Emmons Postcard

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 7 Jul 2009 3:37 pm

Anybody remember these Emmons postcards from years ago? That's quite a stable:

Lee, from South Texas

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 7 Jul 2009 4:02 pm

Yes I Did Have One May Still Have It Some Where. SONNY.

Doug Palmer · Post by **Doug Palmer** » 8 Jul 2009 10:29 am

Yes, I have one. That same photo was used on the back of their catalog #734. Big Ron Lashley Sr. took that and most of the photo's used by Emmons. He was an avid photographer.

I think the catalog is from around 1970 or 71. D-10 mica list was $1495. Volume pedal $60.00.

Doug Palmer

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 8 Jul 2009 10:33 am

I think that photo comes from Erv Niehaus's back yard after the first couple months he started collecting Emmonses.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 8 Jul 2009 10:54 am

& just before winter set in...

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 8 Jul 2009 11:04 am

whats the story on those emmons amps? dont see many of those. for some reason i always associate evans with building emmons amps - am i way off?
certainly looks cool - they were certainly pushing the lacquer body models, must be a 70's thing, as you know everyone wants black mica now

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 8 Jul 2009 11:50 am

Those amps were made by Standel, very early 70's. I used to have one with 2 12's.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Jul 2009 1:39 pm

Herb and CrowBear,
Wrong! I don't have the amp.

Barry Hyman · Post by **Barry Hyman** » 10 Jul 2009 6:05 pm

Black mica? Yuck! What are you, some kind of plastic-loving goth punk? Lacquered wood is beautiful, mica is hideous! I am a small, non-violent, easy-going guy, but with a few pounds of steel bar in my hand, I am perfectly capable of keeping the drunks a safe distance from my beautiful lacquered Williams! What else is formica good for except that is allegedly harder to mar at gigs? Why not get a steel made out of tinfoil and cellophane?

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 10 Jul 2009 6:16 pm

Is that a 50% off coupon? I'm sure it is still good!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Jul 2009 6:32 pm

Barry Hyman wrote:Black mica? Yuck! What are you, some kind of plastic-loving goth punk? Lacquered wood is beautiful, mica is hideous!

Barry
Thank you for sharing!

I'm sure we all appreciate your somewhat gratuitous comments on mica Emmons guitars, even while fully acknowledging that you don't own one, and ignoring the fact that your comments are only mildly insulting to the choices of players such as myself, Jim Loessberg, Randy Reinhardt, Bobby Flores, Marty Muse, Chris Lucker, Mike Cass, Bobbe Seymour, Bobby Bowman, Jay Dee Maness, Randy Beavers, Dave Robbins, Cal Sharp, Rick Price, Sonny Garrish, Paul Warnik, TC Furlong, Carco Clave, and God-knows who all else that own and love mica-covered Emmonses,... not to mention those players that don't own them but nonetheless COVET them... I'm sure Buddy Emmons himself would now think twice about ever venturing out in public with one of these monstrosities, after reading your insightful comments.

I know your words have personally given me cause for thought.

I'm good friends with Bill Rudolph, who sold me my second mica-covered Emmons, and I compliment you on your choice of guitar and finish.

I too am a small, non-violent man, but I keep a steel bar handy for the same expressed purpose as you, lest anyone attempt to remove my mica guitar from the stage, in an attempt, however justified, to improve the looks of the bandstand. I guess I'm just self-indulgent that way.

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 10 Jul 2009 9:51 pm

Alright Herbster! You go, man!

Formica is for steel guitars!...
...pretty wood is for coffee tables!

(just having a little fun, of course! So, you wood body guys just calm down. Along with My two Formica Emmons, I still have my black and cherry SHO-BUD.)

At least I know what the bar is for now!

Michael Dene · Post by **Michael Dene** » 10 Jul 2009 10:30 pm

Hey Herb!

I've seldom felt like cheering while reading posts on this here Forum, but your post hit the spot!!!!

As another "small, non violent" mica covered guitar player, I say, Let's get together and meet 'em in the Car Park .... errrr ... purely for intellectual discussion of the topic of course!

Ain't it fun being part of the sanctimonious self indulgent!?!

Kyle Everson · Post by **Kyle Everson** » 10 Jul 2009 11:18 pm

Lee, that's really cool. Wonder how those old amps sounded.

I've got 3 Emmons, one lacquer and two mica, as well as a roundfront Sho~Bud. You can ask Dave which two I actually play

.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Jul 2009 6:35 am

I think our little steel community has room for both kinds of guitars: lacquered and mica.

Even the tinfoil and cellophane ones, in a pinch.

Some days I feel like a Mounds, some days I feel like an Almond Joy.

Tiny Olson · Post by **Tiny Olson** » 11 Jul 2009 11:54 am

I'm with you Herb. Over the past 36 yrs. I've owned 5 Mica, Emmons guitars and 1 lacquer, Emmons. There are other brands mixed in as well and all have been D-10s. Without question, of all my Emmons guitars (and I still have two, a push-pull and a LeGrande) the one which was the weakest tone-wise was the lacquer guitar. I only kept that guitar about 6 mos. before selling it and getting another Mica. To me alleged beauty ranks below tonal quality in music... although black, Mica really is classy.

