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Topic: Canopus steel guitars ?...tell me about them |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 5 Feb 2020 11:27 am |
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I know nothing about these steel guitars...can anyone give me their personal experiences with owning one...quality,tone, etc.
Thanks in advance.
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 5 Feb 2020 4:17 pm
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They were manufactured in Japan but I believe that they are no longer in business......they were favored by some prominent Hawaiian players in the 90’s ......I remember seeing Leonard T Zinn playing one at The St Louis Convention in 1999......
They were very expensive guitars, maybe between $2700 - $3k for a D8 and that was at least 15 years ago.......so, you didn’t see very many around......in the early 2000’s I saw one on eBay and apparently nobody knew what it was and I snagged it for a ridiculously low price......shortly thereafter I I took it with me when I went to visit Jody Carver......Jody fell in love with it and admired it’s piano-like finish.....so much so that he called the builder in Japan and asked about having one made for him......the builder (I forget his name) told Jody....â€it will cost you more than you thinkâ€......and quoted him close to 3k, so that was the end of that......but we had many laughs over that line......Jody, being a steel guitar salesman most of his life, couldn’t get over what a lousy sales pitch that was, and of course, Jody imitating him always had me in stitches.....
The guitar itself is modeled after The Stringmaster ( 24.5†scale) and it does have a beautiful piano-like finish......as far as sound and tone......it is The Best sounding console steel that I have.....and I have Stringmasters, Remingtons, SuperSlides, Sierras, a Gibson Consolette, ..........I won’t be able to post photos until I return to the U.S. after mid Feb.....but in summary, it is, or at least mine is......an extremely well built, well finished, above excellent sounding guitar...... |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 5 Feb 2020 4:29 pm
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Thanks for that information...there is one on another site but it is in Japan and big shipping charges from there...so I wont touch it, but if anyone is interested it is a D8 for 1400, which is probably a good price based on what you just stated. Thanks again.
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 12:49 am
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I was in Hawaii for a wedding in 1990 and staying at the Halekulani Hotel. The Hiram Olsen Trio was in the "House Without a Key" and though Casey Olsen was the steel player for two nights, Barney Isaacs played on the third night and he played a Canopus. Barney pegged me as a musician, so he came over to talk on the break and he showed me his guitar.
To me, it looked like a Stringmaster knockoff but Barney said it was "better than a Fender." It did have a nice finish though it was a Fender-type blond. I was thrilled to meet and talk with Barney, and he played great, but I felt the guitar was overpriced for what it was.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 3:09 am
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| I agree with Barney and I agree with Herb.......yes, overpriced........mine is a shade of brown so the finish is really pronounced....... |
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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 3:22 am
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There's a video of Barney playing his Canopus on YouTube. It's from the Hawaiian tv show Spectrum Hawaii part two.Theres also vid of Alan Akaka playing a Canopus lap steel on YouTube, it's a promo video for the Maui Steel Guitar Festival 2013.
ALOHA
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I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 4:56 am
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Yas Kaniya was the builder, who worked at Sho Bud in Nashville in the 70s for about 12 years. These were modeled after Fender stringmasters, with a pickup that looked and sounded similar to an old Sho Bud pickup great sounding guitars though pricey!
I have seen Casey Olson and Alan Akaka play them both in Waikiki and in Ka’annnapali, Maui at a steel guitar festival a few years ago
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Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 5:55 am
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| I have played Howards Canopus and I thought it was one of the best, most balanced steels I have ever played. |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 6 Feb 2020 10:38 am
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Alan played one back in the day quite a lot...seems like he's using a single neck more often now but I'm sure the consoles come out for the festivals (he even plays the famous "Jules Ah See" Magnatone from time to time, like this last year for an Apaka tribute concert, which was fitting).
Basic design and form certainly looks Stringmastery, although the single pickup is a definite difference...looks like one row of polepieces, I'm guessing it is single coil, unless stacked? I always keep my SM with both coils on full in series as I want a big, warm sound.
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Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 7 Feb 2020 9:04 am
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| Yes.....each neck has a single pick up and there is one 4 position rotary switch.......can anybody tell me what that (technically) does?...... |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 25 Feb 2020 8:03 pm
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2020 12:02 pm
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Interesting bridge, PSG like. Nice!
Have a little cannabis with your canipus. You'll play better or at least you will think you can.  |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 27 Feb 2020 3:39 pm
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Barney still sounds just like Barney!
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Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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