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Author Topic:  Owning more than one Steel, thoughts
Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 1:20 am    
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I hope this does not come across as self serving or bragging , thats not what its about. I'm asking...

I currently own 3 Emmons Steels, 1 Legrande II ( with H'Buckers) and 2 Push Pulls, both Single Coils. They are set up pretty much the same. Thru most of my tenure I owned 1 steel, generally a D10. I have owned , like many here, multiple brands but I spent most of the last 15 years on 3 different Carter Steels,( one at a time) liked em big time. I spent my earliest decades on 1 Sho Bud, like 25 years or more, then 1 Carter, . I always hated that I had to take it out of the car and set it up to practice then break it down and bring it back to the car. That was the cycle for decades. It's hard to run across the room and sit down with a phrase or two when the Steel is in a case in the trunk of the car. That has always been a peeve of mine. But back then there was no possible way I could have justified the cost of owning a "sit around " Steel.

So here I am , later in life, owning 3 Steels at the same time. And yeah, the thought of seeing an instrument of value just sittin around does cross my mind but in all honesty at this point in life it doesn't have any effect on life, at least not today.


Over the last year I have toyed with selling one of the P Pulls thinking why do I need this ? I even came close to selling one a few times. Then it dawned on me, set it up where I practice and just leave it there, forever. The Legrande is also set up across the room and the other P Pull is in the case. I gig at least 3 times/month sometimes 4 or more, I take either the P Pull thats in the case or the Legrande which would be a last minute break down. The P Pull thats in my practice spot doesn't come to gigs however it could. Each are basically the same setup so practicing on one is like playing another.

All 3 play a bit different and each has something a little different tone wise, each one has a sweet spot different than the others. I enjoy each and PLAY each fairly regularly. IT's not about collecting Steels thats for sure.

So for now I'm gonna own 3 and hope I don't buy a 4th. Sure it's a hell of an investment but it fits the finances so it's not a burden, at least not now. Early on I felt lucky to be able to own just the one Sho Bud. I don't have other expensive hobbies , never did. Oh wait..unless Telecasters is now considered a hobby ! We don't buy new cars either . Newish...

Those of us who own more than one, do you play them often or are they sitting in a case somewhere out of sight. ?

Are they different setups ? Do they all get gig duty or are they eye candy, which is also a very valid reason to own them.

I see many members have multiple Steels, I am just wondering if they all get some seat time or gig time.
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Last edited by Tony Prior on 4 Jun 2017 6:39 am; edited 3 times in total
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Tim Russell


From:
Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 3:02 am    
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Currently I own two D-10's, a Sierra and a Williams.

I recently purchased the Williams because I wanted more versatility in the changer; The Sierra is 2 up/2 down, and the Williams is 3 up/3 down. And with modern copedents, it is easy to need even more than that. A 5 up/5 down or even more changer would be awesome to have & experiment with.

I don't gig currently, although I play in church once in awhile. A single neck would easily cover all my needs at this point. Both steels are set up and I do play them regularly at home. Currently, the right knees are set a bit different, but when I get the time, I want to set both guitars up identical.

My thoughts on owning more than one...

Sure, why not?

If finances are not an issue, what is the problem? It's like any other hobby/collection. I know a couple guys who have huge train layouts in their basements, I cannot begin to imagine the amount of money invested in those. Some of the engines for those layouts are a couple thousand apiece.

Another friend of mine has two street rods, same year, 38 Buick coupes, and I would guess that he has 60K invested in each one, and he did most of the restore/build work himself.

My wife has probably 40 pairs of shoes, and at $20 ea. (conservative price, I'm sure), that totals over $800 for something she might wear once or twice! Whoa!

I have 7 or 8 six string electrics, about 5 or 6 amps, a bass, a couple speaker cabs, Roland electronic drum set, a half dozen effects pedals or so...I like to have "stuff", I guess. I enjoy variety, I enjoy collecting and playing with my toys. I had a 60's push-pull years ago, and If I own an Emmons again, I would never part with it unless I really needed to raise some cash.


