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Author Topic:  The Bud Isaacs Bigsby has been SOLD
Jack Hamlett

 

Post  Posted 22 Aug 2007 2:27 pm    
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The “Slowly” Bigsby Steel Guitar formerly owned by Bud Isaacs is for sale. This steel guitar was used to develop the modern pedal steel sound on hit records such as “Slowly” in 1954. This beautiful instrument is in good condition and has been played on several Steel Guitar Conventions including The International Steel Guitar Convention in 2002. Below is a picture from the convention. Bud Isaacs is pictured on the right hand side of the stage. I purchased the Bigsby Steel Guitar from Bud Isaacs in 1957. It was one of the first Bigsby Steel Guitars built and does not have a serial number.

This Bigsby Steel Guitar was appraised by Nashville Steel (Bobbe Seymour) for $85,000.00 on January 2, 2007. Bobbe Seymour states in his appraisal, “Again I would like to state that this original Bigsby guitar built for Bud Isaacs in the early fifties is without question, the most significant steel guitar in the history of steel guitar.”

The Bigsby Steel Guitar sale will include the following items:

1. The original case along with a cover for the case that Bud Isaacs had made in Springfield, Missouri when he was with Red Foley on The Ozark Jubilee

2. The original bill of sale from Bud Isaacs to Jack Hamlett

3. Two original letters from Paul Bigsby to Jack Hamlett regarding the Bigsby Steel Guitar

4. An original Bigsby Brochure

Pictured below are several other pictures of The Bigsby Steel Guitar. Other information and additional pictures are available to serious buyers only.

The asking price for the Bigsby Steel Guitar is $60,000.00; however, other offers will be considered. I will not risk shipping the Bigsby. The steel guitar will need to be picked up in person.

I am located in Maryland. My email is jvjhamlett@aol.com. When emailing please put “Bigsby” in the subject.





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Last edited by Jack Hamlett on 30 Mar 2008 7:53 am; edited 2 times in total

Jussi Huhtakangas

 

From:
Helsinki, Finland
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 3:36 am    
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Well folks, there you have it!! Thanks for the underside shot Jack, I've always wanted to see that.
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Herb Steiner

 

From:
Spicewood TX 78669
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 7:42 am    
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At that amount of money, it should have at least 4 knee levers!! Wink

No, seriously... with the offering of this magnificent piece of history, and the sale of Joaquin's T-8 console earlier this year, that makes 2 out of 4 of my personally chosen Holy Grail Bigsbys up for changing hands. The remaining ones are Speedy West's guitar he played on hundreds of records in Hollywood in the early 50's, and Buddy's guitar with which he did the same in Nashville.
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Ken Byng


From:
Southampton, England
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 10:23 am    
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Incredible! It's really difficult to put a value on something like this, and who am I to argue with Bobbe's figure. Ideally the guitar should be on display in a music museum somewhere, where its importance to country music and steel guitar in general can be conveyed to a bigger audience rather than it lying under a bed somewhere steadily appreciating in value. Comparing the price to a 6 string guitar owned by Clapton or Hendrix would actually show that it is pretty good value to a collector.

I take it that you will remove your name plate from the front of the guitar before you sell it Jack.
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Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 10:31 am    
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I trust you have offered the right-of-first-refusal to Bud Isaacs himself, yes? (Of course, I have no clue as to whether he'd want it back or not...)
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Jack Hamlett

 

Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 12:58 pm    
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Hi Jim,
Yes, of course Bud has first chance to purchase the steel (if in fact he wanted it). I have the distinct privilege of calling Bud my friend. I worked with Bud in 1956 and 1957. Bud was in the army at Fort Meade in Maryland. I worked as front man and singer with him while he was here. A Gibson dealer in Baltimore by the name of Fred Walker and Bud Isaacs designed the first 3 neck Gibson Electraharp steel guitar. They gave Bud the first one they built. He started playing the Gibson and I bought the Bigsby at that time. Bud is a super steel player and I am proud to call him my friend. In fact we play Bud and his wife Geri's CD's on our radio show here in Maryland. Geri is a wonderful singer, also Bud sings a fine song too.

Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 2:08 pm    
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Now that I think of it, I gotta say, I'm surprised to see you part with it. Your son sure played it beautifully. I hope he hasn't given up on steel, but I've been wondering about his whereabouts the past few years since he hasn't turned up at the steel shows...
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Jack Hamlett

 

Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 3:15 pm    
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Hi Jim,
My son thanks you for the compliment. He has not given up playing the steel, in fact he plays a 1968 D-8 Fender stringmaster. We have been very busy playing locally. Deciding to sell the Bigsby was a hard decision, but made sense since the steel does not get played that often. Hopefully when things slow down some we will be able to get back to the steel guitar conventions.

Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 3:21 pm    
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Man... that needs to be on exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame... not in somebody's bedroom...
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Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

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Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2007 3:31 pm    
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Yes, it does, but I'm still a little shell-shocked from the last time we banded together to put an historic instrument into the CMHOF where it went on display for the first 6 months before being relegated to the basement, never to be seen since. I know more than a few of you know what I'm talkin' about! Evil or Very Mad
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Ernie Pollock

 

From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 9:13 am     Wow!!
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Lets see, at $25.00 a month for the rest of my life & half dozen other members of my family I could have that piece of history!!, & since its in Maryland, I could just ride down & pick it up!!

Ernie Pollock Whoa!
http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 9:19 am    
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Is there really any sort of serious collectibility out there in the vintage instrument market for this kind of price on this instrument??? Were it a six string guitar played by a rock star it might fetch this much because they have numerous times.
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Kevin Hatton

 

From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 9:28 am    
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I agree. That instrument needs to be in the Hall Of Fame Museum. Displaying is a problem though.
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Kyle Everson

 

From:
Nashville, Tennessee
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 10:49 am    
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The Hall of Fame already has a booth with a recording of "Slowly" and the history behind Bud Isaacs and Webb Pierce doing that record. I don't think this would ever be in a basement.

$60k is very reasonable for someone or some organization with that kind of money to spend on such an important piece of music history. To put it into perspective, Eric Clapton sold his famous strat "Blackie" for $949,000 a couple years ago.
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Brandon Ordoyne


From:
Needville,Texas USA
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 11:04 am    
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how about the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville, that would be a great place, being as it is a "Steel Guitar Icon". Mr. Hughey and Pete Drake have steels in there. Smile
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Mike Thomas

 

From:
Massachusetts, USA
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 12:21 pm    
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I hope it comes with a '52 Telecaster as well

Wink
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Glenn Suchan

 

From:
Austin, Texas
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 1:25 pm    
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Jack, several members mentioned putting it in the CMHOF. Far be it from me to tell you what to do. However, unless it's important for you to liquidate this (as Herb has said) magnificent piece of steel guitar history, why not consider a putting it on loan to the CMHOF. With a temporary or finite time period loan to the CMHOF, you could stipulate display criteria and allow fans of country music to see this guitar per your requirements. Ultimately, the CMHOF would be custodian of this instrument until such time that things are better for you or your son to be able to play and enjoy the "Slowly" Bigsby. Just a suggestion.

Best wishes,

Glenn
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Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 6:48 pm     Museum..................?
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Tell us more about the NASHVILLE Museum....plez.

Otherwise, If someone will give me the interest only, from a million dollars, say from the lottory or from the millions they've made playing steel guitar.......

I will pledge my life to establishing and maintaining a steel guitar museum, right here on the LEFT COAST. I will then buy that Issac's steel and/or any others that are floating around.

How does that sound? For a small fee, attendees could play their instrument of choice during their visit. I'd have a place to set-up my quad Bigsby and my wall of Bakelites.

Any takers? I tho't not.
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David Doggett


From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
Post  Posted 24 Aug 2007 10:30 pm    
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I am in awe of this piece of history and very grateful for the photos. But I am a little puzzled by the underside. There are no pull rods. Was there no changer, and did the pedal mechanisms pull the strings through holes in the key head end? How did it work? It's interesting that it did not have a back apron. And the body is clearly much thinner than the Fender Stringmaster and other lap and non-pedal steels at the time. Did Bigsby make non-pedal steels preceeding his first pedal steels? What are they like? Anybody got one, or photos of one? I wonder how Bigsby arrived at the thin body? And I wonder what effect that had on tone?
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Michael Douchette


From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 2:50 am    
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The strings were pushed up through the keyhead.
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/
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T. C. Furlong


From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 6:38 am    
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David, here is a photo of the Bigsby "plunger" system for raising and lowering strings. Paul Bigsby discontinued plungers around '54 or '55 (please correct me on the year) in favor of the cable actuated bridge end changer system.

