. I've indicated what I believe to be the country of origin, but again, I'm happy to be proved wrong. As well, there are a few cases where I've been given what I take to be alternative spellings of a single brand (e.g. Pedasonic and Ped-a-sonic), and would appreciate whatever clarification people can provide.

The list includes only electric steels, both pedal and non-pedal. My apologies for any obvious gaffes. Keep those entries coming!

ABM - Germany
Ace
Academy
Airline
Alamo
Alan - Ireland
Alkire
Amerloha
Anapeg - Australia
Artist
Asher
AVM - Sweden
AWH - Sweden
Baggett
Bak - Scotland
BeJay
Ben Jay
Bennett - England
Bethel
Bigsby
Blankenship & Wheeler
Blanton
Blue Star
BMI
Boen
Bosco
Bossan
Bowman
Bronson
Canopus - Japan
Capri
Carson Wells
Carter
Carvin
Chandler
Chord King - Australia
Clark
CMI
Cougar
Cromwell
Danelectro
Dekley
Denley - England
Derby
DeVis
Dickerson
Dobro
Domland
Dwight
Earthwood
Edge
Electromuse
Electrotone - Canada
EMCI
EMI
Emmons
Endicott
English
Epiphone
Ericson
Ernie Ball
Excel - Japan
Fender
Fessenden
Flynn
Foster - Australia
Framus - Germany
Franklin
Fulawka - Canada
Fullner
Fuzzy - Japan
Garritt
GES
Georgeboard
GFI
Gibson
Goldtone
Granada - Japan
Gretsch
Guyatone - Japan
Hager/House of Hager
Harmony
Harmos
Hawthorne
Hofner - Germany
Howard
Hughey
J & J
Jagiella - Germany
JCH
Jem - Australia
K & F
Kalamazoo
Kay
Kiesel
Kline
Lamar
Lambert - Ireland
Lap Dancer
Le Garritt
Leilani
Linkon - Canada
Little Buddy
Lone Star
Loren
Magnatone
Marlen
Marlin - Japan
Marrs
Mason - Canada
Mastertone
Matses
Maui - Canada(?)
Maxim - Australia
McCurdy
MCI
McKinney
Melobar
Milburn
Miller
Mogultone
Mooney
Morrell
Moserite
MSA
Mullen
Multi-Kord
Mustard - Scotland
Nashville
National
New Yorker
Nichol
Noso - Finland
Oahu
Orpheum
Payne
Pedalmaster
Pedasonic
Ped-a-sonic
Pierce
Perina
Premier
Rayline
Recording King
Red Neck
Regal
Regent - Japan
Remington
Ren-Keizer
Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker
RKR - 24 - England
Robbins
Roberts
Rogers - Canada
Rogers - Germany
Roto Sound - England(?)
Russler
Sahara
Selmer - England
Seymour
SGI
Sherwood
Sho-Bro
Sho-Bud
Sierra
Silvertone
Simmons
Singing Century
Slingerland
Slyde
Smith's
Sonica - China(?)
S.S. Hawaiian
Springfield
Steelrider
Stringfellow
Sunshine
Supro
Taylor
Teisco - Japan
Thomas
Trade Wind
Trotmore
Twang - Canada(?)
Ulrich
Vega
Visser
Vox Humana - Netherlands
WBS - Germany
We Need the Money
Weisenborn - Germany(?)
West Coast
Westwind
Wheeler
Wheeler Ped-Al
White
Whitney
Williams
Winsteel - Ireland
Wright C
Yanuziello - Canada
ZB
Zitnik
Zumsteel
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 10 February 2003 at 06:31 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 10 February 2003 at 06:53 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 11 February 2003 at 02:39 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 12 February 2003 at 02:58 PM.]</p></FONT>

Uhm...Emmons?

Sorry, Sam. Emmons most certainly was on the list (um, I have heard of the brand), and I have no idea how it got lost in transit. I'll have to check through tomorrow to make sure nothing else failed to make it to the updated version.

Steel inventor Tony Zitnik built the Zitnik steel in San Diego, back in the 1960's. Tony is/was partners with forumite Boomer Castleman in the patent to the Bigsby Palm Pedal.

