carter

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 2 Mar 2013 10:41 am

How do Crater Pro guitars, compare with others in the market. Do pro players use them ? Are they used in session work? James Taylor

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Mar 2013 11:26 am

Some guy named Emmons recorded a few albums on one. Mike Auldridge used one for several years, after an Emmons and before the Zum. Rusty Young was playing one last time I saw them
Bud Carter designed it. All that says "Can't go bad with that choice."

Howard Steinberg · Post by **Howard Steinberg** » 2 Mar 2013 3:32 pm

The Carter pro models are excellent guitars if you are looking for an all pull guitar, imho.
Very underpriced given their overall quality.

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 3 Mar 2013 2:39 am

They're beginning to be collectible. Pros use 'em, and they have appeared in sessions.

I got one. Won't part with "Blondie".

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 3 Mar 2013 4:44 am

Ned, do my eyes deceive me, or does the front neck pickup sit slightly diagonal?

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 3 Mar 2013 8:56 am

James...the Carter Pro is a Top Rate guitar. They were cheaper to buy because Bud Carter had other companies make the bits obviously to his scrutiny, so in that respect you didn't have to wait years for a guitar. There was a Guarantee you got a new one in 30 days. I have a Universal, black of course

, and it's the best steel I've had. I've had all the "BIG" names, this has played the best!! As you've just been told Buddy Emmons recorded with one and also I believe has a S-12 Carter to experiment on a universal tuning. I did get a personal e'mail a few years ago when I questioned Tommy White about the Carter he had....he said they were top rate steels. Add to this people like Rusty Young from Poco....Ted Solesky originally from Texas, Milo Deering road player for Leanne Rimes who still uses his Turquoise D-10, and many many others. Bud Carter is some builder, and many of his ideas have been taken on by other builders.

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 3 Mar 2013 1:44 pm

Lane, the front pickup may be very slightly on the diagonal, but the strings don't know that!

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 3 Mar 2013 3:33 pm

The Carter has all the pluses of MSA, Zumsteel, and Franklin, but costs much less and weighs much less.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 3 Mar 2013 3:51 pm

Amen to that Brian. You've hit it on the nail there.
To those who dimiss what Brian and me say....you make you choice and buy what "YOU" like, it's your perogative, but Inexpensive does "NOT" mean inferior!! Not by a long way!!

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 3 Mar 2013 5:33 pm

Well, I have to of them and my heirs will have to dispose of them.

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 3 Mar 2013 5:42 pm

I LOVE my Carter D10. It plays really well, is light, and looks good, too. - Jack

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 3 Mar 2013 5:58 pm

Well, I purchased 7 new Carters during the time they were in business. So, there you go.

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 4 Mar 2013 1:19 am

I am very grateful to all of you ,but keep it coming as it is so interesting; what is the weight of the Carter D10 in and out of the case?

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 4 Mar 2013 3:23 am

My Carter D10, 9+8 out of the case is around 42 pounds...

One of the primary reasons John Fabian ( RIP ) was able to price and deliver guitars the way he did was because he had large qty's of parts fabricated ahead of time, machined...he always had a full inventory of parts on hand which allowed Steels to be built and delivered inside of 30 days. Both John Fabian and Bud Carter are responsible for Carter Steel....Both John and Bud built Steels. John also investigated different woods for the bodies and had many different bodies made "ahead" of orders, including exotic woods...In addition, both John and Bud were continuously seeking engineering improvements.

I have owned 3 different Carter D10s, Sho-Buds, MSA, Emmons etc...I have nothing bad to say about any of them, they were all fine...but I only own 1 Steel now, a 2004 Carter D10.....

If there is anything to say with regard to the Carter Steels which may be a point of "issue"..it would be the very small hardware that connect the rods to the cross shaft bell cranks , but Johns comment to this was, the connection system is very stable and robust, yes very small parts, you need small fingers..but how many people actually turn their Steel guitars upside down everyday and make changes ? Some people NEVER do...there is no effect on playability.....In the words of the famous Joe Wright..." I didn't even know there was anything underneath my Steel , I spend all my time on TOP " !

