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Topic: Kudos to the Stage One steel guitar |
Curt Trisko
From:
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2020 9:28 am |
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| Eric Philippsen wrote: |
Curt,
You’re right and I apologize if my post in any way took away from the fact the Encore and Stage One steels are great. |
If anything, I took it the opposite way - you saying that your Encore is the one that continues to stay out of its case while the others go unplayed. |
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Dave Van Allen
From:
Doylestown, PA , US , Earth
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Posted 31 Jan 2020 9:52 am Thanks Doug!
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I was an early adopter (2007) when Doug started producing the StageOne.
I have been lauding it ever since, with phrases like "I would recommend a stage one to any player, beginner to pro. It is physically stable, stays in tune, plays easily, sounds great, is light to carry and looks good too.all that AND a hard shell case!"
And this was before the Encore was introduced...
(oh, and he makes a great little Volume Pedal as well!!!)
I play a ZumSteel U12 as my primary guitar since 1998, and I truly love that instrument.
BUT I do not hesitate to grab my StageOne for any gig or recording sessions, I have used it on some of my most sonically rewarding recent recording dates
The true value to me became evident when I was diagnosed with lymphoma 2 years ago. I was determined to continue playing any gig I could manage while undergoing chemo, with it's resultant fatigue and side effect of severe neuropathy in my feet.
The Stage One's light weight, playability, and great tone was one of the things that allowed me to continue gigging and recording thru that period and currently
Wow, coincidental-my calendar just popped up, today is my one year anniversary of "no current evidence of disease" evaluation , post-treatment. |
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Will Lindsay
From:
Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 31 Jan 2020 10:24 am Re: Thanks Doug!
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| Dave Van Allen wrote: |
I was an early adopter (2007) when Doug started producing the StageOne.
I have been lauding it ever since, with phrases like "I would recommend a stage one to any player, beginner to pro. It is physically stable, stays in tune, plays easily, sounds great, is light to carry and looks good too.all that AND a hard shell case!"
And this was before the Encore was introduced...
(oh, and he makes a great little Volume Pedal as well!!!)
I play a ZumSteel U12 as my primary guitar since 1998, and I truly love that instrument.
BUT I do not hesitate to grab my StageOne for any gig or recording sessions, I have used it on some of my most sonically rewarding recent recording dates
The true value to me became evident when I was diagnosed with lymphoma 2 years ago. I was determined to continue playing any gig I could manage while undergoing chemo, with it's resultant fatigue and side effect of severe neuropathy in my feet.
The Stage One's light weight, playability, and great tone was one of the things that allowed me to continue gigging and recording thru that period and currently
Wow, coincidental-my calendar just popped up, today is my one year anniversary of "no current evidence of disease" evaluation , post-treatment. |
Congrats on the anniversary! |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Sam Shipstone
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 22 Jul 2020 3:03 pm
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Hi all, can anyone help a first-time player from the UK with no mechanical background?
I have a Stage One (S10) with a broken hex pillar/nylon tuning nut. I tried some non-pedal steel pillars but they don't fit the pull rod (3mm was too small, and then 4mm was too wide).
Does anyone know what width pillar I need? Or perhaps: what is the width of the threaded end of my pull rods? I don't even know if pull rods are a standard size on pedal steels.
Perhaps they need to be 3/16†pillars such as these? But i'd understand that a ".091 hole" would equate to 2.3mm, which would be far too narrow? Or alternatively, 3/16th of an inch would equate to 4.76mm which would be too wide? I must be reading one of these measurements wrong.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Emmons-Lashley-Legrande-Nylon-tuning-nuts-pedal-steel-guitar-may-fit-others/121622296157?epid=734592585&hash=item1c5140f65d:g:dj8AAOSwTQtaFsCA
Hoping someone can help, so I can get playing this wonderful instrument once again. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 22 Jul 2020 3:20 pm
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| I strongly suggest that you go to Page 1 of this thread and email/PM Doug Earnest who is the maker of the Stage One. I expect that he will be helpful. |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2020 3:33 pm
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Why are they called a student models
The stage one is just a little over a hundred dollars a string
Some S 10 steels will cost you over a 1000 per string. |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2020 4:27 pm
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Double post
Last edited by Johnie King on 23 Jul 2020 2:36 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Andrew Frost
From:
Toronto, Ontario
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Posted 22 Jul 2020 10:19 pm
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I've had a Stage One for about ten years. I absolutely love it.