The Endicott steel was built by Rex Endicott in California. Rex moved back to Oklahoma in the 70's or 80's and passed away there.

I've also seen "LeGarritt" steels as well as "Garritt" steels. I believe they're built by the same guy.

"Lone Star" steel guitars are built just a ways up the road in Salado TX by Jim Flynn. Thought I'd be patriotic.

The "Sahara" steel guitar was built in Lubbock TX back in the 60's. Kind of a Sho-Bud knock off.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 10 February 2003 at 07:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

I play a Carson Wells pedal steel at times...Made by Carson Wells, originally in Sabinal Texas, but has moved to Kerrville, Texas...Tommy Morrell also plays a Carson Wells non-pedal steel guitar...Super horns.

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

There are several players in The Netherlands who play a DeVis S-10 Universal, made by Jan Visser. His website: http://www.promotamusic.com/Index.htm


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<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#000000">Peter den Hartogh</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#0000ee">Fender Artist S10</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 color="#004400">Remington U12</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#ff0000">Hilton Volume Pedal</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#8e236b">Gibson BR4 lapsteel</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#008800">Guya "Stringmaster" Copy</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#000000">MusicMan112RP</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0 COLOR="#880000">Peavy Rage158</FONT>-<FONT SIZE=0> - My Animation College in South Africa</FONT>

Blanton Custom,
built by Jerry Blanton,San Antonio Tx.

Mooney,
Tom Mooney, Arlington, Tn

Bethel,
Terry Bethel, Mo.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by KENNY FORBESS on 10 February 2003 at 08:27 PM.]</p></FONT>

Looks like Carter got left off the list.

:0 oops, duplicate
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"Steel guitar is where it are"

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Skip Cole on 10 February 2003 at 08:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks Ian,

...just kidding with you, I knew that was an obvious oversight.

Dobro`s are steel guitars, If you use a steel to play it , it is a steel guitar, that`s where the name came from originally.
The Hawiian Steel guitars before electric guitars were invented

R. L.

I have a 1960 Pedalmaster in the closet.
Sorry for the double post.
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 11 February 2003 at 07:01 AM.]</p></FONT>

I lived a block from the birth of Pedalmaster and have put pedals on many of those built from about 1958 until it was sold to Roy Thomas and I think he redesigned them completely. I still think the fretboard was one of the best looking ones ever next to Emmons. The markers were designed after the Pittsburgh Steelers logo. The name was after the Buick Roadmaster. Then there was the BeJay built in my home town by Ben Jack. My friend George Williams and I built a few WilRo guitars in the early 60's.

I have been playing a Pedalmaster D10 for several years. It is completely re-designed from the "Arkansas days'. Jerry my friend, Didn't know you had helped on these guitars. Hope to see you in Dallas and Tulsa. Jody

I don't see BMI (Beck Musical Instruments) on the list.

Georgeboards; SSHawaiian

I don't see Rayline on the list.

Also, the list indicates that Marlens are built in Japan. They're actually built in Reidsville, North Carolina, USA.

There is a brand of lapsteel named "Blue Star" that is sold by Elderly Instruments and is supposedly built in Michigan.

And which of those brands do also pedal-steels?

Swedish made AWH (made by Arne Wilhelm Holmedal in the tennis town Båstad at the swedish west coast,) nowerdays named AVM.

nice list

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 11 February 2003 at 03:13 AM.]</p></FONT>

Amazing list. I hadn't heard of half of those guitars. There also was the Rogers guitar made in Canada by Hank Rogers, now living in Vancouver.

My first pedal steel was a Roto Sound. Might have been made in England?? DeVere Adamson sold it to me waaaaaaayyyyy back in the 60's.regards, fred

Loni Specter is presently building a lap steel called the "LapDancer". Elderly is selling them. He also just made me a "RedNeck" to put on a Fender Tele and play as a lap steel. Real cool!
Erv

Unless I am mistaken, "Faluka" is someone's misspelling of "Fulawka" and should be deleted.