What is this stuff on Buddy Emmons' changer?

[Dale Lee]

This picture is for the cover of Mr. Fishell's forthcoming book. I asked about the apparatus in his thread about the cover picture, but I got no conclusive response.

I am still curious about it. Can anyone say what it is?

[Ian Rae]

I think the idea was to create an entirely artificial Buddy Emmons, but it relied on really powerful thunderstorms and only worked properly in Transylvania

[Samuel Phillippe]

I think the idea was to create an entirely artificial Buddy Emmons, but it relied on really powerful thunderstorms and only worked properly in Transylvania

Now that's funny

[Greg Cutshaw]

Looks like 3 extra pickups with swivels and separate audio cables perhaps for a midi feed?

[Jack Hanson]

It's the three pickups that plug into the infamous Emmons String Machine:

viewtopic.php?t=372956&highlight=emmons+string+machine

[Dale Lee]

It seems it was to make the steel sound like fiddles.

But what about the bars wrapped with what looks like black electricians tape. What is that?

[scott murray]

bingo. it's the Emmons String Machine, devised by Buddy. same guitar and apparatus on his "rainbow" album cover, and used on Canon in D Major.



more info here:
viewtopic.php?t=334313&sid=5d8009f79682 ... 399d577d5f

[Dennis Detweiler]

String Machine: If I recall, it was three individual pole pickups that could be positioned over selected strings and probably used three individual Boss Tone fuzz boxes to create a string section? Maybe it wasn't effective enough to get past the initial model?

[Doug Beaumier]

[Dennis Detweiler]

Evidently it was produced to sell! I wonder if anyone is still using one of them?

[scott murray]

I've seen a couple for sale recently
viewtopic.php?t=372956&highlight=string+machine

[Doug Beaumier]

From www.buddyemmons.com


Re: Emmons String Machine (triple fuzz w/ pickups)
From: Buddy
Date: 17 Mar 2002

Comments

…as for the String Machine, I can't say how many were made as I was not in the business end of the Emmons Guitar Company, but at best it was relatively few.

I don't remember the exact year they came out but I used it on a 1975 recording so it would have to have been a year or so before that.

The Foxx Tone Machine was my choice because of it being the distortion unit I was using for my work at the time.

I have no recollection of the settings or functions. I used it solely for string sounds. Three rods mounted vertically on the end of my guitar, and attached to those rods were three horizontal rods with single pole pickups that swiveled over the strings I chose for the harmonies. Most of the time I used strings 4, 6, and 10 for wide inversions and a fatter sound.

I used it mostly for demo sessions but the song I mentioned above was “Canon in D Major” on the Flying Fish label. The album title is Buddy Emmons / Steel Guitar and referred to it as the "Rainbow Album."

[Lynn Kasdorf]

String machine aside, photos from this session are the only time I have ever seen Buddy behind an S12. Apparently he used it on the rainbow album on at least a tune or two. Did he ever play an S12 on gigs?
I wonder if set up this S12 and the string machine just for Canon in D?