My first and only steel.
Lots of gigs and recordings, and probably thousands of hours of practice time on it at this point. And it still sings beautifully, so hats off to Doug Earnest for crafting such a fine and durable instrument.
The fixed tuning is of note.. The bell cranks are welded in place but I've managed to move a few pull rods around to personalize the copedant.
Curt mentioned missing the whole tone raise on string one. FWIW I achieved this by moving the lever stop on RKL just a little further to increase travel by a quarter inch or so. I think I moved the pull rod up to a higher hole on the changer finger as well to get a bit more leverage.
Moving the rods around feels a little precarious though because they are still attached at the bell crank. But it can be done with a little care. It is a lot easier with the longer ones.
I've been wondering though, was this model around as a Zum student guitar in the 70s/80s? I understand Doug aquired a lot of these parts and rebranded as Stage One. What was the original model that these parts were for, are any still around, and how different were they from the Stage One? |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 3:32 am
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I just saw this thread for the first time.
Most of you know, I suppose, that the Stage One became my guitar of choice years ago. The first one I got here, used, because I wanted a light guitar for a fly gig. It sounded so good, I decided to try it recording. On the playback, I got questions from the other players about what guitar I was playing. One even said it sounded like Buddy's "Blade," the tone was so exceptional.
I've had my share of push/pulls, Sho-Bud's over the years, and owned Franklin #11 for years. NO other guitar I've recorded with sounds as good in the mix as my Stage One's. Doug builds a most excellent product, and is one of the nicest guys to deal with.
On a further note: after I got my first one, I called Bruce because he had been trying to get me to play a Zum for 30 years, and I wanted him to know I finally had one, albeit his student model. I told him how pleased I was and it really had me considering selling my Franklin to get one of his pro guitars. He recommended me to not do that. He said he could never get his pro line to sound as good as his "babies." He said he wasn't sure what the combination was, if it was the solid fingers instead of the split ones, or the homemade "refrigerator magnet" pickup he put on them, or what. He just said he couldn't get the tone out of his pro line that he could out of the Stage One.
Truly an excellent guitar that one just cannot go wrong with. (Wish I still had that first one. I have two more, I sold that first one to someone on here, I think. Yet another bad decision, lol.)
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.
http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html
(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/ |
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Sam Shipstone
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 1:42 pm
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| Jon Light wrote: |
| I strongly suggest that you go to Page 1 of this thread and email/PM Doug Earnest who is the maker of the Stage One. I expect that he will be helpful. |
I've tried this; he may be away.
Anyone wanna guess what size nuts I'd need? Every attempt will cost me $30-$40 and will take 3-4 weeks between attempts. And I'm itching so hard to get playing again. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 1:58 pm
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That's a drag, Sam.
Some searching tells me that the nylon hex nuts are 5mm o.d. Unforunately, no, the rod diameter and therefore, the bore diameter, is not a pedal steel standard. They vary from one maker to another.
I am unfamiliar with the term "hex pillar" so I'm somewhat on uncertain ground.
