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Topic: Emmons String Machine, Anyone? |
Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2018 7:36 pm |
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I ran into this tucked into an old Emmons catalog. I wonder what the sales numbers were for these. I’m guessing somewhere between zero and five but who knows? Either way, some of these might still be sitting out there somewhere haunting someone’s closet or basement. I’d love to know how they actually sounded playing live. Any of you ever hear one in non-studio action?
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 7:44 am
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$400 back then was a lot of money! 
Erv |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 2:11 pm
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| Indeed! |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 2:47 pm
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Here is a demonstration of the beautiful string sounds.
Click Here |
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Jeremy Reeves
From:
Chatham, IL, USA
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 7:25 pm
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| Yup, I had one of these units. Never could get it to be consistent and track properly. I sold it to Billy Marshall, a great player from Rhode Island back in the 70’s. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 8:11 pm
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I've bought and sold three of them over the years.
Here's what Buddy Emmons said back in 2002:
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As for the String Machine:
I can't say how many were made as I was not in the business end of the Emmons Guitar Company but at best it was relatively few.
I don't remember the exact year they came out but I used it on a 1975 recording so it would have to have been a year or so before that.
The Foxx Tone Machine was my choice because of it being the distortion unit I was using for my work at the time.
I have no recollection of the settings or functions. I used it solely for string sounds. Three rods mounted vertically on the end of my guitar, and attached to those rods were three horizontal rods with single pole pickups that swiveled over the strings I chose for the harmonies. Most of the time I used strings 4, 6, and 10 for wide inversions and a fatter sound.
I used it mostly for demo sessions but the song I mentioned above was Canon in D Major on the Flying fish label. The album title is Buddy Emmons / Steel Guitar and referred to it as the "Rainbow album." |
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Per Berner
From:
Skövde, Sweden
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Posted 31 Jul 2018 10:12 pm
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| Lee Baucum wrote: |
| Here is a demonstration of the beautiful string sounds.[/url] |
Well, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder – or rather the ear, but this is totally unconvincing. Sounds like strings, yes – strings on a heavily distorted guitar! |
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Dan Kelly
From:
Boston, MA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2018 12:23 pm
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Mike "Cookie Monster" Jones had one of these when he passed away this past February. Claudette, his widow has it for sale. If anyone is interested, let me know and I can put you in touch with her.
Billy Easton
_________________
Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Tiny Olson
From:
Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY
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Posted 1 Aug 2018 12:33 pm
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I still have one of these units. I've had it for well over 40 yrs. Used it only a few times, live and recording. Haven't used it since the late 70s.
I thought I'd keep it around as there were so few of them made. I might consider selling it if anyone was interested.
Chris "Tiny" O. |
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Dave Magram
From:
San Jose, California, USA
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Posted 10 Aug 2018 6:55 pm
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Here's Buddy using the String Machine...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T_CvYnLxbY
Buddy Emmons - Pachelbel Canon In D Major on steel guitar
I heard somewhere that Buddy recorded this without overdubbing--is that true?
Beautiful and amazing!
- Dave |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 10 Aug 2018 7:49 pm
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No, Dave, it's full of overdubbed lines.
What's amazing to me is that he's playing all the orchestral parts himself. That's a heck of a lot to memorize, no?
_________________
Best regards,
Mike |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Dave Magram
From:
San Jose, California, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2018 9:29 pm
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Mike & Doug,
Thanks for setting me straight about Buddy's version of Canon in D Major.
String Machine or not--it's still beautiful and amazing! 
- Dave |
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Gary Jones
From:
Mount Vernon, Wa
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Posted 16 Aug 2018 8:54 pm
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The Emmons string machine was basically 3 Foxx tone units jammed together in a box. The Foxx Tone was my favorite Fuzz tone of the era because the selectable octave switch gave it a unique character. I still have one built into a wah pedal, but if you do a web search for " Foxx Tone clone " you might be surprised at how many current units are based on that design
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