Rittnebury Steels, Awesome guitar

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 25 Jul 2011 11:07 am

I had the great opportunity to visit Gary Rittenbury at his shop near Cookeville, TN and to play one of his new steel. I must say I was extremely impressed with his guitars.

It has awesome and firm pedal stops, which I really liked and the action is so easy and no string buzz at all on the first fret. But the thing that impressed me the most was the tone versatility. You could go from an Emmons to a Sho-Bud sound by flipping a switch.

There is also little to none cabinet drop. I know because we measured it with my Peterson Strobe tuner. Also, the E strings return perfect every time. Something else that is cool, there is a separate tuning device for the half-stops so they can be tuned independently.

Gary is a great guy to talk to and visit with.

Overall, I give it an A+ in my book.

Sorry, I didn't take photos. Forgot to bring my camera.

Albert

Jody Cameron · Post by **Jody Cameron** » 25 Jul 2011 11:40 am

Albert I agree with all you said. I'll give Gary an A+ as well. So far, he has a 4.0 GPA! Jody

George Seymour · Post by **George Seymour** » 25 Jul 2011 1:27 pm

And in a few short weeks I'll have one in my posession

Driving straight to the source in TN.
Really looking forward to it!!

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 25 Jul 2011 1:51 pm

I picked up a guitar from Gary at Dallas in March of this year.
This guitar is absolutely perfect.It is everything one would want from a guitar.
Gary is an extremely nice man and an awesome builder.
Best regards
Billy

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 25 Jul 2011 3:45 pm

yeap Gary builds a great steel guitar
and is a first class guy too
I plan to have a new one next year
myself right now I have 2 of the older ones that are tone machines
RITTs are #1 to me!!
Mike

Jim Hollingsworth · Post by **Jim Hollingsworth** » 25 Jul 2011 4:55 pm

Amen! They are the BEST!

Jim

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 26 Jul 2011 6:11 am

Another Amen to Gary Rittenberry and his guitars. I first purchased the teal green one from a photo on Bobbe's website. I was not disappointed! The most beautiful tone I had heard to date. I should have kept that one, but went on to have Gary build me a new "black" SD-10 in 2008. There is no other guitar for me. I'm also planning another guitar in the future too, either a U12, but more likely, and extended E9th.
Love ya Gary!

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 26 Jul 2011 6:47 am

I wasn't aware Gary would build a 12-string.

Will he?

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 26 Jul 2011 8:51 am

Albert, now you know what we're talking about!

Jody Cameron · Post by **Jody Cameron** » 26 Jul 2011 10:10 am

Billy, I had the pleasure of sitting down to your guitar in Gary's booth in Dallas. It plays great, and really has something special tone-wise, IMO. Hope you enjoy it! Jody

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 26 Jul 2011 11:40 am

[/b]Jody,
thanks for leaving a few good licks on My guitar.
When I got home I wondered how I managed to play so well.
I probably would have got there eventually with such a good guitar.
Best regards
Billy

Ivan Posa · Post by **Ivan Posa** » 26 Jul 2011 12:59 pm

Hey you Billy,I see in the post under this one that you can get a Denim leg bag for your Ritt. A perfect fit dont you think.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 26 Jul 2011 3:17 pm

Ivan - Billy told me he was just going to stitch up the sleeves of his denim jacket and use that

Jim Hollingsworth · Post by **Jim Hollingsworth** » 26 Jul 2011 9:50 pm

Larry Bell wrote: I wasn't aware Gary would build a 12-string.

The good news ( for 12 string players) is that Gary is now building a 12 string guitar. So I spose there is hope for Universal fans.

Gary is also working with me to develop a 10 string single neck "C6 universal" based on Paul Franklin's pedabro tuning. It'll be mostly C6 with the E9th pulls pitched to the key of C. I have those changes on my current D-10 Ritt as an experiment - it worked out quite well and I want to pursue it in an SD -10.

Anyway, Gary builds fantastic guitars & is beginning to build some far reaching models.

Jim

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 27 Jul 2011 4:37 am

TOO COOL!
Thanks for the info, Jim.
It's next on my list. The ones I've played sounded like a cross between a push-pull and a ZumSteel. That's a good combo in my book. Just never seen a 12 string and that's all I play. Good news.

BTW, Jim, I used a very similar C6 tuning on the back neck of an MSA D12 in 1975 (E to F and G to A pulls to emulate the I->IV of E9). I found the U12 (either E9/B6 or B6/E9) a much better way to get the 9th tuning sounds with chromatic strings intact. Your open tuning could be either E9 or B6.

FWIW -- thanks for the info on Rittenberry guitars -- I'll get in touch with Gary. I'll be in Nashville next week.

Bill Moore (RIP) · Post by **Bill Moore (RIP)** » 27 Jul 2011 9:53 am

Larry, I've had mine since November, I couldn't be happier with it.

Wally Taylor · Post by **Wally Taylor** » 28 Jul 2011 9:14 pm

I have had mine a couple of years now and I really like the Rittenberry. I think the Rittenberry has it all, great price, tone, looks, plays well and stays in tune. Gary is a master builder and innovator as well.
Thanks Gary for building a work of art.

Tommy Alexander · Post by **Tommy Alexander** » 31 Jul 2011 5:33 am

Well, since we talking about the Rittenberry PSG, I thought that it would be great to mention Gary's building technique.
My new all wood guitar has got to be the ultimate. This guitar has excellent tone, but has a smooth edge and has a different tone on my mica.
If you haven't seen the two guitars, then here they are. Don't pay any attention to my attire; it's not my stage clothes, but my pj's on a Sunday morning at 7am.
But to show Gary's ability, notice the stain on the front apron; it matches my pj's; is he good or what??
It's just a Sunday morning comin' down!

Tommy Alexander · Post by **Tommy Alexander** » 31 Jul 2011 5:39 am

I missed the other picture; it should be there.

Tommy Alexander · Post by **Tommy Alexander** » 31 Jul 2011 5:41 am

Well, two showed up instead of one; you get two for the price of one
Have a great day for "steelin"

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 31 Jul 2011 6:20 am

Here's my Ritt. This pix was taken at the recent Branson show. I got a lot of compliments on its looks and the sound. The more I play it the more I love it.

[/b]

Jim Hollingsworth · Post by **Jim Hollingsworth** » 1 Aug 2011 8:54 am

Nice lookin' guitar Bill!

Jim

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 1 Aug 2011 3:44 pm

I like those loafers you're wearing, Bill. They look a little like my steel shoes. Can't wear cowboy boots, they just get the toes hung up in the pedal rods. All beautiful guitars. That new wood guitar looks to be a 12 string. Am I correct?
Hats off to Gary for being the genius he is! And below is a photo of the Rittenberry that started a landslide.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 1 Aug 2011 3:56 pm

Thanks Dennis, No mine is a SD10. Those shoes have been around for a while. I only wear them when I play steel. I'm seriously thinking of polishing them before St Louis

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 2 Aug 2011 5:45 am

Bill, I was thinking Tommy's new single is a 12, or am I incorrect. Like you, Bill, mine are also just my steelin' shoes. They do get polished once in awhile. Are we related or something? Maybe you're my long lost Brother.

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