Carter owners

Greg Wisecup · Post by **Greg Wisecup** » 5 Mar 2008 9:34 am

I am about ready to purchase a Carter pro model and other than the playability from a Carter Starter to a pro model; what can I expect sound/tone wise. I have listened to hundreds of guitars online and I am not ashamed to say that my CS sounds great. Will a pro model sound the same, better, different? What can I expect.(all other equipt. being the same.) Thanks, Greg

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 5 Mar 2008 9:50 am

It'll sound even better! The pro changer will make a full-out Carter believer out of you!

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 5 Mar 2008 10:38 am

Greg, it will probably sound the same but possibly better, but it will be very much sturdier, cosmetically prettier and with a Changer second to none. I've been playing mine regularly since I got her in 2003. Anything made by Bud Carter is a plus, the man's a genius. I've been playing pedal steel professionally since 1970, Believe me when I say the Carter performs brilliantly.Welcome to the Pro Carter club.

Micky Byrne United Kingdom www.mickybyrne.com

Carter and Sho-Bud universals

Greg Wisecup · Post by **Greg Wisecup** » 5 Mar 2008 11:24 am

Keep em coming..... and for sale on the forum an 07 Magnum and 01s-10 sound differences??????? Which one??

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 5 Mar 2008 11:42 am

Greg, probably sound the same as they are basically the same guitar from the same manufacturer, they are just cosmetically different, and size differences on the cross shafts on the undercarriage. I'd go for the Carter. I prefer the polished end plates etc as opposed to the Matt finish on the Magnum. Your choice may differ.

Micky Byrne United Kingdom.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 5 Mar 2008 12:12 pm

Greg, buy the best Guitar you can get within your Budget. A Carter PRO is a great Steel you will not be disappointed. I have owned 3 and really liked them all.

I invite you to take a listen to a few tunes om my website playing the 04 Carter D10.

www.tprior.com

good luck

tp

Ulf Edlund · Post by **Ulf Edlund** » 5 Mar 2008 12:21 pm

I serviced a starter and gave it a test ride while i was at it. I was surprised by the tone, and it held up good against my pro guitars.
On a pro model you'll notice better sustain, superior pedal- and knee lever action and overall quality.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 5 Mar 2008 12:57 pm

Owned four and all were great guitars in all respects and even though I play another right now I'd buy another Carter without any hesitation.

Here's a tune I did a while back playing to one of Jeff Newman's tracks on a Carter D10 w 10-1's.

http://dickosteel.zoomshare.com/files/01_Track_1.mp3

Greg Wisecup · Post by **Greg Wisecup** » 5 Mar 2008 2:00 pm

Thanks everybody.You have confirmed what I have suspected all along. Thank you!

Dick; it's funny you jumped in. I just got done burning a fresh cd of a bunch of great players, Cass, Hughey, T.White etc. and your other mp3 that you had posted. Now I can add this one . It sounds great. Thanks, Greg

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 6 Mar 2008 6:04 am

Buy a Carter Pro model.

Fine guitar. I have one with BL 705 PU. I get more compliments that you can imagine regarding the tone of that Guitar.

Good Luck and buy a Carter!

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 6 Mar 2008 8:34 am

You won't find a better guitar anywhere. There's more expensive models out there by different brand names but the CARTERS will stand toe to toe with anything on the market today. The MAGNUMS are equally as good a product just a little different. I've had 6 or 7 new CARTERS and I've lost count of the MAGNUMS I've played and sold. I prefer the XR-16's on the CARTERS and the E66's on the MAGNUMS.

James Leaman · Post by **James Leaman** » 6 Mar 2008 8:54 am

Billy hit it right on the head! Can't go wrong with a Carter.

Ben Godard · Post by **Ben Godard** » 6 Mar 2008 9:37 am

The first time I played one I couldn't believe how well it plays and sounded. The playability is great and sustain is great. There will probrably be some people to disagree with me on this but to me it feels and sounds a lot like my Franklin D10. If I had a blindfold on, it would be hard for me to tell the difference . the playabilty is like whip cream although I will say that the Franklin is probrably a little more rugged and has rock hard stops. But tonewise they both are a brilliant sounding guitar with similar tones. If I buy anew guitar again, you can bet that's what I'll get. Don't be misleaded by the fact there are so many for sale. that's only because they have made so many. And a lot of people are trading their old ones for their newer ones.

