Midnight - 1970 Emmons Resto - Phase 3

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 4 Aug 2018 1:28 pm

Johnie King wrote:Looking like a brand new push pull. Mike do u work on All Pull Emmons?

Thanks Johnny I appreciate that. I do work on all pull guitars but I do not take much work in as my amp business keeps me more than busy enough. Most all the guitars I do are ones I buy. That way I am not on the clock so to speak

Cheers

Gil Gregory · Post by **Gil Gregory** » 4 Aug 2018 1:31 pm

Mike what beautiful job you did on that p/p. GIL. that used to be be my old guitar..

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 4 Aug 2018 1:34 pm

Gil Gregory wrote:Mike what beautiful job you did on that p/p. GIL. that used to be be my old guitar..

Hey Gil! Yeah she was in pretty bad need as you know. There were a lot of holes to repairs etc but she is doing pretty well now. I plan to start the undercarriage in the next few days. Pedal rack is next as I will have to machine a new axle as the one I got had been cut. I ended up having to fabricate a new pedal bar and was lucky to find an orig pedal as one had been cut up. She will be like new again real soon

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 6 Aug 2018 3:10 am

A complete rebuild/re-fabrication of the pedal rack. The orig was pretty well butchered up and modified so we are back to the way Emmons built them. Lot of work but worth it.

Cameron Fulp · Post by **Cameron Fulp** » 6 Aug 2018 7:58 pm

Hey Mike I always enjoy following you, especially on your YouTube channel. Would love to see some great players like Wayne Dahl and Randy beavers test drive this one too, when finished . I know you got some great chops too, donâ€™t hold back on us in the YouTube world. I have just one question for you? What is her name!? obviously not â€œbrownieâ€ LOL

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 7 Aug 2018 4:05 am

Cameron Fulp wrote:Hey Mike I always enjoy following you, especially on your YouTube channel. Would love to see some great players like Wayne Dahl and Randy beavers test drive this one too, when finished . I know you got some great chops too, donâ€™t hold back on us in the YouTube world. I have just one question for you? What is her name!? obviously not â€œbrownieâ€ LOL

Yeah, we all need to get together soon and hang out. I've been pretty busy in the shop and the guys have been on the road all summer too.

So her name is "Midnight" but just like puppies, I'm sure the new owner will name this one himself. It's going to an old friend and formite Chris Bauer...

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 8 Aug 2018 7:04 pm

Time to start the underside now. Pedal rack finished, changer tuned out, and return springs adjusted just right. Won't be long now. It is really something to hear these push pulls ring out acoustically when they are at this stage. You kinda already know they are going to sing

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 9 Aug 2018 5:02 am

Mike, one of these days you should set up a Video Camera and film different aspects of the whole process you go through... I know I’d watch it with great interest.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 9 Aug 2018 5:05 am

Dale Rottacker wrote:Mike, one of these days you should set up a Video Camera and film different aspects of the whole process you go through... I know I’d watch it with great interest.

Ha! That would be a VERY long video

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 9 Aug 2018 5:19 am

Mike Scaggs wrote:
Dale Rottacker wrote:Mike, one of these days you should set up a Video Camera and film different aspects of the whole process you go through... I know I’d watch it with great interest.
Ha! That would be a VERY long video

It could be a Documentary

Drew Pierce · Post by **Drew Pierce** » 9 Aug 2018 2:17 pm

This looks like an excellent project and somebody is going to get a great guitar. Great work!

I have only one issue. It appears the pedals are polished to a high gloss. That looks great but would never work for me. The wide cast Emmons pedals' beveled edges make it so that when they get slick, if you get any moisture at all on the soles of your shoes or boots, your foot tends to slide off the pedals. (At least mine does.)

They came rough surfaced (sand blasted?) from the factory, but then they tend to wear slick over time. I use a 24 grit sanding disc (NOT an actual disc sander!!) to rough them up a bit every so often to keep some non-slip texture on them.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 10 Aug 2018 9:52 am

Drew Pierce wrote: I have only one issue. It appears the pedals are polished to a high gloss. That looks great but would never work for me. The wide cast Emmons pedals' beveled edges make it so that when they get slick, if you get any moisture at all on the soles of your shoes or boots, your foot tends to slide off the pedals. (At least mine does.)

