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Topic: Buddy Emmons MCI days. |
Jerry Tillman
From:
Florida
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 8:19 am |
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| I,m a Push Pull junkie.With that said,Mr.Emmons sounds so good when I watch videos of him playing MCI steels.Anyone else noticed the same thing.I have a d-10 with Bill Lawerence 705,s and it sounds just like my PP Emmons.Thanks for any comments.No flames please,I,m having to nice of a day and we are having plenty of negatives down here in Florida right now from policemen being shot to sinkholes. |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 8:25 am
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Not to speak for him, Jerry, but I believe Buddy has said his favorite recorded tone was with the EMCI on his Christmas album. I know that and some of his Step One stuff with Ray Pennington are some of my favorite tones of his. They're generally very good sounding guitars.
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
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Ray DeVoe
From:
Hudson, FL
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 9:34 am
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I always liked the tone he had on this clip. And one has to take into account that this was recorded live at at steel show.
This was reported as being an EMCI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfYfQ24sdBQ
Ray DeVoe
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Zum SD 10 Hybrid, Zum D 10 Hybrid, Emmons SD 10 P.P.
SMS: Revelation & Classic Preamps: Furlong 12" & 15" Splits.
Telonics 500 C: Quilter-T.T.12": Fender T.M. Twin
Last edited by Ray DeVoe on 3 Mar 2013 12:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 10:34 am
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Wasn't the MCI the precursor of the GFI and Carter steels? wouldn't they be from the same lineage?
I didn't know that was a MCI on the Step One stuff - that's classic steel!
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 12:20 pm
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| If I remember right what I've read, the One For the Road album was done with the MCI (or EMCI?), too. Probably my favorite BE recorded tone. |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 12:50 pm
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Jerome, while there was some commonality, the better MCI/EMCI guitars had a welded frame and were better sounding guitars IMO.
Brint Buddy recorded the "One for the Road" album on an Emmons guitar.
_________________
14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 1:14 pm
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Before I read this thread I took my MCI (pre Range Expander) D10 out of its case and gave it a spin this afternoon. My guitar has Lawrence 705's on it, and indeed it does stand up very well against my Emmons push pull guitar.
Mechanically they are lacking in the refinements of the modern guitars, but they are quite well put together and I am quite happy playing my MCI on live gigs.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 1:50 pm
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| Paddy Long wrote: |
| Brint Buddy recorded the "One for the Road" album on an Emmons guitar. |
Well, it does look to be an Emmons he used on the tour, anyway--in the pictures on the back of the LP it seems to be a Legrande, based on the one where the changer end shows.
(When the reference is just to "an Emmons", many may well assume it's a push/pull that's referred to; a distinction that gets a lot of emphasis around these parts.) |
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Mike Cass
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 4:55 pm
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the MCI/EMCI guitars are indeed fine instruments. Seymour and I always joke that the EMCI company was teetering on the brink of greatness  Ive always loved the tone Buddy got out of the various models he's owned over the years. One of the best ones though might be a grey mica EMCI that was mistakenly sold to Gene O'Neal who, when confronted with the mistake refused to bring it back  ...it was that good! I owned the Christmas album guitar for awhile and it is awesome. I sold it as the knee levers were placed for Buddy and werent comfortable for me. Rather than alter it I sold it to Dyke Corson. No idea where it is now.
Ken, I made a few mods in the MCI/EMCI's Ive owned which greatly helped the playability without changing the tone or the basic mojo. The major mod was to swap out the right moving knee levers with Emmons LeGrande kits(not shafts,etc, just lever assemblies). That made the stops more positive and the overall feel of the LG levers is much nicer that the stock EMCI ones. |
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Mitch Ellis
From:
Collins, Mississippi USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2013 9:40 pm
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What is the difference between the MCI and the EMCI. Does the "E" stand for "Emmons"? What does the M,C, and I stand for? Could someone give a quick general history of these brands? Thank you very much.
Mitch |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 4 Mar 2013 1:24 am
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| Mike Cass wrote: |
...........
Ken, I made a few mods in the MCI/EMCI's Ive owned which greatly helped the playability without changing the tone or the basic mojo. The major mod was to swap out the right moving knee levers with Emmons LeGrande kits(not shafts,etc, just lever assemblies). That made the stops more positive and the overall feel of the LG levers is much nicer that the stock EMCI ones. |
Great idea Mike - I might try that myself. The right moving levers feel a little 'spongey'.