I have no doubt that someone here knows the answer and hopefully, they will provide it soon. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 3:06 pm
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| Sam, I would go to his website and email him directly. Doug is great about answers. He should have those tuning nuts in stock so you can purchase. He's a busy guy so it may be a day or so before answered. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 3:11 pm
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| I'm not sure this helps, but I have a Encore. The nylon nuts are 5 mm OD, the rods are 2.7 mm. Or 0.19" OD, 0.10" rod. The nylon nuts are 22.3 mm long or 1". The nylon nuts thread themselves on the rod, so as long as they are the smaller than the rods a little bit inside, you can drill them to fit. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 4:09 pm
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| Danny Letz wrote: |
| I'm not sure this helps, but I have a Encore. The nylon nuts are 5 mm OD, the rods are 2.7 mm. Or 0.19" OD, 0.10" rod. The nylon nuts are 22.3 mm long or 1". The nylon nuts thread themselves on the rod, so as long as they are the smaller than the rods a little bit inside, you can drill them to fit. |
That hole’s got to be as straight and close to center as possible. Use a press and a vise. I seem to remember somebody here saying they put the nut in the drill chuck and the bit in a vise. Seemed weird to me, but I’ve never tried it, so not sure what the advantage would be. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 4:27 pm
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| I was just suggesting enlarging the hole if need be. I've done that successfully just running a numbered bit thru it, just doing a slight increment at a time. Me myself, I wouldn't have any way to drill one from scratch. |
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2020 6:22 pm
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| I had one once as well back when they only had three knees. What no one has yet mentioned is that they use a pull release changer system. This is what the old Sho-Bud Permanents used as well as all Marlen's until sometime in the early 80s I think. I may be mistaken but I think Bruce z's earliest Zum were also pull release? In my younger days I ignored those guitars as old fashioned but I've had the SB Permanent in my Avatar for quite a few years and the pedal feel is superior to any steel I've ever had. |
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Ken Mizell
From:
Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2020 4:21 pm
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I just sent an e-mail to Doug this week to check on buying one of his Stage One guitars. I generally do an awful lot of research on anything I buy, and that goes for these PSG's as well. I decided that these would be the best for me, due to both the price and quality of the instrument. I hope to hear from Doug soon.
I've been without a steel for about 7 years now. My last one was a SD-10 Mullen RP. I was working long hours and the cover for my steel kept getting dusty. I just didn't have time to work at it, so I sold it to a friend of mine. Now that I'm retired, I have plenty of time on my hands, with a lot less money, so the Stage One enters the picture.
Fortunately, I saved my pack seat, picks, bars and more, so I don't have do buy that stuff again. A Stage One, one of Doug's volume pedals, and a small practice amp, and I'll be in business.
This is my first post in a long time, like about 7 years, but I'll be hanging out here more as time goes on.
_________________
Steeless. |
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Jim Fogarty
From:
Phila, Pa, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2020 9:46 pm
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| Ken Mizell wrote: |
I just sent an e-mail to Doug this week to check on buying one of his Stage One guitars. I generally do an awful lot of research on anything I buy, and that goes for these PSG's as well. I decided that these would be the best for me, due to both the price and quality of the instrument. I hope to hear from Doug soon.
I've been without a steel for about 7 years now. My last one was a SD-10 Mullen RP. I was working long hours and the cover for my steel kept getting dusty. I just didn't have time to work at it, so I sold it to a friend of mine. Now that I'm retired, I have plenty of time on my hands, with a lot less money, so the Stage One enters the picture.
Fortunately, I saved my pack seat, picks, bars and more, so I don't have do buy that stuff again. A Stage One, one of Doug's volume pedals, and a small practice amp, and I'll be in business.
This is my first post in a long time, like about 7 years, but I'll be hanging out here more as time goes on. |
Good luck! I know Doug's fairly backed up, but when it arrives, you'll be thrilled.
When this pandemic hit and I lost all my work, I panic'd and sold my Stage One. I very quickly realized I had made a mistake. Luckily, due to the decency and generosity of one of our members (looking at YOU, GT!!) I was able to get another, and I couldn't be happier. |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 25 Jul 2020 11:48 pm
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Sam,
Have you got a pedal or lever that you don't use much ?
You could do a temporary fix by using the nylon tuner off the least used pedal/lever as a replacement for the broken one (assuming the broken one isn't your least used change)
The least used change is possibly the C pedal, so maybe the nylon tuners off that pedal could be used temporarily to get you going again. |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2020 4:50 am
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| Doug Earnest wrote: |
Many thanks for the kind words, they are appreciated.
I did update my website a very little bit. Basically it still says to send an email to see if I can stand to take any more orders. I don't like having 100 orders on the list, 30 or so at a time is plenty.
I'll get some pictures put back on the website pretty soon. There have been issues trying to update it.
About 1200 guitars out the door and counting..... |
I will say that you ain't gonna get much better than Doug. he builds super steels and at a great price and his customer service is unparalleled. The fact that people are happy to get on his waiting list and he has had a running waiting list of people long as my arm for the last couple of years speaks volumes about his quality
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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