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Topic: Pedal Steel Companies |
Kenneth Kotsay
From: Davie/Ft Lauderdale, Florida
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Posted 8 Jul 2015 3:28 pm
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What's the production numbers on the MCI/EMCI???? |
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Kenneth Kotsay
From: Davie/Ft Lauderdale, Florida
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Posted 15 Jul 2015 3:35 pm
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Dekley built 3,000 pedal steels in 6 years??????
I only saw one in the last 25 years.
Did I miss something here??? |
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Bill Cunningham
From: Atlanta, Ga. USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2015 6:32 pm
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John Fabian always told me there were about 20,000 of the first and second generation MSA's. Those would include the first generation with the MSA logo and the late 70's/80's MSA Micros that were widely distributed by the big distributor in Chicago. Wasn't that distributor named CMI, maybe? I can't remember. It was a long time ago! _________________ Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA |
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jim flynn
From: Salado,Texas
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Posted 16 Jul 2015 3:11 pm Lone Star Steel Guitar
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Building: 1985-present
Mixed models 150 +
early models were "Texas Specials",
later, " Lone Star Steel Guitar"
Harold Flynn was the father of the "Flynn" guitar out of Louisville, KY. A really nice guy and a great guitar. God rest his soul.
Thanks for the list, very interesting.
Jim |
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John Swain
From: Winchester, Va
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Posted 16 Jul 2015 3:46 pm
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Bill, I think the distributor was Norlin. They also distributed Gibson if my memory is right, although it's often faulty. |
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Jimmie Hudson
From: North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2015 4:52 pm hudson
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Charles Kurck wrote: |
Gentlemen:
Thank you for your help. I have updated the chart.
As you can see, production numbers are needed.
Accuracy is a goal, but be aware that an occasional error may exist.
I will update the chart again when enough information becomes available.
Kind Regards,
Charles Kurck |
The Hudson Pedal steel guitars started in 2010 and so far 742 have been built. I am the owner so I know this is correct. |
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steve takacs
From: beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jul 2015 2:14 am Tom Mooney pedal steels
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Tom Mooney, from Tennessee, built about 20 Mooney pedal steels. The one I have is a D-10
Here is what Tom wrote about it and his steels:
"That was the only one I built with the "out" levers, designed as I built them. The changers are my own design, although as you know, there are only so many ways to configure two levers. The changer is most similar to the one that Zane Beck used.
The body is hard maple, in fact fabricated with maple from a bowling alley factory in upstate New York.
I got into building in 1992. I have always wanted to build my own guitar, and after retiring from a career in electronics (40 years), I decided to give it a try. I built maybe a total of 20 and went to a lot of shows and the convention showing them. I finally came to the conclusion that I wouldn't live long enough to get one as good as Bruce Zumsteg or Del Mullen. Also I wanted to travel , so I sold all my metal working machines and upgraded my wood shop."
I disagree with Tom in that I feel his Mooney steel is right up there with Zumsteels and Mullens and I am speaking as a person who enjoys playing both of these brands.
stevet |
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Marco Schouten
From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Posted 18 Jul 2015 4:12 am
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DeVis built 50 guitars _________________ ----------------------------------
JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
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Dave Stroud
From: Texas
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 5:18 pm
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Are Zumsteels out of production? |
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LaVern Skarzenski
From: North East,Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 5:37 pm Correction on BSG
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Slight correction and addition to the BSG built by Don Burrows. He was born in Pennsylvania but now resides in Ashtabula, Ohio. According to his website, he started building them around 1995 and as far as I know is still at it. He and his wife Ruby are great people and so is his guitar.
LaVern _________________ GFI S10, BSG S10, Nashville 112, Digitech 155, DOD DFX9 Digital Delay, Goodrich L 120. |
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Lem Smith
From: Long Beach, MS
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 8:36 am
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There was also the Seymour brand that Bobbe Seymour built. I don't recall the year range and have no idea of how many were built in total. |
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Bo Borland
From: South Jersey -
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 10:15 am
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Norlin was the new corporate name for CMI but i find it hard to believe MSA Micro built 20,000 steels
Gibson franchised dealer were required to take a couple, my dealer had a S10, D10 & D12.. and never ordered another
I don't know if he ever sold the D10 & D12 unless it was to another dealer. |
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Michael Lee Allen
From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 1:50 pm
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Austin was a rebrand of Deckley sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler.
Carvin made a MultiKord style PSG before the listed date and stopped all PSG sales by 1970.
Elecrodaire is actually Electradair, 1939 to 1949 and maybe beyond that, built by Newton Adair in Fresno California.
Hise MultiChord lasted into the 1950's and Hise retrofitted pedals to other guitars after that, Chicago Illinois.