Chris Johnson · Post by **Chris Johnson** » 6 Mar 2008 9:53 am

I just left the music room in total awe again

. It has a nice thick rich tone with the George L 10-1.

If you do get the Carter, you wont be disappointed.

Pit Lenz · Post by **Pit Lenz** » 6 Mar 2008 3:31 pm

Hello Carter owners out there,

I´m curious to find out about the timeline of improvements on the Carter.
All I could find out was the introduction of BCT in Juli ´98.

I heard they changed the pedal bar recently. When and how?
How about other technical developments: was Geardown there from the beginning?
Splits? Compensators?
Change in rods?
Other details?

Thanks for sharing your experience
pit

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 8 Mar 2008 8:31 am

I have a Carter SD10 and an MCI SD10. The MCI has a slight edge, tone wise, over the Carter. However the two recent improvements to the Carter - the solid aluminum neck and the new pedal board, seem to, in my opinion put the Carter in the same league as the MCI. I think that the real improvement for the Carter was when they replaced the pressed neck with the solid aluminum neck.

Once I took that pressed neck off and did a test and there was no difference in tone. I think it was just for decorative purposes. Perhaps Carter realized this. Just my humble opinion- and by the way we all have one. Brian

John Fabian · Post by **John Fabian** » 8 Mar 2008 8:54 am

Thanks to all of you guys for the kind words. Just a small correction regarding the necks. All metal necks on Carter Steel Guitars are made from aluminum. None have ever been made from steel. The fabrication process is obviously different for the standard neck vs the Premium Edged neck.

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 8 Mar 2008 5:47 pm

I've used a carter for the past four years. While I don't use it exclusively, I have had very good luck with it, especially on the road with Reba . It stays in tune better than I could ever expect from a steel guitar. For whatever reason, I don't need return compensators. There is also very little cabinet drop. It's a well designed guitar. I prefer the tone of my Franklin but i have cut hit records with the carter.

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 8 Mar 2008 5:56 pm

I just got back from a 2 hour gig. To night I used my Carter SD10. Wow! What a sound. Everybody loved it including me. This is my second Carter. The Carter is light, has quiet pedals, awesome tone, endless sustain, stays in tune, I'd even choose Carter if they were $4000 instead of $2000. Brian. Carter, MCI, Analog delay, guyatone st2.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 9 Mar 2008 8:32 am

I have an older Carter that I play out once in a while. I get more compliments on the tone than any guitar I've ever played. XR16s on both necks, it stays in tune very well. It's light weight and stable. My boss, Rusty, loves the sound, if the pedals were further apart I would play it all the time. I get my big clumsy feet tangled sometimes.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 9 Mar 2008 8:40 am

One of the best reasons for owning and especially playing a Carter, is the fact that there is virtually NO maintenance required to keep it playing and pulling in tune.
You can change your sound with the various pickups available, but as far as adjusting "under the hood" of a Carter before playing out, that is almost NEVER needed.
As The Ronco man says about his rotisserie "just set it, and forget it!"

Fine guitars, those Carters

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 9 Mar 2008 1:10 pm

The Carter will serve you well.. It sounds and plays as well as any steel ever made, they are priced right and light as a feather to boot. You have everything you need in a pedal steel right there. I am happy with mine,its my #1 and has been ever since I bought it 4 or 5 years back... bob

Robert Dominick · Post by **Robert Dominick** » 9 Mar 2008 3:19 pm

I bought my Carter new just about 2 years ago. I absolutely love it! I really can't add to what's already been said about the excellencies of this fine guitar other than when it comes time for me to buy another steel, it will be another Carter!

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 9 Mar 2008 4:44 pm

My only mistake in purchasing was mine I wish I had gotten it sooner.

It sounds like you got a budget for a new PSG, I am sure you will be fine.

Jerry Gleason · Post by **Jerry Gleason** » 9 Mar 2008 4:45 pm

I'm still playing my old Carter that I've had since 1996. It still plays fine, and most people who have heard it think it sounds pretty darned good. If you want to hear some of my C6 jazz instrumentals that were recorded with it, just click the "www" button at the bottom of this post.

Jerry

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