I'm sorry, Tony...what was your question again... Laughing
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Ben Lawson

 

From:
Brooksville Florida
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 3:18 am    
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I only have two steels. One is an Emmons P/P D10, the other is an MSA S12 Classic. The MSA is set up as a 10 string with 3 & 4. I have taken the MSA out only a few times, it's usually set up at home for practice. The Emmons has 9 & 7 and none of the knee levers match the MSA. If I ever get another steel it would be an S10 and I would try to get it to match the Emmons. The MSA in the case is heavier than the Emmons too.
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mtulbert


From:
Plano, Texas 75023
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 3:28 am    
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Two steels works for me. I have a D10 which stays setup at home pretty much all the time. I use my SD10 for gigs and it helps cut down on weight and setup time. If I go a long time between gigs (which is becoming too common sad to say) I will setup the SD10 just to make sure everything is okay.
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Gary Lee Gimble


From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 4:20 am    
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2 Zums, 1 PP, all set up the same excluding one knee on the PP. My gig Zum stays within easy arms reach to load up, the other stays set up for daily woodshed activities. My PP (PIC below) is up for a sale consideration but not listed yet....

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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 4:54 am    
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I've only had one pedal steel at a time. I always had a day job and music was mostly a "weekend" thing. Even now in retirement and having done some road work (in Florida) for 8 years I still only have had one steel. Maybe I've been lucky but the one steel is all I've ever needed. I've had 3 pedal steels over the years starting with a Fender 2000 in Oct 69, a new D-10 Emmons PP in May 71 and finally a new Franklin D-10 in Dec 81.

My wife decided about 4 years ago that she wanted to learn pedal steel so we bought a used S-10 GFI Expo but that is "hers" and I don't consider having two steels.

If I were doing music as a profession I would have more than one steel.
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Eric Philippsen


From:
Central Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 4:55 am    
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I have something like 12 push-pulls. I bought them and others through the decades where I'd stumble across one every now and then. Some were cheap, some weren't, some were basket cases, some were never out of the previous owner's house. I did 'cause I could and because I managed money well.

Now, at my age, out of preference, I'm down to just p/p Emmons. I haven't sold many of them but last week I did sell a white D10 to a student. I was good with that because he's got the steel bug big time and wanted an Emmons.

Do I need that many? Of course not. Do I use every one? No. Am I an accomplished player gigging all the time? Nope on both counts by a long shot. Am I a greedy hoarder, or whatever, in some people's view? I just don't worry about that.

Really, the thing was I picked them up over the years, recognizing them as the iconic instruments they are.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 5:15 am    
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If you play a 6-string lap steel and employ different tunings, it's an advantage to have more than one.
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Howard Parker


From:
Maryland
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 6:26 am    
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I may be out 4 nights some weeks. During spring/summer the steel stays in the car if I'm that busy. I don't have an inclination to set up/tear down for practice.

I'd love to find a cosmetically distressed/mechanically sound practice guitar to sit behind as the mood strikes.

h
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Steven Black

 

From:
Gahanna, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 7:27 am     A message from Steve Black
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My opinion about having two steels,like having two steels, one for practice but it still won't get used, and you can only play one steel guitar at a time anyways unless you play lap steel guitars then you need several, just my thoughts on this, I am not against it for any reason.
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Michael Holland


From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 7:59 am    
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I wish I could still afford to own a steel guitar.
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Bob Hoffnar


From:
Austin, Tx
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 8:15 am    
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I own 4 steels right now.

Main instruments :
two 67 PP D10's. Set up identical. One in case and ready to go out the door and one set up for home practice and recording.
The other one gets used for students sometimes also.

I keep two steels set up the same so that I have a backup ready.

I have a 67 S10 PP that I use for fly dates and occasionally rent out.

That is my basic roster of instruments. The brands have changed a little over the years. Franklin and Rains previously.

