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Post new topic IF you think your PSG is a mechanical marvel -> Year 1772
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Author Topic:  IF you think your PSG is a mechanical marvel -> Year 1772
J D Sauser


From:
Wellington, Florida
Post  Posted 17 Feb 2022 8:00 pm    
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I was born, raised and trained a precision machine engineer in Switzerland.
I must have been around 10 years old when my mother took me to the city of Neuchatel to the Museum Of The Automates... you could say, the museum of he early "Robots".
I was so deeply impressed by it..., -don't forget, I saw it in the mid 70's.... robots only went alive on movies and looked only mildly amusing!-, I never could forget what I had seen.

So, recently I researched it on YouTube and I thought today, this would be the place an time to post it, because it is HUMBLING to see what they build in the late 17-hundreds, which still is AWE-some and still functioning TODAY.

So, if you ever thought your steel guitar brand is so "awesome" and ahead of it's time... here is what Jacques Droz and the Amstutz Bros. built around 1772:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz8lB3y5euk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeTOqDb-86s

Imagine these Cats, had been given a Hawaiian steel guitar and a pair of Coat Hangers!... And what we would be playing today, if they had!

... J-D.
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Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.
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Steven Pearce


From:
Port Orchard Washington, USA
Post  Posted 17 Feb 2022 10:16 pm    
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WOW…There’s nothing else I can say!
The second video is a must see for anyone that’s ever built, wanted to build, or even played a pedal steel. And they didn’t have a forum to get ideas from, and I couldn’t begin to describe any of it. But you owe it to yourselves to check this out. I like one line the guy says, “The mechanism is extremely accurate.” That’s for sure.
Thanks J D
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John Sims


From:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Post  Posted 19 Feb 2022 5:29 pm    
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Wow! Amazing especially for that time period...
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Regards,

John

Steelin' is a way of life!

1997 Carter U-12 Double Body-Natural Birdseye Maple-8p/5k, Peavey Nashville 1000 Amp, Goodrich L10K Vol. Pedal, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss CE-5 Chorus, Behringer UMC-204HD Audio Interface, AKAI MPK Mini MK3 Professional Midi Keyboard/Controller, Gretsch Bobtail Resonator, Fender Banjo, Rondo SX Lap Steel (C6), DIY Lap Steel (Open D), a few Mojo Hand Cigar Box Guitars (MojoHandGuitars.com).
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Daniel Dickie


From:
Queensland, Australia
Post  Posted 5 Mar 2022 12:40 am    
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They are really amazing.
I saw a documentary in english a few years ago about some automata. I'm not sure if it is on YouTube.
Someday I would love to see some in real life.
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Arty Passes

 

From:
Austin, TX
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2022 9:34 am    
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WOW! Who knew?
Thanks for sharing
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Robert B Murphy


From:
Mountain View, Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2022 8:43 am    
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Whenever I get to feeling proud of something I've built I think of Archimedes, Euclid, that Greek antikythera, Roman hydraulic concrete... Now you show me an 18th century automaton with involute toothed bevel gears and spiral chain compensating drive, cam motion control... I feel like a toddler playing in a sandbox.
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Bob, small o.
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J D Sauser


From:
Wellington, Florida
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2022 1:44 pm    
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Robert B Murphy wrote:
Whenever I get to feeling proud of something I've built I think of Archimedes, Euclid, that Greek antikythera, Roman hydraulic concrete... Now you show me an 18th century automaton with involute toothed bevel gears and spiral chain compensating drive, cam motion control... I feel like a toddler playing in a sandbox.



Very Happy Smile Very Happy
_________________
__________________________________________________________

Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

David Farrell

 

From:
San Diego, California, USA
Post  Posted 31 May 2023 7:43 pm    
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Wow! That was incredible to watch! Thanks!
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Dave

Fender pedal steels, amps & guitars. '73 Sho~Bud PRO 1 CUSTOM. Emmons ReSound'65 S-10 4x5.
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 5 Jun 2023 10:15 am    
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Wow! Simultaneously amazing and creepy.

Thank you for posting the video links. Somehow I missed your post.

~Lee
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Mark McCornack


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 26 Jul 2023 9:30 am    
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Thanks so much for posting this. Truly incredibile! This puts a perspective on pedal steel mechanics right along those of the sledge hammer.
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John Sluszny

 

From:
Brussels, Belgium
Post  Posted 26 Jul 2023 10:20 am    
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👍😉
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