Mitch,
I still have the Blade and got it in the early (I think) part of 1968 but haven't played it in several years. I'm thinking about getting it out of the case and tweaking it and maybe replacing one of the fret boards. No, I didn't build it. It has single coil Emmons pickups that measure around 17,500 ohms. I haven't played but about a half hour total on any of my steels in the last 21 months so maybe getting the Blade out and rejuvenating it might rejuvenate me; I don't know. But it'll be fun working on it, and I never thought I'd ever say that about a push pull mechanism.
Buddy,
Thank you for your reply. And who knows...getting it out of the case and tweaking it might be just the thing to put you back in the mood. I'd sure love to be there when it happens! And by the way...if you ever do get tired of working on it, let me know. I can help! I'd be willing to take it off of your hands. You and I met once at a steel show near Nashville. I don't remember the name of the town, but the show was held at an American Leigion or maybe a VFW. You didn't play, but accepted an award. I think it was Smiley Roberts who introduced me to you. Although you were setting at a table visiting with friends, you were kind and graceous enough to interrupt your visit with them so I could have a picture of us standing together. You then autographed my steel guitar seat. You acted with alot of class. Thank you for inspiring me to buy my very first steel guitar 11 years ago.
Your Friend,
Mitch
Buddy Emmons wrote:I'm with Donny Hinson. Ron applied for a patent after he left my home with a board I had constructed with the split tuning system on it. The mind blowing part was I saw Ron again a few months later and he started explaining to me how split system worked. How's that for short term memory loss?
It's just business. (And that probably wasn't the only time he "gave you the business". ) If it's any consolation, despite what it says on the patents, most of us know who the real inventor was.
I would like to clarify about an earlier post. Ron held the patent but he never once told me he had invented it. Ron was always very clear about his involvement with the designs, and he acted more as a perfectionist to an idea. He did claim to have come up with the LeGrande changer design via a dream.
Buddy, are you familiar with the changer that the split tuning is a part of the patent? We had a guitar with this changer in it, but it was not rodded up and playable. It seemed to be a viable idea and operated very smoothly. I remember it having lots of springs.
Jack,
The only patent paper I have is the first Emmons Guitar patent, which is framed in my music room with both Ron's and my name on it.
What I remember about the split tuner is that Ron was at my house and told me he was in the process of designing an all pull changer and I told him I had something I thought might be a good idea to integrate into it. Shortly after he took the board and hardware back to Burlington he called and said he could use it. That was the last I heard until later when he sat in my kitchen and explained to me how a split tuner worked. I can imagine him forgetting the one I had him put on my mid sixties push pull, but the kitchen incident was a bit hard to take. Incidentally, the new version was basically the same concept as the mid sixties system.
I'm adamant about keeping historical facts straight, so I tell them based around my involvement and hope for the best. Unless you're in business with someone, you'll never experience that side, so I understand and appreciate differences of opinion.
I can imagine b0b getting hives about now, so what I've said up to this point is about all I have to offer on this particular subject. I appreciate the comments regarding my history with the company, and with the exception of my loss in 2007, I'm a pretty happy camper these days. Actually I've never camped a day in my life, so maybe geezer would be a better word. In any case, my best to all.
Buddy, thanks for the information, this is what this forum should always be about. I share your committment to the facts and this has been a very civil and interesting thread. The forum needs you, and others, who know the facts and to dispel the false information. I am glad to hear you are doing well and I hope, if so moved, you get the blade out and share more of your talent with us all!
Mitch: The Blade is a cut tail. I would like for it to have been a wraparound only because that was the original design. But The Blade has been good to me sound wise so I felt it might be better not to replace the necks and run the risk of gaining one thing at the expense of losing another. I've had it for forty one years now so I'm starting to get used to it.
Me and the Blade have something in common. We were both born in 1968 (may 15th for me) and some people are starting to get used to me. Thank you again, Buddy.
Buddy, I'll say this and let it rest. IMO you probably have the largest fan base of any in this business. If you decide to do an interview, say for example with Ernie Renn, I'll be glad to pay my money up front. God forbid anything should happen to you, but I pray that you'll really consider doing this so that all of us will have something of you in this life. And yes, please add my name to the list of possible buyers of "The Blade".
I saw Emmons Co, introduce their first LeGrande at the ISGC in Stlouis. I do not recall the year. I believe it may have been in the late 80's, not sure.
The "talk" centered on and about the "split tuner" capability of the new LeGrande pedal steel guitar.
