GFI Rocks!

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 12 Nov 2005 9:13 am

Well I recently bought a second hand GFI D-10 with 8&7 and might I say this is a fine guitar indeed! It had E-66's on it and I swapped them out for a set of 10-1's. This is probably the best built guitar I have owned. The tone as well as the action is the best I have played of any guitar I have had. Perfect combination of travel and resistance. Now I see what all of the fuss was about from other GFI owners.

This guitar is also the second Pro-Model guitar that GFI made with the s/n of 1002 made in November 1992. I am very happy! If I part with this guitar it will only be to buy a new GFI from Bobbe Seymour. Gene Feilds is certainly a master of design.
Dave

GFI D-10 8&7, Roland GP-100, Peavey PX-300

[This message was edited by David Higginbotham on 12 November 2005 at 09:19 AM.]

Steve Hackney · Post by **Steve Hackney** » 12 Nov 2005 9:27 am

Glad to hear about your GFI. Guess I made the right decision. Mine will be here Thursday.
Steve

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 12 Nov 2005 9:29 am

Yeah, you did. GREAT guitars.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 12 Nov 2005 10:34 am

I agree 100%. I love my GFI!! JP

Jerry Erickson · Post by **Jerry Erickson** » 12 Nov 2005 10:38 am

Hey David !
They are nice guitars. Gene and Bob do a great job. Glad to see you still have a house too![This message was edited by Jerry Erickson on 12 November 2005 at 11:42 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 12 Nov 2005 10:54 am

GFI Rocks?

Sedimentary Rocks! (LOL!)

Seriously though, GFI was one of the only 3 brands I considered when I bought my last steel. They make a very fine steel guitar.

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 12 Nov 2005 12:34 pm

Hey Jerry, yes the house is still here just a little beat up. I am still using the PX-300 I bought from you. Really good combination with the Roland GP-100.

As for the GFI, you can't see very good in the pictures, but it is black mica with a "gold splatter" design.

Donny, what were the other two brands and what were the determining factors in your final decision? Inquiring minds want to know!
Dave [This message was edited by David Higginbotham on 12 November 2005 at 03:23 PM.]

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 12 Nov 2005 7:27 pm

GFI Rocks

you got that right

Db

------------------

"Promat"
~when tone matters~
http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne2/PROMAT.html

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 13 Nov 2005 3:28 pm

...what were the other two brands and what were the determining factors in your final decision?

Dave, the only 3 guitars I considered buying were the MSA, the Fulawaka, and the GFI. Putting it as simply as I can, none of the other brands impressed me, either mechanically or sound-wise.

Kenny Drake · Post by **Kenny Drake** » 13 Nov 2005 5:45 pm

Guys, I've always played Sho~Buds, wooden necks but recently I picked up a GFI D10 Ultra from Bobbe because I wanted and needed a light weight modern guitar. No sacrifice in tone here boys. I love my Buds but this GFI really gets the job done. It's a great sounding instrument. Especially in recording. It's one of the finest available today for a reasonable price. Thanks Gene. And a great big thanks to Bobbe.

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 13 Nov 2005 5:47 pm

Donny: Funny you should mention it, I own three steels : MSA , Fulawka , GFI . I like the way you think.

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 13 Nov 2005 6:16 pm

I bought a keyless S10 w/pad 3x5 directly from Gene in 1998 that he built specifically for me (yeah, kind of a brag). Black -- the better-sounding ones, of course, although, I'll readily admit I told Gene I wanted a green one -- my favorite color, and he said, "Greeeeen?! Oh, Lord, you don't want that. You'd never be able to sell it." The black is a beauty, but I still would have loved a green one. Anyway, I recently bought a Sho Bud that's being overhauled, and the only way I was able to convince my wife to let me go through with getting this second steel (at a total cost of about $2,000 (****!), was that I would sell my GFI. Fortunately I've got an incredible woman in Susan, because I told her the other day I just can't do it -- I can't sell my GFI. It's not only the sharpest and sleakest looking guitar (I'm glad Gene talked me into black), the keyless tuning is incredible, it doesn't break strings, the tone has already had enough said about it, and it stays in tune like nobody's business. I truly would like to own just one pedal steel, but it looks like I'm going to own two, a Sho Bud and my GFI.

Al[This message was edited by Al Terhune on 13 November 2005 at 06:18 PM.]

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 13 Nov 2005 8:20 pm

Al, that is the story most of us can relate to. We are very fortunate that many of our wifes truly understand our passion and love for steel gutar. We are among the blessed!

Ok, we have Steve and Donny who were impresed with the same guitars. Steve went with all three, but Donny, which did you settle for, Fulawka or MSA?
Dave [This message was edited by David Higginbotham on 13 November 2005 at 08:21 PM.]

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 13 Nov 2005 8:42 pm

This guitar is also the second Pro-Model guitar that GFI made with the s/n of 1002 made in November 1992.

Hi David...

I've got s/n 0002. It's a D10 8&4 with red mica and a black & gold "splattered" design. I had Gene do some work on it a few years back & he told me it was the second one he built. He also said that he only used that "splattered" design on the earlier guitars. Now I'm wondering how he went about assigning serial numbers, as the number on mine doesn't appear to coincide with a month.