The fourth string in this picture is lowered by the plunger. Mashing the pedal lowers the height of the plunger allowing the string to rest in a normal position with less tension. The other two push up on the string. The plunger system is very smooth and accurate but you couldn't change set ups and the number of pulls was very limited.

I believe that Chas Smith has a non-pedal Bigsby that is really cool.

TC
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Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 7:37 am     Bigsby progress..........
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I'd seen one of Hank Thompson's steel players that had the examples shown in the photo above; possibly Pee Wee Whitewing but I'm not sure now.

When I got mine in April, 1956, I was shocked because it lacked this type of changer and I actually tho't I'd been ripped off. Only then did I realize that HE had changed HIS mechanics and the system has worked flawlessly since that day. Never once has it been touched by a technician.

Paul Bigsby was certainly a one-of-a-kind sorta guy.
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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 8:52 am    
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I'm looking at the pictures on the convention and wondering if the "Smiling Jack" name plate is removeable? It would be a shame to have that permanently attached to the guitar wouldn't it? If it's removeable, has it been on the guitar long and if so, did it discolor the front apron?......JH in Va.
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Jack Hamlett

 

Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 9:01 am    
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Bud Isaacs name is inlaid in the wood the same way the name Bigsby is inlaid in the wood. Bud Isaacs name was covered with clear laquer and the name Smiling Jack was put over it. Smiling Jack can be removed, it would be the same as removing paint down to the clear laquer that covers Bud Isaacs name. Smiling Jack has been on the Bigsby since about 1961. There is possibility the apron color would be lighter under Smiling Jack but that should be able to be buffed out.

Mike Black

 

From:
New Mexico, USA
Post  Posted 25 Aug 2007 9:41 am    
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Price is as Price does. It'll either sell for it or it won't. It's the sellers decision and you gotta start somewhere! I don't think it's an out of line place to start for that guitar. I've had my hand in selling 4 of them and no ones ever happy to hear the asking price. I can't begin to tell about the stuff I've experienced simply because I want to sell something. It dosen't usually happen with standard guitars. It's less hassle to sell a 52 Tele than a 52 Bigsby.
FWIW Joaquin's guitar is still for sale to the bestof my knowledge and to me THAT is the "holy grail". I'm not joking, I've very seriously considered doing what I'd have to to buy it. But I'd rather live in doors and eat regularly! Laughing

T.C., Lee Buck had a non pedal T8, Serial #121553. He told me PA said this was the last guitar that would have had that type of headstock changer. (BTW, what's that brass looking finger?) I've not seen a Jan 54 guitar, but both Norm Hamlett's and the T-10 Tom Morrell had have the bridge end changers and they are both mid Feb 54 models. Also in 54 he went from "raised graphic" necks to fretboards, started casting his own handles and knobs too. It looks like Norm's guitar has raised graphics, Toms has fboards but also wood necks.

David, Bigsby's had platforms with seperate necks like modern guitars. Fenders and other 50s steels, except for Sho-Bud, were usually neck/body integral. PA started putting pedals on with Speedy's. You could get them how ever you wanted as far pedals or non. There's several pics of non pedals on here. Take a look at the Show us your Steel post. I had several set-up one day and took some pics. Except for the lap versions they all look pretty much the same. I've not seen one with a true back apron but Morrell's T-10 has an added piece there. Not very wide but it's there.

Notice that this guitar has cast headstocks and wood necks. I think that's the best design for a non pedal. I hope it ends up featured in the upcoming Book.
I've never met Smiling Jack but I bet it's not an easy decision for him! I'd sure like to see some more pictures. How about a seprate post in the Pedal Steel section with some and if you don't mind the serial #.
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