Carter Steels are excellent Pedal Steel guitars and will offer years of service , very consistent day to day..

I have no reason to part with mine....

Howard Steinberg · Post by **Howard Steinberg** » 4 Mar 2013 5:47 am

The Carter D-10 that I have has a tunable half stop that is connected to string 2. Not sure if it's a standard feature. It has a very positive feel when lowering a half step.

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 4 Mar 2013 5:50 am

I have two Carter s10 pro models - one is a 2006 model and one is a 2008 model. They are keepers. I will use the one for spares if I ever need to. My only comment is that the selling price should have been double what it was.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 4 Mar 2013 7:19 am

Here's my Carter Uni..I realised after I took these shots that my lense on the Cam needed a clean

.... I always customise my guitars myself with Electric engraving machine...My Sho-Bud Uni is the same an. Look at the End plates, front metal strip, pedal rack. and top shot. The "hearts" on all my guitars have a meaning to me. Some of you guys know I will be 14 years old on a new heart on the 9th of this month. You can just see a heart on the Ovation Vyper in one of the pictures. As you can see I stuck a Wallace TT on the Carter. It was used when I got her in 2003, and the original owner asked for a Lawrence 712 ... not for me...prefer the TT anyday

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.
www.micky-byrne.co.uk

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Mar 2013 8:23 am

If there is anything to say with regard to the Carter Steels which may be a point of "issue"..it would be the very small hardware that connect the rods to the cross shaft bell cranks , but Johns comment to this was, the connection system is very stable and robust, yes very small parts, you need small fingers..but how many people actually turn their Steel guitars upside down everyday and make changes ? Some people NEVER do...there is no effect on playability

I agree about the small parts, assuming you mean the little brass pins the rod goes around. This is the weak leak in the Carter (in my opinion), along with those stupid torx screws they use to hold the bell crank to the cross shaft (have a few I have tried to remove and move and they strip out real easily). The brass pins wear down due to the friction of the pull rod sliding against it. I had one of the pins break at a gig, luckily with only 2 songs left, but one of them was "Together Again" and it was a pull on my "A" pedal. So I had to play it on my C6 neck and not do a solo. The bad thing was, I could have played the song using my "C" pedal, but I was so flustered that my "A" pedal was sticking and making a grinding noise, that I wasn't thinking of anything else but what was wrong with my guitar. I would say that this situation definitely had an effect on the guitar's playability.

That being said, I love my Carter. It is a really good guitar. I bought a new Williams a few years ago, and while it was a great guitar, I didn't like it as much as the Carter. So when I needed to sell one, the Williams was the one to go.

The point about Carter stocking parts ahead of time is spot on. That is why they had a short lead time to get one. They advertised 30 day delivery guarantees for "standard" models (3 & 5 for singles and 8 & 5 for doubles). But I ordered a D10 guitar with 8 pedals and 10 knee levers. I still got it delivered in just less than 30 days even though they said it would probably be 45 - 60 days.

Great customer service the 2 times I actually had to call them (once about the screws on the bell cranks and they sent me new bellcranks to replace the ones I couldn't remove). Once I talked to Ann (some say they have had problems with her, but not me) and once Bud answered the phone. John did call me a couple of times in response to questions I had emailed him about, and once, not long after I got the guitar, to just check to see how I liked it and if there were any issues.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 4 Mar 2013 10:31 am

Richard, I had a 3rd string pull break on me at a concert...luckily it was on the last song before another band came on. I had a chance with the help of the lads in the band to take the steel into the changing room where we managed to break off a tiny part of one of those wire coat hangers and got me out of trouble for the next set later on that night. Fixed it the next day at home. Parts of any steel give problems from time to time. I had 2 Sho-Bud "TEAR-DROP" knee levers break on me in a matter of months, and this wasn't one of the later Pot metal 'Buds. Getting back to that one Carter experience, lucky it was the 3rd string,and you can bluff your way through the rest of the song....Had it been a 5th B/C# pull, I guess I would have been up a creek without a paddle