George

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 13 Nov 2005 9:12 pm

You can't go wrong with a GFI. Gene Fields has been a master designer and master builder for many years, going all the way back to his days with Fender guiters. Jody.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 13 Nov 2005 11:34 pm

David, GFI's are great guitars! For four years, I was playing a 1974 Emmons S-10 beginner's model pedal steel and decided it was time for a pro model. Bobbe reccomended the GFI to me. At first, I didn't know if a GFI was the right guitar for me, but Bobbe reccomended it to me, so last year in December, I bought a new red and gold GFI Ultra D-10 and it's an amazing guitar! It's great for playing shows and for playing steel at home. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 14 Nov 2005 6:04 am

I've got s/n 0002. It's a D10 8&4 with red mica and a black & gold "splattered" design. I had Gene do some work on it a few years back & he told me it was the second one he built. He also said that he only used that "splattered" design on the earlier guitars. Now I'm wondering how he went about assigning serial numbers, as the number on mine doesn't appear to coincide with a month.

George, pretty interesting stuff here. Bob at GFI emailed me this info. You will see that they actually made an error in serial numbers and there are 6 guitars that have duplicate serial numbers. You actually have the 8th Pro-model guitar made.
Dave

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Hi Dave,

With this additional information, I found your steel in our book. It looks like you have the second Pro Model made by GFI, built in November 1992. At that rime, there apparently was some indecision on how the serial #'s should proceed. Up till then, only Student Models were being built and they had a 3 digit serial number. To distinguish Pro Models from those, a 4 digit number was to be used and the first 6 Pro models are 1001-1006. Then, probably to more closely align with the actual number of steels produced, there was a switch to 0001, 0002, and so on, which has continued till today. I didn't realize it, but apparently there are duplicate serial numbers for those first 6 Pro Models. The gold vein frame color was only used on a few of the early Pro Models after it became apparent the gold part of the color tended to wear off in places where there was repeated contact, like where the picking hand might rest on the neck.

Sorry for the history lesson. Again, we're glad you're enjoying your GFI and let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Bob
GFI Musical Products<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[This message was edited by David Higginbotham on 14 November 2005 at 06:05 AM.]

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 14 Nov 2005 8:16 am

i've been playing them on the road and in the studio about 3 years now and by far still the best guitar i have ever played!
MS.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 Nov 2005 1:31 pm

David, I went with an MSA Millennium. It's one of the earlier models, which I actually prefer, due to their having titanium pull rods. (Titanium is less affected by changing temperatures, therefore, the tuning is more stable.)

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 14 Nov 2005 6:03 pm

Gene not only build's a great guitar, but his keyless design is the best out there, and speaking of the best , he's got the best customer service that I have ever dealt with in the industry !!.... Now if I could only talk him into a long scale U-12 keyless ....

.......Jim

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 14 Nov 2005 6:40 pm

Gene Fields, "master of design"??
Funny, but I've heard some of the world's greatest steel guitar builders say the same thing about Gene.
He sure does get a lot of respect from his competitors, but then again, why not? He deserves it!

Bobster,

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 14 Nov 2005 7:26 pm

Well now here's my opportunity to stay on the topic of GFI & mention 'our' visit to Steel Guitar Nashville today:

I really didn't allow time to make the trip, but the main purpose was to show Bobbe my dachshund, Bash. He was in a meeting, so we looked around some, then I ended up sitting down in a chair that just happened to be in front of a GFI D-10 keyless. So I bellyed up to the guitar & was able to get my nose right into it & see exactly how it functioned. Fellers, it's a work of art. I did twist around on the tuners a little to get the real world feel, & man, that's the way to go. IMO, ingenious (sp?) in it's simplicity.

It's ok Bobbe, I didn't twist around on it "much". I'm hoping to have an amp need he can take care of sometime next year, but if I ever do a new guitar again it will be a new GFI from Bobbe.

Though he was busy & just got back from a gig in N.Y., he treated us like ROYALTY. Next time, it's 'bring the bar & picks' for sure.

Yeah, David. You do just what you said when it's time to trade. And Steve, as far as I'm concerned, the pro model ROCKS as well as the Ultra.

Thanx again Bobbe for being gracious to us as all get out. Short but indeed sweet. WE'LL be back!

Yes, GFI ROCKS!

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 14 Nov 2005 9:55 pm

George, pretty interesting stuff here. Bob at GFI emailed me this info. You will see that they actually made an error in serial numbers and there are 6 guitars that have duplicate serial numbers. You actually have the 8th Pro-model guitar made.

So the mystery unravels. Sounds like they're pretty close "siblings" then. Gene must have forgotten that he used a different s/n scheme on those first six. I seem to remember him mentioning the same thing about not using the gold "splatter" anymore because it tended to wear off, but so far mine's held up pretty well. I kind of like that look. I was able to trace mine as being purchased by the original owner (now deceased) from Blackie Taylor's Music out in California.

Anyway... Congratulations on the new (old) GFI. They're a pretty neat ax, though not as lightweight I think as the newer ones.

George

Steve Hackney · Post by **Steve Hackney** » 17 Nov 2005 5:51 pm

Got my GFI today. Changed the pedal set up. Still adjusting and tweaking but so far I love it.

Steve Hackney · Post by **Steve Hackney** » 19 Nov 2005 6:41 pm

Well I got the GFI set up and adjusted. Guess I can describe it in one word. Awesome.
It's smooth. Great tone. Great sustain. So far stays in tune.
I'll be the first to admit, It took a long time for me to get accustom to the looks of a GFI but I honestly think this steel is one sharp lookin guitar. Black and silver.
I think I'm gonna like it a lot.
Now if I can just get this dang C neck figured out haha.