Used Emmons guitars

Paul Norman (RIP) · Post by **Paul Norman (RIP)** » 31 Mar 2015 2:15 pm

All you players with late Emmons guitars better hold on to them. The price may go up in the future.
They may get to be rare.

Tommy Everette · Post by **Tommy Everette** » 31 Mar 2015 7:03 pm

I think ALL Emmons are gonna be rare and see an increase in value.
Especially since demand will continue and supply is dwindling.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 31 Mar 2015 10:07 pm

That will change when I win the lottery, buy the company and hire Frank Carter to run it.

Paul Norman (RIP) · Post by **Paul Norman (RIP)** » 1 Apr 2015 2:34 am

That is good Olli.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 1 Apr 2015 5:32 am

The subject of Emmons guitars and their value, both present and the future, has come up in other posts, but it's always good to revisit the topic.

Value is dependant on a number of factors. Rarity, condition, and desirability are 3 of the biggest.

It's interesting that Emmons, and others can please correct me if I am wrong, really only made about 5000 push-pulls or so. That is an incredibly small number given the company's longevity and it included all models, including student ones. Factor in that perhaps 25% of those are gone due to fire, flood, and other loss and you're left with a lot less.

As with vintage guitars and amps, I always remember what one dealer told me, "you know, they don't make 'em any more."

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Apr 2015 7:37 am

The way things are going, I think it's steel players that will be rare in years to come!

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 1 Apr 2015 8:05 am

For sure Donny... it might be a tight balance from here on in.

Luckily the forum creates enough GAS that as the numbers dwindle
..those remaining will just own that many more guitars.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 1 Apr 2015 9:48 am

i dont know if you are referring to the rumor that there may well be no more Emmons guitars made...or very few based on the current situation. i dont know...if there is enough demand, someone could step in and turn it around. i think someone would have if it was economically feasible...i dont think it is. esp with damage control / rebuilding the brand by a new owner for the first few years.

some people say the brand dies with the innovator and that may hold some argument sway...ie Fender under Leo, or Emmons under Lashley Sr., Zum, Franklin Sr, etc.
lots of builders getting out of the business these days...

Players quickly got over the demise of ShoBud (and the values never appreciated) and moved on and i dont doubt the same will happen with Emmons if it comes to that
Emmons will surely hold a place at the top of the list historically for as long as people play the steel guitar.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 1 Apr 2015 10:25 am

i disagree. (as it seems i'm doing a lot these days!)
sho-buds and fenders are cool old steels. they'll probably appreciate some over the years. but emmons will definitely appreciate. push pulls i'm referring to. they are such a standard setter in the history of pedal steels that they are going to be sought after forever! smart investors (if they're young enough) would do well to grab up any p/p deal. i know i would. the selling point on d10 push-pulls has been very reasonable lately. that will at least double in the near future!
(prediction from nostradumbass)

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 1 Apr 2015 11:58 am

Disagree.. You can see it already in the "vintage guitar" market.. Prices on a LOT of that stuff has dropped... The people that want to play what their "heroes" played are dying off slowly..
In a few years many steel players that are enamored with the PP mystique will be gone.. Newer, younger players will play newer guitars.. There will always be a few guys that will play nothing else, but the guys that have 10 PP steels are getting older every day, and something will have to be done with those guitars.. Prices may go up, but after a while when they become over priced, most players will opt for the latest and greatest... There just aren't that many people that want to hoard 10 or 20 pedal steel guitars to start a huge bidding war... bob

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 1 Apr 2015 1:00 pm

You are all wrong, they will never go up until I practically give the ones away I have and then they will go sky high. That's the way it works with me.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 1 Apr 2015 1:23 pm

ha...good point, henry! that's the most likely scenario, unfortunately.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 1 Apr 2015 1:58 pm

Henry Matthews wrote:You are all wrong, they will never go up until I practically give the ones away I have and then they will go sky high. That's the way it works with me.

thats about how it works - think of Bigsby steel guitars - you had to basically give those away between about 1965-1995...then suddenly they become hip to collectors and the price rockets.