I just got an Emmons LeGrande III D10 that I am checking out because of the anti detuning feature. I want to see if it helps my intonation. I have also been getting a fair amount of good paying work with microtonal composers where I need to change what the pedals do. So an all pull is quite a bit easier to deal with. May keep it and it may become my main guitar. I won't know for a while. If it becomes my main steel I'll be looking for another identical one and one of my PP's will head down the road.
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Billy McCombs


From:
Bakersfield California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 9:01 am    
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Bob I would be interested in hearing what you think about the Detuning feature after you have checked it out. Please let use know what you think? Thanks Billy
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Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 9:58 am    
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I have 2 MSA U-12 Millenniums. They are different colors, but other than that they are identical. Same copedant, same wrist lever, same everything. (One says Millennium III and the other says M3)





I live on a hillside, and have to climb stairs to get from my house to the street. So I keep the white one at home for woodshedding, along with a small practice amp, and the purple one which I use for performing, in a detached garage at the bottom of the hill. This way I never have to carry anything up and down the stairs.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 12:06 pm    
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Apart from two steels (which seems to be the minimum) I have three trombones, equivalent to having a single E9, a D10 and a Uni 12, plus three others. All six have their uses and to part with any one would leave a gap in the arsenal. But then they cost hundreds, not thousands.

I am now wondering if any serious player on any instrument has just one?
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 2:15 pm    
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My main pedal steels are a Zum D10, a Franklin D10, and a Zum U12. I can't see ever selling these, I love them. I have a few others - a Mullen G2 SD10, and old Fender 800 I got from Brother Bob Carlucci last year, and a couple of old Sho Buds, one of which is a D10 Fingertip from about 1965 which needs some TLC. They're all cool in their own way. But my bread-and-butter steels are the two Zums and the Franklin. If I ever figure out how to get levers on that Fender without carving it up, I'll probably use it a lot more - it's too cool for school.

If I didn't have at least two pedal steels, I would never be able to practice. My day (and often night) job teaching at a large university has kept me hopping for the last several years. I struggle getting seat time as it is, and I'm failing more than succeeding. Guitar is much easier. Pick up guitar, play. There's always a guitar and amp set up to play in my study/music-room. Steel is set up too, but even with it set up, it still requires diddling. I have had no time to diddle.

I have more pedal steels than I need because I can and I like them. I went back to college teaching 18 years ago after taking a hiatus to run a vintage guitar store and play full-time. I have worked my ass off and delayed some musical gratification to deal with family stuff and put myself in a position to be able to retire. I make no apologies for having some instruments. But I'm retiring from this teaching job at the end of the month. More than ever, I need to make sure I don't sell my important instruments - let's just say that Zums and Franklins ain't gettin' any cheaper. Every time I sell a hard-to-get and appreciating instrument, I regret it. And I have the scars to show it. Exclamation
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 3:26 pm    
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Interesting topic for a beginner like me armed only with a humble S10 3x4, which I expect to keep me busy for a long time.

I totally understand the self-roady issue. I read one post from a guy here who had two gigs in one day timed so close together that he had to set up both his steels at each venue before the start of the first gig. I seriously doubt I will ever have that problem.

If I start getting gigs on steel, it will probably not amount to much more than local weekends, so packing up and hauling in and out won't be that big of a deal. Plus, my steel is extremely simple to set up and break down. So I am probably going to be a one-axe guy for the foreseeable future.

For you guys & gals with the room at home and the money to spend and the time and talent to play more steels than you'll ever need, more power to you Cool
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Bill Moore


From:
Manchester, Michigan
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 4:46 pm    
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For about 20 years, I had one guitar, most of that time it was an MSA D10. Nothing was wrong with it, aside from being really heavy. As time went by, money wasn't as big a problem, and guitars seemed easier to find, I bought and sold quite a few. I have always liked to try different steels, maybe tinker with them a bit, and move on to a different one.

I like the ones I have now, just four, a Rittenberry SD-10, Derby SD-10, Desert Rose and Justice, both S-10s. Gigs have slowed down for me lately, and I haven't really been looking too hard. I have never considered leaving a guitar set up at a practice space, though I did leave an amp at one for quite a while. If I don't want to carry a heavy guitar, my Justice Pro-Lite or Desert Rose are pretty light.

