My new Williams

Instruments, mechanical issues, copedents, techniques, etc.

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Richard Cooper
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My new Williams

Post by Richard Cooper »


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Erv Niehaus
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Post by Erv Niehaus »

Richard,
Very, very nice!! I have a Williams very much like yours except for the difference in inlay. Is that abalone between the pearl inlay? I see Bill has come up with a different choice of fretboards. I know he talked about that. He sure is a nice guy to work with.
Erv
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Richard Cooper
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Post by Richard Cooper »

That is Paua Abalone inlay with pearl
This is Bill's new fretboard red and white with a light
blue lines that shows up very well in dim light.
Red Mahog. Aprons and neck with a natural top all
curly mapel.
I also got the mini grovers tuners and a
George L 10-1 pickup.
It looks alot better than the pictures.
Bill gives you alot of opitons.
And he builds a great Steel, just the way you want it.
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Erv Niehaus
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Post by Erv Niehaus »

Richard,
I sent you a picture of my D-10 Williams. It is birdseye & curly maple with custom inlay w/pearl from Constantines and I put Jerry Wallace TruTones on it. It has 9 foot pedal and 10 knee levers.
Erv<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 04 June 2005 at 09:13 AM.]</p></FONT>
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Bobby Lee
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Post by Bobby Lee »

Red white and blue fretboards - I like it! Image
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Al Marcus
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Post by Al Marcus »

Richard-That is a Beautiful guitar....al Image

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Billy Easton
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Post by Billy Easton »

Just beautiful. The more Williams guitars I see, the more I want one!! I am fantasizing about a D10 Crossover, all blonde birdseye with wood necks and pearl/abalone inlaid trim!

Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ
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Doug Earnest
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Post by Doug Earnest »

That is truly a beautiful instrument!
Are the aprons and neck mahogany stained maple or solid mahogany? I don't believe I have seen a nicer looking guitar.

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Bob Carlucci
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Post by Bob Carlucci »

Richard.. that is a magnificent steel! You should be proud to own it.. What a looker! bob
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Larry Jamieson
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Post by Larry Jamieson »

Hey Richard,
What a beautiful guitar! I want one...
I know you'll enjoy playing it and and it will sure look great in any playing venue. There is nothing like an all wood, laquer finished axe and that one is a masterpiece!
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Carl Williams
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Post by Carl Williams »

Richard, she's a looker Image and the inlay is the "icing"! I've only bought one brand new steel in my life and it was a thrill! Good luck and happy picking with your new Williams! Image

Carl Williams
Wayne Dahl
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Post by Wayne Dahl »

That is truly a beutiful guitar but what about the tone and feel of the Williams?
Great job Bill!!
Wayne
David Friedlander
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Post by David Friedlander »

Seems like great minds think alike- I have an almost identical Williams S10.
The axe is a great workhorse.
Light as a feather, tiny- fits on any bandstand.
The pedal action could be a little more positive- but you get used to the action.
THe knee levers are just about perfect.
Stays in tune, nice tone.
It's an all around great guitar.
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John Davis
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Post by John Davis »

David, please tell more about the pedal action......I have a real yen for one of these but coming from a P/Pull Emmons I wonder if it would be too fast and soft for me?????????????????????????????????????
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I do like hard and posotive???????
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Paul Brainard
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Post by Paul Brainard »

Beautiful guitar. Bill does great work. A special plug for his lacquering - whatever it is he uses (or how he does it) seems to be much more durable than most newer wood-bodied steels. Others I've owned have always ended up with a few dings or chips, but I toured extensively with my Williams and somehow it emerged completely unscathed.

I actually felt that my Williams had a remarkably positive pedal action - light, yes, but very solid & comfortable stops. He uses thick Delrin knobs for stops, solid but not clanky like metal. And nice thick pedal rods with a right-angle bend where they hook in to the cross-shaft (no binding). I didn't used to be as big a fan of his knee levers but I haven't tried the new extruded ones yet, I hear they're nice.
David Friedlander
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Post by David Friedlander »

Hey Paul- I agree about Bill's laquer finish- it's very very nice, and durable.

John: As far as the pedals- make sure you order pedals with side mounted rods.
Mine mount in the center of the pedal.
This causes the pedal rods to flex as they pull- which, if you never look at it, is ok, I guess. Once it was pointed out to me, it bothered me if I think about it. So I stopped thinking about it.

Nobody ever made the case about the rationality of playing this insrtrument. Or it's players.

The light weight manifests itself in the pedal bar. It's simply a "softer" guitar than an emmons type guitar.
If one is used to an p/p, the Williams' pedal will require some getting used to. But ultimately I find it to be a satisfying guitar to play.

Image <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Friedlander on 05 June 2005 at 07:01 PM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Friedlander on 05 June 2005 at 07:02 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Duncan Hodge
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Post by Duncan Hodge »

All I can say is WOW!!!
Duncan
Billy Carr
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Post by Billy Carr »

Beautiful guitar!
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mike nolan
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Post by mike nolan »


I use heavier guage strings than the ones that came with the Williams originally.... so my action is a bit heavier. Still smooth and solid. The extruded knee levers feel great. The stops are really positive. No mushiness at all. I play a '73 LDG, a '73 D-10 PP and a '74 S-10 PP . There is no trouble switching among the different guitars. </P>

I went for a transparent black with rope inlays. That way I have tone and looks covered.</p>

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</p><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by mike nolan on 06 June 2005 at 06:24 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Hook Moore
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Post by Hook Moore »

Both of those guitars are very pretty Image
Hook

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KENNY KRUPNICK
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Post by KENNY KRUPNICK »

How is the pedal travel on Williams? Short,or long?
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mike nolan
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Post by mike nolan »

The Williams has 7 hole pullers, so there is a lot of room for adjusting the feel...
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Darvin Willhoite
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Post by Darvin Willhoite »

"If you show me yours, I'll show you mine". Here is my '99 Williams 400 series, a great looking, playing, and sounding guitar. I love these lacquer finish guitars.

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Erv Niehaus
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Post by Erv Niehaus »

I love Bill's knee levers with the extruded paddle. However, the way I sit at my Williams, the end of left knee levers hit me right in the middle of the knee. I contactred Bill and he made up some knee levers that were 2" longer and that made them sooooooo much more comfortable. He sure aims to please. Image
Erv
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Chuck McGill
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Post by Chuck McGill »

I love the Williams. You have got to bring
it to my shop and let me check it out in person. Congrats Richard on a gorgeous guitar.