My 'new' Emmons LeGrande

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Sep 2010 9:13 am

Well, hardly new, but I got it quite recently. I had some misgivings because I can't stand these fake wood-grain mica finishes. I'm not sure if this one is 'Pecan' or 'Mahogany' but, whatever the colour, it's one of the best-sounding steels I've ever heard!

Special thanks to Bryan Adams who applied that decal to it - who agrees that it looks tons better than the factory-fitted plastic logo that cheapens the look of an Emmons even more than a pretend-wood look?

Thanks, too, to my pal Dave Robbins who did some adjusting on it for me last week - it's now amazing, and everything works as it should!

PS: Sorry I'm a bit scruffy in this picture - it was a 'three-gig day' and I'm looking a bit the worse-for-wear...

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 16 Sep 2010 10:19 am

Roger Rettig wrote:Special thanks to Bryan Adams who applied that decal to it - who agrees that it looks tons better than the factory-fitted plastic logo that cheapens the look of an Emmons even more than a pretend-wood look?

Roger - how could you say that.

Those plastic logos are iconic and as wonderful to me as the Fender badge on their amps.

Nice axe by the way. According to the Emmons web site, your colour is much closer to what they call Oak. The Pecan is a red'ish colour. See http://www.emmonsguitar.net/mica_grains.htm

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Sep 2010 11:56 am

I can't agree, Ken! I love the Emmons logo - from a design standpoint it's the best in the whole world of steel guitar - but the moulded plastic against the tackiness of the simulated wood-grain is too much kitsch for me. (A bit like flying china ducks on a wood-grain patterened kitchen wallpaper!)

The 'Fender' amp logo works, though! Black and chrome-like against a silver-sparkle speaker-cloth? That's rock and roll!

I don't know if it's visible in my avatar but I have the chromed backing plate behind the logo on my black LeGrande - I think that looks fine with the black mica. With the guitar pictured above one might just - if only for a millisecond - confuse it for a very early push/pull.....

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 16 Sep 2010 12:33 pm

Whoever invented wood grain formica should have been immortalised like Henry Ford was in Jerry Reed's song:
'Lord Mr Ford, What Have You Done'

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Sep 2010 4:39 pm

Ken:

Having looked at the link you sent, I'd have to agree that 'Oak' looks the nearest.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 16 Sep 2010 5:37 pm

Click picture to enlarge
Backing Plate
------------------------------------------------------Roger you could add one of these, from Steel guitar nashville

--------------------------
Emmons Owners!!!
This is the classiest thing you can do for your Emmons guitar. This beautiful factory emblem backing plate adds beauty to your guitar.
Just remove the three screws holding the emblem, then snap it into the backing plate, put the screws back in and you're done!

$29.90 Each
Add to Cart View Cart
Click picture to enlarge
Click picture to enlarge

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Sep 2010 6:50 pm

Billy:

Read my post above - I already have the chrome backing-plate on my black LeGrande (see my avatar) and think it looks super on a plain mica guitar. I did, in fact get one of the very first ever made from Jim Aycoth at ISGC when they were first introduced; Bobbe had them some time later, I believe.

I still think I've made the right choice for my ugly 'wood-grain' Emmons, however!

Here's my black guitar:

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 16 Sep 2010 9:25 pm

I share your distaste for wood grain mica. I would much prefer some legitimate plastic color! Like my old red Fessenden.

But that oak is pretty charming in a tacky sort of way. I like it much better than the ubiquitous ersatz rosewood. (Stop me before I Hankey again).

KP

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 17 Sep 2010 12:30 am

We each have our preferences in choice of mica; I don't have any problems with faux woodgrain, I've owned several Emmonses (including Dickey Overby's "Rosie") that were rosewood and in fact have a Legrande right now that is that design.

The Emmons guitar has had that type of mica for 44 years, so long that it's become iconic to the design of the instrument. My second Fessenden was rosewood mica and somehow it didn't fit that particular brand. Actually the guitar itself simply didn't make it sonically so I didn't have much to love about it, truth be told.