MultiKords were also marketed under the Kalina brand name.
National ElectraChord was made for one year only in 1948.
Pierce stated out in the late 1960's, Fort Wayne Indiana.
Promat is in Croatia, not Serbia?
Ren-Kizer 1960's Fort Wayne Indiana.
Wabash was a rebrand (probably of Deckley) sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler.
MLA
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 28 Jun 2016 2:16 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Stu Schulman
From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 1:57 pm
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Clark?Clarke? _________________ Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Lane Gray
From: Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 5:29 pm
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Novi Sad is in Serbia, about 25 miles from Belgrade. _________________ 2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Jim Smith
From: Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 9:04 pm
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Michael Lee Allen wrote: |
Austin was a rebrand of Deckley sold by a Chicago jobber/wholesaler. |
Where did you hear that? I was the plant manager of D-E-K-L-E-Y from inception to late 1980 and have never heard such a thing. We were distributed by Ampeg for the first year or so, but were on our own from then on out. |
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Michael Lee Allen
From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 30 Jun 2016 3:17 pm
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Jim...
There were three big music jobber/wholesale outfits in Chicago. David Wexler, Targ & Dinner, and Harris-Teller. Wexler used the "Wabash" name for their in-house branded stuff and they did have a PSG for a year or two. I really can't remember what it was after all these years. The "Austin" was something from either Targ and Dinner or Harris-Teller. Definite that it was a Dekley (sorry about the incorrect spelling above). Three models. The student S10 with 3+1 upgradeable to 3+4, a pro S10 with 3+4, and a D10 with 8+4. I actually owned a student S10 bought used that I sold to someone who tried to get the offered knee lever add-on kits but they had been delisted after about a year. He did get the kits from Harry Guffee's shop on the East Coast and still has the guitar in storage as he can no longer play. It has an Austin logo. I've seen two others identical to it here in the used market many years ago. I still have the big jobber catalog/"counter book" showing these but it's packed up in a storage unit in California 2000 miles away. Years ago there were a few mentions of the brand here on the SGF. I do remember sending scans of the catalog page to a couple of those people.
MLA |
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Jim Smith
From: Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2016 9:23 pm
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If you or anyone has has pictures of this rebrand, I'd really like to see them for posterity, if nothing else. |
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Herb Steiner
From: Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 30 Jun 2016 9:49 pm
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I was a friend of Marvin Hudson, who was Mr. Stadler's first partner in Marlen guitars. Don't know how long they remained together building the brand. _________________ My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Jim Cohen
From: Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 1 Jul 2016 4:47 am
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I see John Zeidler's name on the list. He was a legendary, world-class, Philadelphia-area luthier, especially of archtop guitars, who passed away very young. I didn't know that he had built a PSG. Does anyone have any more info about this?
Thx. _________________ www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Danny Crelin
From: Wylie, Texas, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2016 5:28 am
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Thanks for including my name next to Gary's under the Carpsteel listing. _________________ RAINS D-10/SD-10 Quilter Steelaire-Quilter 15" Cabinets-Hilton Pedal-Steeler's Choice-BJS Bar |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2016 7:11 am
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Jim,
John built one steel and I bought it. A S-12 ext E9. It was my last steel before I stopped playing for 20+ years. John got some advice from Winnie Winston, who was playing a Kline at that time (c. 1980). . I was spending a lot of time with John those days, and I seem to recall that he built every piece fo that axe except the pickup.
I stopped playing steel around 1983. In 1990 or so I sold it to John's best friend, John McGann who was living in Boston and teaching an Berkeley, as he was when he tragically and suddenly died a few years back. John M had told me the steel had developed a crack behind the changer that made its tuning very unstable. His intent was to give it to John Z's son (Julian??) when he turned 18. Not sure what became of that plan or where the steel is now.
Back when the steel was built (and I think before I bought it from John Z), I wrote a little article on it for the Pedal Steel Newsletter. Pics aren't that great, but gives you some idea.
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Jim Cohen
From: Philadelphia, PA
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Paul Redmond
From: Illinois, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2016 5:12 pm
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The late Harold Flynn lived in Knoxville TN. At the time of his passing, he also owned the rights/inventory of Rus-Ler and BosSan companies.
Total Whitney output was seven guitars....last one was made in 2009. Present On-Trak output is at 8. Just finishing #7 and am midway thru #8.
PRR |
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Daniel McKee
From: Corinth Mississippi
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Posted 11 Jul 2016 7:57 pm
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I noticed that your list mentions the Miller Custom company being active in the 1960's, just thought I would add that they actually closed sometime in the 1970's. Not sure how many they made but the one I play is a 1965 model and is fairly early so I am guessing they opened in 1964-1965. Really enjoyed reading your list, lots of great information. |
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