I felt then and now, that this was a first. But interestingly, AFTER that, some have said to me words to this affect:
"Oh (so and so) had that years ago!"
Well be that as it may, I believe the LeGrande was the first to use set screws to make it work on "All Pull" PSG's. There may have been others who used a 2nd "raise" rod to achieve it, but even here, I NEVER saw one before the LeGrande came out with theirs.
So I will always believe it was the Emmons' LeGrande that really caused it to "blossom", and the above posts by Buddy only makes me more proud that he was the "thought" behind how to do it the easiest way.
It is now standard on many PSG's. A few still only offer the 2nd "raise" rod feature for splitting.
I could no longer live without it. My Excel has a number of splits using the set screw method by BE. Can you count them all? Note: in one case only I am using a combination of set screw splitting AND raise rod splitting on the SAME string.
I will donate $50 dollars to the SG forum on behalf of the first person that posts it right in this thread.
If your PC picture file can zoom, it would make it much easier to see the split screws.
This is the "copedent" I sent Mitsuo Fujii to setup my Excel.
Finally this:
1. Using a half stop does not in my opinion become the same as a split. Since the split is dead on without the problems inherent with half stops.
2. I am delighted to see Buddy posting again. He and I share a common bond, in that we lost someone that was irreplacable. His in 2007 and mine on the way to Stlouis last year. I feel your pain Buddy. I really do.
May Jesus bless their precious souls, and may He continue to comfort us in this time of grief.
Buddy Emmons- You have no idea how it warms our hearts and informs our minds to hear your comments. Please pardon our presumption...any fan of pedal steel is a fan of yours! Many of us have spent a lifetime with your musical wit and emotions ringing in our ears. It is good to hear from you.
Thank you, Bob, and good to hear from you, Carl.
Billy: It's a semi-gloss finish. Ernie forgot to blow the dust off his lens before he took the picture.
I'm sure you don't remember, and I don't expect you to, but in 1977 in Charlotte, NC in a club owned by Walt Barton you made my day. You had just played a set and was taking a break and you allowed me to try your guitar. I've never forgotten what a gentleman you were in taking time to allow me to be a pest. You never seemed the least bit annoyed.
When you sat down to play again, the E9 tenth string broke and you gave it to me, I still have it. It has been a source of inspiration to me when I can't figure out a song or a lick. I think, this would be a piece of cake for Buddy Emmons, and I hit it again.
For those of you who may be newer to this site and the steel guitar and are asking Buddy to write a book on his journey through the steel guitar world there is some good information available on the internet. For about a year back in 2001--2 Ernie Renn had a feature on his website called Ask Buddy and Buddy answered every question from the silliest to the most technical and it is still available. Just access Ernie's site from the link in his post above then click on the 'fun stuff' tab and scroll down until you see a bar with 'Ask Buddy' on it. Maybe not a definitive history but a lot of good info there.
Was just re-reading these posts. So many interesting things I thought it good to link them again for any new members or those like me who miss him, his music & humor so much.
Named my son Buddy after him and now they are both gone. My Buddy died 3 years ago yesterday. Miss them both even though I only met Big E once for a moment at the St Louis show in 1978.
Hope these links bring warm feelings to all who read them.
Last edited by Andy DePaule on 1 Sep 2022 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
Yes Andy, thanks for bringing this back up. Even us older than dirt geezers who read it way back when, enjoy seeing it again. I admire the members here that remember all this history and these old posts.
Carter D10 8p/7k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup, Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112, Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open G slide and regular G tuning guitar) .
Andy, very sorry for your loss, both are sorely missed for sure.
I can affirm Buddy's position on the veracity of his 1965 claim to not just a possible, but practical split tuning system. The Emmons ReSound65's split tuning system is a direct carry over from the one present on Weldon Myricks 65' Emmons and at least two more guitars from the period. It allows independent tuning of the most common splits and also provides for a very positive feel stop on the 2nd string lower; we have refined the undercarriage setup to deal with the excess slack, but the hardware itself is unchanged.
The system predates production LeGrandes by more than 15 years, and is the basis for all modern split tuning hardware; it would have been light years ahead in 1965. The later all pull system expanded the possibilities of split tuning, but by no means enabled it in the first place. Buddy is due full credit for both his original changer design and its accompanying split tuning hardware.
I'd sure love to be there when it happens! And by the way...if you ever do get tired of working on it, let me know. I can help! I'd be willing to take it off of your hands. 
) If it's any consolation, despite what it says on the patents, most of us know who the real inventor was.
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Miss them both even though I only met Big E once for a moment at the St Louis show in 1978.
