Keyless pedal steels lets see them

Keith Bolog · Post by **Keith Bolog** » 29 Jun 2015 6:06 pm

I switched the allen bolts with phillips screws thinking I could always find a screwdriver in a pinch.

more pix

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 29 Jun 2015 9:10 pm

Maybe one of you keyless enthusiasts can tell me something about this little steel I bought from a forum member some years back. He said it was found at a pawn shop in Texas. Anybody know who might have made it?

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 15 May 2016 7:03 am

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 15 May 2016 9:59 am

Question: do any of you feel that there is a noticeable difference in sustain or tone with keyless guitars? I know that can be subjective but I have to ask because I can see the advantage of a smaller/sturdier cabinet.

Larry Allen · Post by **Larry Allen** » 15 May 2016 10:36 am

Here's my newest Excel....sweet!

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 15 May 2016 11:42 am

Marty, I have three keyless steels, all different makes, and none are lacking in sustain or tone, but it's hard to say how much being keyless contributes to that. I'd be interested in Paul's opinion - I think he has heard and played some steels before and after they were converted from keyhead to keyless.

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 15 May 2016 3:19 pm

Thank you Bruce. I'm hoping for level headed/experienced feedback such as yours. Thank you again and I hope I get more similar to yours. I wish I could have asked Buddy, Herby, and Jeff before they passed away. I've seen vids/photos of them playing keyless models and it would be great to know how they felt about each one they played.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 16 May 2016 3:59 pm

I have one of Jeff Newman's old Kline guitars.I know for a fact that Jeff really liked Klines, he owned (paid for with his own $$$) at least 2 of them. The one I have is the one he played at the 1983 ISGC.

Glenn Taylor · Post by **Glenn Taylor** » 16 May 2016 4:45 pm

Jerry Berger · Post by **Jerry Berger** » 16 May 2016 5:42 pm

Here's one that I traded last year.

Jon Jaffe · Post by **Jon Jaffe** » 17 May 2016 6:30 pm

Blue mica for gigs. Wood set up at home. The mica one, in a pinch can be set up at a gig and played without tuning. They sound different as well, but not much.

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 18 May 2016 5:55 am

Beautiful guitars

Dennis Wood · Post by **Dennis Wood** » 18 May 2016 6:16 am

My pair of Sierra's\

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 1 Jun 2016 3:50 am

Doug Paluch · Post by **Doug Paluch** » 1 Jun 2016 5:31 am

My old teacher had a keyless GFI ultra, and it sustained like crazy... So much so, that palm blocks didn't completely stop it.

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 2 Jun 2016 11:43 pm

i`m really happy owning this one. just a phantastic guitar...

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 7 Jun 2016 11:01 am

Here's the wonderful Sierra S14, E9/B6 that I used to own. Currently, she resides in Japan.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 11 Jan 2022 7:05 pm

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Bryan Crowley · Post by **Bryan Crowley** » 12 Jan 2022 6:47 am

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 12 Jan 2022 12:20 pm

Bryan is that a brand new Excel?
Looks like the tuner mechanism has been simplified and would work flawlessly.!!

Bryan Crowley · Post by **Bryan Crowley** » 12 Jan 2022 4:18 pm

Yes Johnie this is a new Excel. It is an incredible steel guitar ! I never have to tune my pedals or knee levers, just at the key head on each neck and it is perfect.
Johnie you’re the one that turned me on to keyless steels and I’m completely hooked. I wont be buying any keyed steels again. For me personally there is no down side. I think they look cool as well.

David Ball · Post by **David Ball** » 12 Jan 2022 5:06 pm

I've had a couple of keyless Sierras, a keyless Excel, and a Sonny Jenkins keyless lapsteel. Here's what I'm playing nowadays--a LoneStar PP keyless that I got from Johnie.

The keyless system on this is not as refined as on the Excel or the Jenkins although it works well (I personally think that Sonny's system is the best), but combined with the Push Pull tone, it's a really great guitar. I like it better than my Sierras or Excel because it plays great and sounds great. Very small footprint too. You tune it, and it stays there. Tune it at the pegheadless, and it's there.

It's not everybody's axe--I'm used to tuning and adjusting push pulls and pull release guitars, so no big deal to me, but it would be to a lot of folks.

Anyway, it's a guitar that you're not likely to find for sale anywhere, but it's a gooden.

Dave

Bryan Crowley · Post by **Bryan Crowley** » 12 Jan 2022 5:41 pm

A baby keyless lapsteel by Sonny.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 12 Jan 2022 8:50 pm

[center]I played this Sierra SD-12 for many years.

Then I played a Williams D-12 crossover for a while.

Now I play a Sierra S-10 (prototype) built by Ross Shafer.

[/center]

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 13 Jan 2022 8:33 am

The Steel Guitar Forum

Keyless pedal steels lets see them

an early williams

Keyless

Kline.

Keyless guitar

Keyless

GFI Ultra S-10 Keyless