What I personally don't care for is the faux granite or faux crushed stone look I see on some guitars. Why don't they simply use real granite?

Roger, since you've got the large 1966-type decal on the horn, my suggestion would be to remove the LeGrande III decal to give the instrument more of a "kind of PP" look.

But hey, to each... as so many wise men amongst us would without contention concur... his own.

Eh?

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 17 Sep 2010 3:45 am

Roger Rettig wrote:....but the moulded plastic against the tackiness of the simulated wood-grain is too much kitsch for me. (A bit like flying china ducks on a wood-grain patterened kitchen wallpaper!)

What?? You mean to say you don't have china ducks Roger? Every good kitchen should have them, along with the wonderful Fablon wall covering. Whatever happened to Fablon?

So your worktop counter finish guitar sounds better than your black one. That can't be right surely.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 17 Sep 2010 4:01 am

Careful, Ken, or there'll be a Fablon-covered steel on the market. Maybe Jeff Newman had the answer when he'd decorate the front apron of his guitar with various stick-on designs...

Herb: That's brilliant! Why it didn't already occur to me to remove the LG111 logo I really can't explain. It's coming off today.

In any event, how can the presence of a counterforce unit be of the remotest consequence to anyone standing in front of my guitar? Rather like all that one-upmanship that adorns our cars and trucks, it's no more than a proclamation that 'we paid more for ours than you did...'

(If I'm not careful I'll have to take all this to its logical conclusion and remove the Emmons logo completely!!!

)

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 17 Sep 2010 4:04 am

Congrats for the guitar !!
Hook

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 17 Sep 2010 4:05 am

Ken:

Yes - my tacky Emmons sounds better than the black one! I expect the sun to set in a different place tonight - south-east, maybe?

Seeing as my black LG has ruled the roost at Chez Rettig for almost ten years now, this is hard to come to terms with!

Ray Mangrum · Post by **Ray Mangrum** » 17 Sep 2010 4:34 am

Congrats on your "New Toy"!! I can tell you first hand, if Dave Robins set it up, it plays. He and Mary are incredible when it comes to Emmons' Guitars.
Each to his own, I prefer Black. Happy Pickin' Ray

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 17 Sep 2010 4:53 am

Hi, Ray

Yes - Dave Robbins is my hero!

It was so nice to spend some time chatting with Dave and Mary when I dropped by there last week.

The guitar (I've named her 'Woody', by the way - a contradiction, I suppose, but there is wood underneath all that junk!) is only, I think, nine serial numbers away from Dave's LG111 - they're both in the low-1700s - which makes it a 'Jack Strayhorn-built' guitar.

My black one has nine 'knees' (

) - two too many, really - and 'Woody' only five; maybe I can redistribute the wealth somehow....

(I really meant: maybe Dave can redistribute the wealth.... I'd ruin both guitars if I tried!)

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 17 Sep 2010 5:22 am

[quote="Roger Rettig"]

My black one has nine 'knees' (

) - two too many, really - and 'Woody' only five; maybe I can redistribute the wealth somehow....

Careful here. Let's not get into politics! That is a good looking guitar, though. I think I'd have to go along with leaving the Emmons decal and removing the LGIII decal. That would be a cool retro look.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 17 Sep 2010 5:42 am

I think the only logo plates that look good on a fake wood Emmons are the ones with a brown background. Much better than the standard black background style on rosewood or walnut etc.

Don Brown, Sr. · Post by **Don Brown, Sr.** » 18 Sep 2010 11:49 am

Congrats Roger R., I too never cared for the woodgrain look, in mica, but anymore, it's how well they play and sound that counts.. I'm sure she plays and sounds real nice.........

At least one of us got an Emmons they (in my case) "thought I'd bought one!"

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 19 Sep 2010 2:06 am

The "plastic" Emmons badge was a result of Little Roy Wiggins and a couple others "shaming" Ron Lashley into using something other than, to them, the "cheap" decal. This is according to the story Little Roy told when I worked in his store in the early 70's.

My 71 D-10 PP (black of course) had the plastic badge.

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My 'new' Emmons LeGrande

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