when i first got the pedal steel bug in the early 90's (i wasn't playing yet, but wanted one) I recall PPs being out of favor for the modern AP guitars. i was living in Nashville at the time and players were selling PPs all over the place - i would clip out ads from the Tennessean and i still have them in a folder...PPs for $800-1000. then players say, you know, those old PP sound better...and the fever starts to get them back...
what i'm pointing out is that when they quit making PPs - the price didn't go anywhere but down - there was no mad rush to acquire all of them cheap. i clearly recall in '91 going downtown Nashville to look at a black 60's PP in great condition the guy wanted $800 for...and would have taken $600...but i was a broke kid then fresh out of school and $600 was a lot of money..2 months rent.
i ended up buying a road worn ShoBud Professional for $400 - i thought i was in heaven ...should have bought the Emmons! $:\$

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 1 Apr 2015 6:29 pm

I have one of these Emmons lap steels that Buddy was kind enough to carve his signature in the back with a pen knife. When he did, he told me that he had nothing to do with its design.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 1 Apr 2015 7:14 pm

Eric Philippsen wrote:It's interesting that Emmons, and others can please correct me if I am wrong, really only made about 5000 push-pulls or so. That is an incredibly small number given the company's longevity and it included all models, including student ones.

"Only" 5000? That seems like a lot to me. Has anyone other than Sho-Bud made more?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Apr 2015 2:40 am

And Mike Cass is still making Emmonses, including Push-pull. People ordering through dealers are still getting guitars.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 2 Apr 2015 6:46 am

In my post I used the quote, "You know, they don't make 'em anymore". I should have been clearer and mentioned that I was referring to push-pulls, not any of the current models. But I see now that Mike Cass still makes them.

I also mentioned the number "5000" in reference to all p/p's ever made. Bob has said that's really a large, and not small, amount, in the world of steel guitar I now think Bob's right.

Abe Levy · Post by **Abe Levy** » 2 Apr 2015 6:53 am

I'm not super young, 42 , but me and all my buddies here in LA are into push pulls. Lots of the young guys are into them and collecting them if they have the cash. I have three 60s push pulls and would gladly fill my house with them if my wife would let me. Slowly.... Hehe! I set up one for a guy in his twenties a little while back. Alt country guys all use them. I don't know where the price will go, but I don't think their collectability will go down.... Especially the older ones.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 2 Apr 2015 8:29 am

It would be nice to know just how many P/P's were made and broken down to models, D-10, S-10 , Student and so on. It must be close to 5000 because they are everywhere seems like.

Jack Strayhorn · Post by **Jack Strayhorn** » 2 Apr 2015 8:45 am

The number is much higher than 5000.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 2 Apr 2015 6:51 pm

I thought MSA Micro (the MSA company of 70's, 80's etc) held the record at about 20,000.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 3 Apr 2015 3:40 am

Lane Gray wrote:And Mike Cass is still making Emmonses, including Push-pull. People ordering through dealers are still getting guitars.

for real ?

Mike Cass is manufacturing Emmons Push Pulls ?

Who are the dealers getting guitars ?

just thinking out loud....

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 11 Apr 2015 5:01 am

one time post for you, Tony. After all I did quit here a year ago....

yep, Im still making Emmons re-issue p/p guitars here, used to build at a lower rate starting in 1987 while I was still travelling, build more now that Ray is gone and Im home.
I delivered one last month, cute little rosewood S-10 3x4, wood neck, bolt on chgr, went to fiddler extraordinaire Glen Duncan, no one's seen him since.

...currently waiting on a sweet, original blank S-12 p/p body and endplates for a new build. more later on that perhaps.......

Also, Lane, need YOUR copedent in full, final draft please..need it to decide which body is best for you.... need it for x-shaft hole location you know. One of 2 Im looking at is undrilled so that's good.....might be the one, but my motto is measure 2x, drill 1x.. oh, and the multi-lower snafu thingy we discussed...tell me how much you love me, I got it surrounded. lmk, thx.

MC

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 11 Apr 2015 5:29 am

Mike, my wife's job changed, I still am saving to build it, but it has slowed drastically.
And it's such a strange guitar, I'm not gonna place the order til I have it ALL in hand.

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 11 Apr 2015 5:34 am

ok dokee, I got ya. could send what you do have,tho. anything to get my mind in the pocket for that little science project

. thx.