As for the postcard... I still have one around someplace myself. A couple of the catalogs too.

Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" O.

Tiny Olson · Post by **Tiny Olson** » 11 Jul 2009 12:12 pm

I forgot to mention the Emmons amp. Our guitar player with Commander Cody, Mark Emerick owns one that he got at Scotty's about 9 yrs. ago. It has the 15", JBL, D-130 speaker. He keeps it at home and I've played through it messing around but it's a little bright and noisy these days. Probably it's age and being in need of a little tweaking. I played through an Evans, Hybrid 300 back in the early 70s for about a year and the Standel/Emmons amp reminds me of it somewhat.

So how's the bass fishing down there these days Herb ?? My 21' bassboat is in the driveway ready if you ever make it up this way pal. I'll go out with you on yours if I ever get back down there with a little spare time.

Tiny O.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 11 Jul 2009 12:18 pm

Hey, thanks guys. I'm not putting down Barry, lacquer Emmonses or lacquer guitars in general. I own a Sho~Bud and a lacquer Fessenden, and I covet Glenn Suchan's blond lacquer P/P.

And certainly Barry can have his own valid opinion on mica guitars; it won't change my likes or dislikes a bit.

If the question asked at the beginning of the thread was "hey everyone, what's your opinion about the looks of mica guitars," his post would have been totally appropriate and I would have kept my small, non-violent mouth shut. But that wasn't what the thread was about.

He definitely wouldn't have appreciated it if I inserted myself uninvited into a thread about Williams Guitars and commented negatively on a the looks of a guitar I didn't own, a comment that also reflected negatively on the owners of those guitars.

Which I wouldn't do anyway, because that ain't my style.

So I just thought I'd add my $.02, and I peppered it liberally with smiley emoticons to let Barry know... hopefully... that I bear him no ill will. But I do think his post was somewhat out-of-line etiquette-wise.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 11 Jul 2009 12:26 pm

Tiny, my future backseater!
Well, it's hotter than two stoves down here now, like 103 this afternoon. So the fishing for me takes place from 6:30am to 9:30am, then off the lake and let the freakin' skiers and wakeboarders take over.

My 18'6" Skeeter is dwarfed by your beautiful craft, I'm sure. But it still catches fish and it could handle both of us, no problem. Come on down!!!

Okay, dudes... back on topic. I apologize for Tiny and myself.

Barry Hyman · Post by **Barry Hyman** » 14 Jul 2009 5:59 am

Sorry, Herb (and everybody else). I have been extremely sick (Lyme Disease) lately, and it definitely messes up my head. In my late-night delerium I though I was being witty, but I certainly could have expressed a sincere opinion without being so obnoxious. My first steel was a black mica Emmons, which I traded in for a mica MSA, which I just sold in May after 35 years of flawless operation when I bought my Williams. I do love the looks of a lacquered guitar, and the wood body/wood neck sound better to my ear than either of my previous steels did, and I really do love the looks of all the beautiful old Emmons lacquer guitars on the postcard, but I'm sincerely sorry for being so offensive. Peace?

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 14 Jul 2009 7:04 am

That is a very cool photo for the Emmons lover. The guitar in the right lower corner appears to be a student model. Have you guys seen one of those with that nice a finish before?
I happen to love lacquer guitars, but black mica looks pretty good on a Emmons for sure.
I am a rather large easily pissed off guy, who understands that anytime a guitar leaves my house, it is in danger of scuffs and dings. Especially, when drunks are involved. I can also accept that dings are easier to deal with than assault charges.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 14 Jul 2009 10:29 am

well, since i'm the one who mentioned the herd of lacquer guitars with just one mica model - i meant that to be a curious question - as it seems mica has become the predominate finish over the last 30 years...thus the 70's thing statement (i think of all those custom colored fenders that were refinished natural stain in the 70's as candy apple red / daphine blue was not hip anymore and didnt go well with the rugged outlaw country look)

-- sort of the point of my curiousity was wondering what the mix of lacquer vs mica model sales were in the 70's, ie, were they far more popular - or was it, they just looked better on a postcard.

i was a black emmons mica man myself until i found a sunburst lacquer emmons LLII - i honestly dont know i could ever buy another mica guitar after owning this one - i love it and the GALS think its A LOT prettier than my "boring" black mica emmons. i have NEVER had a girl come up and say that is a pretty steel (they actually dont know what it is, but did ask) unitl i got the sunburst lacquer, so for a single guy there is some benefit

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Jul 2009 11:05 am

Jerome,
I have a sunburst Emmons p/p but, as of yet, I haven't gotten much response from the ladies.
Maybe it's the old geezer playing it.

Jack Strayhorn · Post by **Jack Strayhorn** » 14 Jul 2009 6:24 pm

When I left the Emmons company in 99' we had thousands of those old post cards. Unless they have been discarded I am sure there are plenty around. Give them a call!

billy tam R.I.P. · Post by **billy tam R.I.P.** » 5 Mar 2012 5:08 am

Guys guys guys, you all know that a guitar, just like a woman can be both beautiful and really cook (in the kitchen and elsewhere). If you are lucky enough to find one.

Just my humble opinion.
Billy

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