They came rough surfaced (sand blasted?) from the factory, but then they tend to wear slick over time. I use a 24 grit sanding disc (NOT an actual disc sander!!) to rough them up a bit every so often to keep some non-slip texture on them.

Interesting thought and it does make since. However, I have yet to hear one complaint about feet slipping off polished pedals. I can see that happening if you wore slick leather souled boots etc. Food for thought, thanks

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 10 Aug 2018 9:53 am

And it begins

Drew Pierce · Post by **Drew Pierce** » 12 Aug 2018 6:20 am

Mike Scaggs wrote "Interesting thought and it does make since. However, I have yet to hear one complaint about feet slipping off polished pedals. I can see that happening if you wore slick leather souled boots etc. Food for thought, thanks"

I play Day setup, which requires "rocking" to the left for A/B pedal work (B/C pedal positions on Emmons setup), so there is an outward push to begin with. That combined with the "domed" shape of the old style wide cast Emmons pedals creates the potential for sliding off the beveled edge of the pedal. I've occasionally had to set up outside on damp grass, carpet or astro-turf, so my shoes stayed wet about all the time. (But then I was more worried about maybe getting electrocuted. :0) Probably overthinking this. Obviously not an issue with 99+% of players. 'Nuff said about that.

Meanwhile, back to the guitar. That thing is looking fabulous and is going to be a killer. If I didn't already own a near litter-mate to it (black/black-belly), I'd be all over that like a cheap suit! I've never played a fatback that didn't have tone to burn. Not sure why Emmons only used that design for a few years.

It appears from the photo the SN on your guitar is 1380 D? If so it would be sort of bookends to mine, which is 1466 D. I believe the 1970 D10 production serial numbers ran something like 1338-1474? In any event, somebody's going to get a great guitar when that baby's done.

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 12 Aug 2018 6:46 am

I like the way u finished the apron’s on the bottom nice attention to detail! You the man Mike I would want you too do a Emmons restoration for me if I needed one. The Emmons push pulls will be priceless someday I believe. They are the stradivarius of pedal steels!

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 12 Aug 2018 7:20 pm

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 13 Aug 2018 1:12 am

That is the classic pedal steel look right there! Beautiful.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 15 Aug 2018 5:02 pm

This is the 1/2 stop setup for the 2nd string. The tuner and 1/2 stop adjustment hangs off of string 9 and is tunable. The little brass piece is required to make this happen. It is machined and drilled for the rod and clips to the return spring bracket with a 1/4" snap ring. I machined mine from a piece of 5/16" rod I had in the shop.

Thanks to Lynn Stafford for this great tip..

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 16 Aug 2018 12:23 am

Clem Schmidt also makes and sells half stops for push pulls.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 16 Aug 2018 4:32 am

Ken Byng wrote:Clem Schmidt also makes and sells half stops for push pulls.

Oh Yeah, Clem is great. His setup is a bit different but really good just the same.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 21 Aug 2018 2:14 pm

Don Mogle · Post by **Don Mogle** » 21 Aug 2018 2:52 pm

Mike,

It looks fabulous! Another masterpiece in the making! This has got to be BETTER THAN NEW! The care you take to polish everything is mindboggling. It must take hours and hours to do all this work. I put you on par with Tommy Cass!

I was noticing the bellcranks. Could you tell me why some have springs and others do not?

Thanks,

Don

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 21 Aug 2018 8:04 pm

Don, not answering for Mike but if you don’t use a spring on the small string in a pull that pulls two strings like A&B pedals, it gives it a more positive feel in the pedal. The smaller strings have to be pulled further so the spring goes on the bigger string. He probably can add other reasons but that’s one reason I set them up that way.

Mike has done an outstanding job as always. Very beautiful guitar.

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 22 Aug 2018 2:36 am

Don Mogle wrote:Mike,
I was noticing the bellcranks. Could you tell me why some have springs and others do not?

Thanks,

Don

Hi Don,

The springs are all about timing the pulls or pushes. They balance out the action and yes, Henry was on it....

Thank guys, I appreciate you all

Mike Scaggs · Post by **Mike Scaggs** » 1 Oct 2018 4:40 pm

She's headed to her new home tomorrow. This is a great guitar and the new owner is going to be very happy.

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