I actually saw the little brass piece fly across the stage....and then realised ...no "A" note when I pressed pedal B (Emmons set up)

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Mar 2013 10:52 am

When my brass pin broke, most of it stayed in the bell crank and jammed up the rod. That was the grinding sound I would hear and the pedal would stick. Had it broke earlier in the night, I would have just gone home. Luckily, I had some extras at home that came from some changes I removed.

Now I loosen the nylon tuning nut enough to remove the hook from the pin and examine the pin. If the middle portion is worn down too much, I replace it. If I had the bucks, I would just buy new one's ($5 each) from Al Brisco and replace them all.

Richard Durrer · Post by **Richard Durrer** » 4 Mar 2013 11:34 am

I have a 1999 Carter D10 9x8. I also love the guitar. It seems to fit me perfectly. I put a TrueTone in the E9th neck which provides great tone. However, I too have broke one of those brass pins. Luckily, it happened at home after I was re-assembling the guitar after a gig. I heard the pin fall on the hardwood. Had it happened at the gig (on carpet) I would have been devastated. Al Brisco seems to have a good supply of parts and has provided great service when needed. The Carter Pro models are a great steel and (steal) at their current pricing. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Rich.

Jimmy Gibson · Post by **Jimmy Gibson** » 4 Mar 2013 11:42 am

What I did was replace all the pull pins with the locking pull pins I got from Carters when they were still making steels, the same type used on the msa but smaller ,They are a lot easier to get back into the bell crank all I did was cut off the hook from the pull rods and slide the pull pins on the end of the pull rod and tighten up the grub screw, very easy to change pulls.

My memory is not what it used to be and Richard is right some of the original pull rods were not long enough for some of the longer pulls when you cut the hooks off, so I as I remember now what I did was I cut the threads on about 50 new ones from stainless 3/32 rods so I had loads of spare rods and it was easy to replace all the original pull pins and this made it a lot easier to rod

I could still use some of the original longer rods for some of the shorter pulls by cutting the hook off.

Jimmy.

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 6 Mar 2013 12:24 pm

You are all a great bunch of lads and I do love to read your experiences while out playing, with the ocassional difficulties encountered . I used to believe that Sho bud and Emmons were the top guitars ,but I am slowly finding that there are a great deal of good instrument makers out there.I virtually knew nothing about CARTER but thanks to you all I can see a much broader view of this guitar, which I gave little thought to before. I have a 1950's Fender which I bought about one year ago; it has three pedals and one K/N. Therefore my experience is nill. Keep up the flow as it is very educational and most interesting. Thanking everyone YOURS AYE JAMES TAYLOR

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 6 Mar 2013 1:30 pm

Jimmy Gibson said:

What I did was replace all the pull pins with the locking pull pins I got from Carters when they were still making steels, the same type used on the msa but smaller ,They are a lot easier to get back into the bell crank all I did was cut off the hook from the pull rods and slide the pull pins on the end of the pull rod and tighten up the grub screw, very easy to change pulls.

I wish I could get my hands on some of those. When I added my 9th pedal (Actually, pedal "zero"), the kit I got from Carter had straight rods and those locking type pull pins. Unfortunately, the rods were way too short and wouldn't make it to the changer. When they sent the right pedal kit, it had the older style brass ones with the hooked rods.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 9 Mar 2013 9:20 am

I retired my Sho-Bud and bought this Carter new in 2001, and have had no malfunctions or repairs to this date. Maintenance has been one drop of oil to moving parts annually, change strings as needed and as recommended for all pedal steel's, replace 3d & 5th more often than needed.

The Carter doesn't have an exotic name, but it is a quality professional instrument that does what it is supposed to do......and does it well.

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