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Topic: "Superior" brand Weissenborn style guitars any good? |
Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2019 11:48 am |
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One of these popped up for sale in town. I'm not familiar with these guitars or the brand. Does anyone have any opinions and experience with these?
https://reverb.com/item/1733961-superior-lap-steel-weissenborn
Thanks!
Dave Z
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2019 11:53 am
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I have one and I like it.
Good bang for the buck. 
Erv |
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David Venzke
From:
SE Michigan, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2019 12:20 pm
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I own one, too. I changed a few things like the funky flared nut and I installed different tuners (similar to the ones on the guitar you are considering). The string spacing is a bit wider on these, but I like it. Mine is a spruce top with palo escrito sides and back (probably has a different sound than the one you're looking at). They (Berkeley Instrument Exchange) still sell these for about $1200 new.
They are hand crafted in Mexico, and like Erv I find mine to be good bang for the buck. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2019 12:28 pm
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David,
I also had to have the flared nut corrected.
I have two pickups on mine, a Sunrise magnetic pickup and another pickup underneath the bridge.
I have a stereo jack so I can run a stereo cord to my Marshall acoustic amp and put the signal into two different channels and adjust the input. Very good sound.
Erv |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2019 10:41 pm
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This is actually the one I’m looking at:
“make / manufacturer: Superior
model name / number: Weissenborn style
All Hand Made of all solid Woods in Mexico
Solid Cedar Top
Solid Palo Escrito Rosewood Back and Sides
Rosewood Fingerboard
Matte Nitrocellulose lacquer Finish
635 mm Scale Length
55 mm at the Nut
15″ at the Lower Bout
10 1/2″ at the Upper Bout
3″ Depth
Price Includes a Hard Shell Case
Has some play wear, see pics. Comes with LR Baggs M1 pick up. Wired with end pin jack to plug and play. Also capo pictured.â€
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2019 7:41 am
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I think you'll like it.
Erv |
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David Venzke
From:
SE Michigan, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2019 8:22 am
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Oooo ... a cedar top, Grover tuners, rope binding, M1 installed ... what's not to like about that?
When I got mine, I was surprised how light they are. Mine only weighs 3 pounds. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2019 9:20 am
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He wants only $600 for it. Shows a little wear...Looks like a good deal!
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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David Venzke
From:
SE Michigan, USA
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Posted 2 Apr 2019 6:00 pm
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| So ... are you the current owner of this one, Dave? If so, what do you think of yours? |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 3 Apr 2019 7:53 pm
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Superior Hawaiians (previously known as K&S) were made in Mexico for Marc Silber of Berkeley. Marc is one of the the premiere and premier (as in first and most knowledgeable) vintage guitar authorities. I've heard good things about them and I know at one time David Lindley used them live after retiring his vintage Weissenborns from the road. (He also uses Canopus, Larry Pogreba and Paddy Burgin instruments.)
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"Gopher, Everett?" |
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Kirk Francis
From:
Laupahoehoe
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 8:56 am superior weissenborns
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i bought one back around 2000 or so--whenever they first came out. the only problem i had was the string spread at the bridge, which was inordinately wide and thus required mental- and muscle-memory adjustments to be made when going from my more normally spaced steels to the superior; slants were a nightmare. i finally had my fine luthier kerry char put on a new, conventionally-spaced bridge, saddle, & nut--now all is right with the world. otherwise, a fine piece with excellent sustain and tone.
for all i know, the company may have since corrected this problem.
Last edited by Kirk Francis on 4 Apr 2019 9:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 9:20 am
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I recall playing some of the early versions at the shop in Berkeley and I didn't care for them.
I'm guessing the quality has evolved since some of the folks here have good things to say about them.
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Mark |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 9:35 am
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It looks like the strings are wide at the bridge, and the nut actually is flared out beyond the neck, with strings also wide there....odd...
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www.facebook.com/swingaliband & a few more....
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Larry Carlson
From:
My Computer
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 10:24 am
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I have one, a deep body model.
It sounded good but the finish kind of sucked with a lot of 'orange peel'.
It's about 3 years old and it now has a traveling crack/separation between the
upper left bout and the rope binding on the top.
It is slowly crawling towards the neck and is about 1/16th" wide and 3" long at the moment.
I tried but could not get the crack to close so it can be re-glued.
Having a luthier do it would cost more than it is worth.
I put some glue into the crack hoping it would help. It didn't.
I've kept it tuned to FACFAC all the time so tension wouldn't have done it.
Oh well. It sits in it's case in the closet now because it's been bad.... 
I'd sell it but I don't think there is much demand for a 'pre-cracked' guitar.
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I have stuff.
I try to make music with it.
Sometimes it works.
Sometimes it doesn't.
But I keep on trying. |
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Kirk Francis
From:
Laupahoehoe
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 11:43 am superior weissenborn.
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ADDENDUM: i also had kerry char put on a wire saddle, which improved the tone considerably.
it was my travel guitar for many years, traveling with me all over the world and spending much of its time on a normally either frozen solid or hideously over-heated truck awaiting lunch-time jam sessions. the finish cracked, but it still holds together.
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The mainland is intimidating, bewildering, and uncomfortable. And you have to wear shoes. -- Theroux. |
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 12:29 pm
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| I seem to remember that when these came out, many people were commenting on the wide spacing, and that issue was later addressed? That back looks amazing, though. Almost like koa. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2019 12:32 pm
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When I got my Superior, it had the goofy looking nut but I had a luthier take care of the problem.
Erv |
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