Tommy White's New Fessenden D-10

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Nov 2003 5:43 am

Tommy, I read in another thread on the Forum today where someone posted that you have a new Fessenden steel. Is that right? If so, please tell us about it!

autry andress · Post by **autry andress** » 23 Nov 2003 6:14 am

Jim, you beat me to it.
Now he's playing one of the best sounding
steel being made today.
Where's the Pictures????Tommy

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 23 Nov 2003 10:24 am

Great to see Tommy trying out my favorite guitar

. I know he won't be dissapointed. Jerry builds a fine guitar, and is awesome on the support side. I have two, and will add a third sometime next year... You go Jerry (Tommy, too

)

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 23 Nov 2003 12:04 pm

Jim,
I received my new Fessenden 48 hrs ago and instantly loved the tone and guitar. It is beautifully finished wood with aluminum necks, which produces the sonority I've been wanting to hear for sometime. I'm very pleased with Jerry's work, his kindness and the guitar. Jerry made my buying experience a most joyous and pleasurable one.It is definitely a keeper.
I played the solo to "Look at us" with Vince on the second show at the Opry last night and felt the tone to be rich and clear. For anyone who wishes to check it out,the WSM archives of the Opry should be up now.
T.W.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 23 Nov 2003 1:12 pm

Hey that is soooo cool Tommy...I'll check out the archive.
But I wanted to mention that I've had a couple of Fessy's over here at the house to set up and the first thing I noticed is the Thickness in the wood of the cabinet.
This is the same thickness as the older shobuds and the Fulawka and WOW...that is it man...
I am so impressed with Jerry's work and when I had that particular Fessy over here; I thought...."I wonder if Tommy has played one; I bet he'd sure like this Steel"....>and then BAM you have one and played it on the Opry..>how cool is that.
Ricky

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 23 Nov 2003 1:28 pm

What pickups are in it?

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 23 Nov 2003 1:29 pm

Tommy Dubya!
Congrats on the new Fessy! I understand from Jerry that it's a sunburst... ooooooowee, I'm starting to perspire just thinking about it!

Man, if you live for a little while with this guitar, you might find what I did with Jerry's guitars... a type of indescribable soulfulness that says "you should hang with me for awhile."

I've owned 4 Fessies, and currently have 2; both rosewood/maple, one with metal necks and E-66's, one with wood necks and True Tones.

Jerry doesn't knock off "standard" models with his lacquer guitars; each one is an individual with different woodwork much like the old Sho~Buds, but with modern mechanics. His changer's pedal action really allows for increased ability for expression (ex. half-pedalling) than I've found in some of the "instantaneous" guitars, if you know what I mean.

Also, I should mention to the Forum that the beautiful natural wood cabinets with which Jerry assembles his guitars are made by Mark Giles; he of Hamilton TX, a fine musician, an artisan luthier, and a by-God Texan if anyone gives a damn, and y'all better ought to!

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 23 November 2003 at 01:33 PM.]

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 23 Nov 2003 6:58 pm

Herb,
Your description of a Fessenden is perfect. I feel that I now own a great sounding, very special custom guitar, made just for me. It is a really gorgeous instrument all the way around.The best way I can describe the finish is sort of a hot charcoal bursting into black shading with abalone inlay.Anyhoo, I really like the guitar.
TW.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 23 Nov 2003 7:07 pm

Another Fessy owner here. Mine is just a plain Blue mica D-10, 8x8. I just finished putting two old Danny Shields pickups in it today, and WOW does it ever sound good. I thought it sounded great before, but it sounds even better now. Great guitar.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 23 Nov 2003 8:44 pm

Congrats to both Jerry and Tommy on the Fessy deal.Sounds like a win win situation.

Now would someone be kind enough to post a link to the Opry archives Tommy mentioned? Thanks ..........bb

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 23 Nov 2003 8:57 pm

http://66.250.84.150/archive.asp?SHOW=goo
Bobby, I think this is it.
Jerry

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 23 Nov 2003 9:45 pm

Herb is so right about Mark Giles. One of my Fessys is a blue Giles lacquer guitar--absolutely gorgeous. Mark makes you proud to be a Texan, and is one of the finest people I know in the steel community. The work he does for Carter, JHC and Jerry, among others, sometimes goes without a lot of credit for him.

I'm with Herb on the soulfulness of the guitar. I played PP Emmons for 25 years before getting my first Fessenden (which Herb's recomendation was the final selling point for me), and have not touched them since. The Fessy had the sound I had always had in my head, but never found. Not to mention every engineer, producer and live sound guy that heard that first guitar all made a point of telling me I had never sounded better.

Lest I ramble, damn these are fine guitars!

Tore Blestrud · Post by **Tore Blestrud** » 25 Nov 2003 9:21 am

I bought the sunburst Fessy that Allsteelguitar had a month ago. What a guitar, sounds great and looks fantastic. Only tried it in the studio, super-clean sound. Thank's Jerry!!pic [This message was edited by Tore Blestrud on 25 November 2003 at 09:23 AM.]

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 25 Nov 2003 1:45 pm

is the tone on the Fessy more ShoBud or more Emmons? It seems that most folks these days are trying to compare/ get the old push pull tone, but ya never hear of anyone trying to get closer to the shobud tone.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 25 Nov 2003 2:05 pm

Gino
I wanted the Sho-Bud tone with my newest Fessy, since I have lots of Emmons-tone guitars, including another Fessy. So I went with the True Tone single coil pickups by Jerry Wallace and wood neck inserts. Photos are here.

Of course, photos don't give you a tonal picture, this even I understand.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 25 Nov 2003 9:47 pm

I noticed Tommy's new Fessenden on the Opry Saturday night. I wondered whose guitar it was at first because I thought it had belonged to an artist's steel player. That Fessenden Tommy plays is an awesome guitar! Brett Day, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel

Tore Blestrud · Post by **Tore Blestrud** » 26 Nov 2003 2:46 am

Gino: sounds more like a ShoBud to me, I have a SuperPro, and it sounds somewhat like that, only better... I have BL710 on the Fessy, and have tried both BL710 and TT-10 on the Bud.

Jerry Brightman · Post by **Jerry Brightman** » 26 Nov 2003 6:24 am

Tore,

Were glad your enjoying your new guitar purchased from us at All Steel Guitar.com.

Tommy, I'm sure you'll make that guitar sing on the Opry and other playing events you participate in...Congradulations!

As I meantioned in another thread, we have one D10, eight and five, blue lacquer in stock, and ready to ship and at a great price too...

Jerry

All Steel Guitar.com