My new Williams D-8 PSG

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 7:46 am

I got tired of dragging my Sho-Bud D-10 and my Fender Stringmaster D-8 to gigs. (I play both pedal and non-pedal). So I had a "hybrid" steel built. The good men of Williams Guitar Company could build it, too. Here's my Williams hybrid D-8 pedal steel guitar. It has the Stringmaster string spacing, E9th on the front neck and A9th on the rear neck. Jerry Wallace made TrueTone pups at this string spacing, so it was all good to go. I am quite pleased with this baby. I play the rear neck mostly as a non-pedal (with a few pulls at times). And the E9th front neck is sort of an "abridged" E9th. (and yes, I miss the 2nd and 10th strings a bit, but can work around it).

Thank you Bill and Tim.

(photos below)

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 7:48 am

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 7:48 am

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 7:56 am

Here is the tuning (I later switched the order of P4 and P5)

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 11 Apr 2012 8:01 am

Yow! I love it!

Jackie Anderson · Post by **Jackie Anderson** » 11 Apr 2012 8:06 am

Brilliant! I was thinking of asking them about something like this, in searching for a compact double neck guitar. Glad to hear that they could work with the string spacing -- was that only because there are fewer than 10 strings?

Interesting tuning choices. I have been messing with D9 ("semi-sacred," with D on the bottom and A on string 7) and G6 (same as yours) on a Fender 1000, and like the way the two tunings line up between the two necks (with A and B pedals engaged on the D9 neck). But the Fender must weigh twice as much as that Williams!

Jackie

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 8:11 am

I think they can build any string spacing (within reason). The only limitation would be the spacing of the available pickups. This baby plays great and I've got tunable splits on it too. Here's a shot of the custom built keyheads with 8-string roller nuts. I think the machine shop is set-up with parametric driven NC, so it's sort of easy to vary the spacing. (my guess, you'd have to ask Bill about this).

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 11 Apr 2012 8:49 am

What is the string spacing, Tom?

Are those Truetone pickups?

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 11 Apr 2012 8:50 am

To bad it is not at all good lookin!

JE:-)>

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 8:56 am

String spacing at the bridge: 3/8"
String spacing at the nut: 11/32"

Yes, they are TrueTone pickups.

Bob, I was inspired to order this after looking long and hard at your 8 string Desert Rose.

Brad Malone · Post by **Brad Malone** » 11 Apr 2012 8:38 pm

Tom, I was thinking about almost the same idea today...My thought was that since we have, or can have, 4 pedals and 7 knee levers on the E9th neck and many guys can get C6th chords on the E9th, except for the lower two C6th strings sounds, it would be a great Idea to have the back neck a non-pedal neck. Have the back non-pedal neck 8, 9 or 10 strings..whatever you desire. Throw any tuning on it you desire because you are unrestricted by pedals..also you could have the nonpedal neck lower than the E9th neck making access to the E9th neck easier..now you can play with long sleeves...just thought of that! Who said that just because you have a D-10 it has to have pedals and knee levers on both necks? Anybody else think this is a good idea?

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 11 Apr 2012 9:28 pm

Don't some Clinesmith and Bigsby guitars come this way?

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 11 Apr 2012 10:16 pm

Looks superb!

I'm getting ideas for a minimalist S8 with two pedals and four knee levers (one vertical E-F# to replace the C pedal...)

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 11 Apr 2012 10:20 pm

If I were getting a D-8 Williams, I'd get it with crossover pedals.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 12 Apr 2012 4:07 am

Bob, didn't you have cross-over pedals on a Williams D-10? Or D-12? I was afraid it would be too complicated or expensive. Can you please explain how they work? Is there a shift over lever somewhere?

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 12 Apr 2012 7:06 am

Yes, I had the first production Williams crossover, a D-10, and a few years later bought a very custom D-12. I no longer own them, but they were both exceptionally fine instruments.

An inconspicuous lever near the left endplate shifts all of the pedals and knee levers from one neck to the other. The guitars have 5+5, the equivalent of 10+10 on a traditional double-neck guitar.

There are a lot more parts in the undercarriage, so the crossover is more expensive than the standard. I don't know what the actual prices are right now. Contact Bill Rudolph if you want one.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 13 Apr 2012 10:37 pm

Great Concept - Great steel !

many moons of happiness to both of ya's

the crossover that Bill Rudolph manufactured at one time was quite reliable
unfortunately, he stopped production on it

Brad Malone · Post by **Brad Malone** » 14 Apr 2012 8:22 am

Hey Tom, I forgot to say that I think your Steel would win the beauty contest..I love that color. I also like the changer system..no pins to break off, no string ends falling into the changer, easy to change strings and best of all the changer does not break strings..I have mine for almost 5 years and never broke a 3, 4 or 5 string..I did break one tenth string in that time frame....you are going to love it..you made a very good choice IMHO.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 14 Apr 2012 8:46 am

That changer design was a big attraction to me. No more fishing out ball ends like I do with my Sho-Bud. Bill's got a winner there. The wood selctions were inspired by my old SB.

Jerry Malvern · Post by **Jerry Malvern** » 16 Apr 2012 5:51 am

Wow, super nice guitar Tom. How does she sound compared to your Stringmaster and Shobud? Any gigs, would like to hear it in person. Thanks

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 16 Apr 2012 6:15 am

Jerry, thanks. I'd say it sounds more like the SB than the SM. I'll be playing 2 nights at Pappy and Harriet's at the end of this month. I'll have it there.

Butch Pytko · Post by **Butch Pytko** » 20 Apr 2012 4:01 pm

Beautiful guitar!!! This is very valuable information, to know that Williams is willing to go in this direction. Can you give us a picture of the under-carriage? What is the scale length? What sound/tone were you looking for? I've been thinking of looking into if any of the current builders were willing to make pedal D-8's & here you come-up with this great example--very good!!!

Dan Moslander · Post by **Dan Moslander** » 20 Apr 2012 4:27 pm

BOY!!!!! AM I JEALOUS!!!!!

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 20 Apr 2012 7:39 pm

Thanks for the kudos. I love this steel. The undercarriage and scale length is normal Williams. You can see many photos of them on the Williams web page. I'll try to shoot an up-skirt photo for you. I was wanting a Sho-Bud type tone. With the TrueTones, it's close enough for me.

This guitar is nice and compact. Fits me well and is reasonably light-weight. I'm glad I got some tune-able splits, too.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 21 Apr 2012 4:36 pm

The Steel Guitar Forum

My new Williams D-8 PSG

My new Williams D-8 PSG

copedent

Pedals on front neck and non-pedal on back neck

Beauty contest

Williams

Tanks

upskirt photos for you