Epiphone Electar Zephyr 8 String unusual add on

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 10 Sep 2018 9:29 am

So Iâ€™ve seen many vintage lap steels but Iâ€™m not familiar with the â€œclusterâ€ attached to the head section of this lapsteel. A friend sent me the photos so I didnâ€™t examine it in person to see what they do. Any idea?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Sep 2018 9:34 am

The bridge end has been modified also.
It looks like that cluster was added in an effort to raise the tone of certain strings.
I see they've even added a roller nut.
What confuses me, though, is how you are supposed to operate it with your bar hand, unless you play the guitar left handed!

Erv

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 10 Sep 2018 9:54 am

Erv, I didnâ€™t even notice the bridge modification!
What the heck? Someone did some pretty creative work on this back in the day.
Hereâ€™s one more photo

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 10 Sep 2018 10:18 am

I'll bet it was hooked to some pedals of some kind, some way,,,cables?,,,,rods?,,,,

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 10 Sep 2018 4:01 pm

Looks very similar to Rico Turchetti’s instrument.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 10 Sep 2018 5:06 pm

Rico Turchetti’s instrument...

Whoa!

Toilet chains! There was an old time player in my area many years ago who played a home made pedal steel guitar and he used toilet chains for the raises. One time after a gig he proudly demonstrated how easy it was to pack up his guitar. Just remove the pedal rack and the chains collapse, and everything goes into a burlap bag! He told me that everything you need to build a pedal steel guitar can be purchased at a hardware store. What a character!

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 10 Sep 2018 5:17 pm

Holy cow, Mike, this might be his steel. I’m in Rhode Island, my friend who owns the steel is in Rhode Island and Rico Turchetti was from Rhode Island

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 10 Sep 2018 5:30 pm

Very cool, Tony!

Frank James Pracher · Post by **Frank James Pracher** » 10 Sep 2018 7:16 pm

Some of the pictures it looks to me like Rico's steel is a 7 string like the one in this thread...

viewtopic.php?t=179361

But clearly the mechanism is the same or similar.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 10 Sep 2018 7:18 pm

There is this Rico Turcheti song on YouTube, possibly this Instrument?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leTTZ2a_SFQ

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 11 Sep 2018 2:06 am

that is a very cool instrumental. I'm almost certain I heard some pedal changes in that so my guess is it very well could be that instrument. Either way thats a super cool find.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 11 Sep 2018 6:17 am

Yes, thats a cool instrumental. He's pushing (and releasing) those pedals like crazy in the A section. It sounds good. And he does the boo-wah tone trick toward the end of the song. Sounds a lot like Alvino Rey. And the band sounds a little like Spike Jones, dare I say, toward the end of the tune! Interesting stuff.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 11 Sep 2018 6:27 am

For those who have been to the Country Music Hall of Fame, you know it is LOADED with many rare and/or famous guitars and steels. Some are on display because of who owned them but a good amount have historical significance. Of course this is not my guitar, but do you think I should encourage the owner to contact them? I have no idea how they acquire pieces nor if they would even be interested.
But itâ€™s clear this has significant history to it.
???

Note: before I found out this information (thanks guys!) I dismissed the modifications as superfluous and homemade and advised him to simply remove them to restore it to its typical eight string vintage lap steel condition. Now Iâ€™m not so sure! I believe he has the stand and pedals as well.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 11 Sep 2018 6:56 am

This guitar should be preserved as is. Honestly, I would not think the HoF would be interested in it, and it very well could end up in their basement.

There might be some some local (Providence) museum that would welcome the addition. I wish I could recall the name of the Providence music store that used to be an Epiphone dealer and sold many Epi steel guitars. It will come to me eventually.

I have recordings of Rico and he was a terrific player. Here's one Tony Locke posted, Tenderly: https://soundcloud.com/anthony-locke/ri ... dfrey-show

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 11 Sep 2018 8:20 am

Wow, he was a good player! According to Jody Carver he played E13 and E6 tuning. He was basically playing a pedal steel guitar and the pedal pulls can clearly be heard in the recordings. Raises only, no lowers, according to Jody Carver.

Below are some older steel forum threads about Rico. Lots of interesting info from senior forum members, some no longer with us.

https://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/013035.html

https://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/005756.html

https://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/003319.html

viewtopic.php?t=88945

viewtopic.php?t=179361

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 11 Sep 2018 10:45 am

Here's a pic of 3 generations of the Petteruti family, taken in 1997. The music store in the Olneyville section of Providence Rhode Island where Rico took lessons was founded by the elder Joseph "Buck" Petteruti, sitting in front.

The original store dated back to the early 1930s. They had another location in Pawtucket from the early 1950s forward. Apparently both were known as Twin City Music House.

Petteruti's other students included Paul Gonsalves and Bobby Hackett. His son, to the right, is a long-time Rhode Island area bassist.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 11 Sep 2018 11:07 am

So is it any wonder we have TWO pedal steel guitar organizations here in Rhode Island?!
We have some serious history with the instrument ðŸ˜€

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 11 Sep 2018 4:09 pm

Wow! That's some brilliant playing by Rico Turchetti .

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 11 Sep 2018 6:32 pm

Ok here’s the latest (sorry beating this dead horse into ground!):
Turns out fellow who owns it has all the cables and pedals and stand. I’ve gotten so curious about this contraption not to mention Rico’s amazing playing, I’m going over to his house and will try to assemble the thing, tune it and god forbid maybe play a little something on it if it’s at all possible. I can imagine what it will take to get the pedal action tunable but he doesn’t live far away and it might be fun. I’ll document it with a video for posterity’s sake!

Wish me luck

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 11 Sep 2018 6:47 pm

That’s awesome, Tony. It’s the real deal, complete with toilet chains! An amazing find. Keep us posted.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 11 Sep 2018 6:56 pm

An incredible and historic instrument! Thanks for sharing.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 11 Sep 2018 7:04 pm

That is so great, Tony!
Good job on all this! Have fun!

That Arthur Godfrey Show recording is some incredible playing by Rico

Joe Breeden · Post by **Joe Breeden** » 14 Sep 2018 9:46 am

Very interesting article. Really enjoyed. Keep us posted. Joe