At home, I will alternate the guitars. Set up and play one for several days, then change to another. For now, I'm satisfied, I like the instruments I have.
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Bill Cunningham


From:
Atlanta, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 5:04 pm    
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Two Mullen G2 D-10's, 9 x 9 set up identically. One always set up for practice and one in the case even though I practice or gig infrequently these days. Sometimes I think I would like to have a gigging SD-10 but I believe I would be unhappy 90% of the time because I would miss the back neck even if for a couple tunes a night.

I have three basses that get some occasional use. A dobro, MSA Superslide, and several guitars that collect dust.

I would like to have a S-12 Bb6 but at this point in my life wouldn't deveined the time to learn it.

Don't ask me about the number of shotguns or handguns. I can't put that in the public domain as it might get back to my wife. Laughing
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Brett Day


From:
Pickens, SC
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2017 7:36 pm    
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I currently have three pedal steels, a 1974 Emmons GS-10 with three pedals, one knee, a 2004 red and gold GFI Ultra D-10 with eight pedals, five knees, and my Jackson Blackjack Custom SD-10 with a pad, with three pedals and four knees. My Jackson is my main guitar-it goes with me to play at church and steel guitar shows and at my house-it's been my main guitar since April of 2010.
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Tommy Detamore


From:
Floresville, Texas
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2017 4:22 am    
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Interesting thread y'all...

There have been periods in my life that I have had just one steel, and it worked out ok. But like many have said it is a pain sometimes when you need to woodshed something. Like on a Saturday morning before leaving for a gig, after playing the night before with the steel still in the car.

There is something comforting about having a backup should something go awry mechanically or electronically. Since all of the steels I own were made when I was playing Little League baseball, it's probably not a bad plan to have more than one. Very Happy For the record, I currently have two 60's PP's (with another on the way), and a Sho-Bud permanent.

It can be something of a chore and an expense keeping up with the string changes and the cleaning and maintenance with multiple guitars, but I guess that is minor in the grand scheme of things. All in all, not so much different than owning multiple vehicles I suppose.
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Harold Dye

 

From:
Cullman, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2017 4:47 am    
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Tony this is an interesting thread. At this time I have two steels. Recently I have been thinking of selling one, but I can't come to grips with parting with either. The one I have considered selling is my Super Pro but so far I just can't make the move. I have had three upgrades on the guitar since I bought it new in 79 and it sounds great. I keep it set up to practice on and sometime gig with it. The bandstand where I play is not big enough to cuss a cat on, so I am hesitant to use it because it is a wooden body and I don't want it bumped and scratched. I use a mica guitar to play there. I know the time is coming when I have to start clearing the house but for some reason I can't face it at this time. At this stage of life I don't need two guitars, maybe not even one, but I am going to deal with it for awhile longer.
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Bill Terry


From:
Bastrop, TX
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2017 10:49 am    
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I've got two D-10 P/Ps, mostly the same setup, but one is an 8x5 and one is 8x4. I basically have two for the same reason a lot of other posters have mentioned. I'm too lazy to get it out and set it up for woodshedding and practice. This way, one is always cased and ready to go, and the other is completely setup in my home studio for practice, recording or whatever. I can afford it, so I'm not apologetic about it.


I've even got two sets of 'accessories', i.e. two pack seats, two identical volume pedals, bars, picks, cables. There's nothing worse with two guitars than getting to the gig and realizing that your bar is laying on the 'practice' guitar at home and you have to use a rusty 3/4" socket you found rolling around in the back of a buddy's truck, until your wife brings your bar to the gig. Don't ask me how I know...
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Steve Pawlak

 

From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2017 11:38 am    
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I own 14 electric guitars including 6 Strats
My motto is they're paid for and don't eat nothing so keep em
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John De Maille


From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2017 1:02 pm    
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I have two. My S-11 RusLer, that, I bought new in 1976. It still plays and sounds great and is set up to practice on
Then, I have a U-12 ZumSteel, that I bought new in 2003. It is my working steel and gets played quite regularly.
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