My guitar was allegedly played by Buddy, and it has his initials underneath. There is a clip of him playing a similarly coloured one to mine at a steel show in the UK. (Here is the clip I was given http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrhvLmiN-cw) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb_wAAdeFRA I'll never know the truth on that one. If Buddy did play it he must have very slim knees and thighs, as the 2 left knee levers have barely enough room between them to get my chunky knees through. Mr Seymour told me that the MCI/EMCI was the steel guitar world's best kept secret.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 4 Mar 2013 1:53 am
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Mike - I am not sure if the grey MCI you refer to is the one that Buddy is sitting behind in this clip, but it looks to be a beauty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeI1ZO5ht3M
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Mike Cass
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Posted 5 Mar 2013 2:37 pm
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that'd be her! An EMCI. Man, that guitar was.......lost for words here. Wonder where it ended up? Although he's retired I would be surprised if E wouldnt still like to get it back. On the occassioins that it would come up in conversation, Buddy would get this faraway look and just shake his head If he didnt want it Im sure I could give it a good home. Been alot of years since it went missing after Gene passed away..someone knows where it is.
As a sidenote, Gary Carpenter built an awful lot of the Arlington MCI's and EMCI's. Imo, besides E, Gary's the man to give advice and info on them. |
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Jim Park
From:
Carson City, Nv
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Posted 6 Mar 2013 11:17 am
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| I saw Buddy with Ray back in the mid to late 80's and he had a red EMCI with gold trim and tuning keys and boy that guitar sparkled!!! Me and Duane Brown got to go into the dressing room and meet Buddy and look at the guitar and chat! boy that was sure a cool guitar |
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Mike Cass
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Posted 6 Mar 2013 12:19 pm
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I remember that guitar...very cool. Buddy told me that John Birkhead(ran EMCI)had that custom made for him. The guitar was maroon mica, the metal parts were gold or brass lacquer plated and highly engraved. It also featured replaceable front apron panel inserts...one of them being a multi-colored mica TNN logo insert.
I had come over there one afternoon and Jerry and Buddy had set it up in the living room, waiting on my response to seeing it(talk about hiding in the bushes)and they werent dissappointed....it looked like God's personal steel guitar and my eyes nearly fell outta my head when I saw it! |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 6 Mar 2013 12:21 pm
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Anyone have any photos of that guitar? Sounds incredible.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 6 Mar 2013 8:03 pm
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That was Buddy on a Sierra. He quite liked the C6 sound that guitar produced.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 6 Mar 2013 9:22 pm
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Deleted
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 21 May 2018 8:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mitch Ellis
From:
Collins, Mississippi USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 12:03 am
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| Mitch Ellis wrote: |
What is the difference between the MCI and the EMCI. Does the "E" stand for "Emmons"? What does the M,C, and I stand for? Could someone give a quick general history of these brands? Thank you very much.
Mitch |
Anybody?
Mitch |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 2:30 am
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| Ken- yes the first clip is E playing a Sierra but scroll down to the cut "Linus and Lucy". There are a couple of others also. |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 4:41 am
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Hi Jim - sorry I miss-read your post. I put a link to the Linus & Lucy clip in my earlier post, so that's probably what confused me.
One thing for sure is that Buddy has the archetypal Emmons tone on all of these clips when he is using an MCI/EMCI. There was input from so many great steel makers, so it wasn't by chance that the sum of the parts added up to a great sounding guitar. Bobbe Seymour told me that these guitars replicate the classic Emmons push pull tone closer than any other make before or since. Some testimony.
(If only those two left knee levers weren't quite so close together, or if I didn't have such fat knees ).
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,
Last edited by Ken Byng on 7 Mar 2013 5:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 4:50 am
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Thanks MLA. You must have far and away the greatest collection of steel guitar memorabilia in the USA. I haven't seen copies of the MCI brochure before. Excellent.
Ken
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 4:50 am
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Mitch,
Not sure about the M, C, and I (although I'd venture a guess that the C stands for Carter, since I think Bud Carter had a hand in these), but I have read on the Forum that the E was added to get around a trademark issue, because there already was a company in Texas called MCI (not the long distance phone company). That way the guitar kept the same verbal name ("eM-C-I) but had a different name on paper. I also think I read that it was, in fact, Buddy Emmons who suggested this to them.
All from vague Forum-reading memory, someone please step in and correct me if I am mistaken.
Dan |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 8:52 am
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Deleted
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 21 May 2018 8:15 am; edited 2 times in total |
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