Ever make a wood body for a pedal steel ?

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 17 Feb 2004 7:03 pm

I need some info on this. My plan is to dis assemble my old MSA and have a local cabinet/instrument maker duplicate the entire body and neck with the lightest ash available.All the edges will be more rounded than Mica guitars except where they meet the end plates,they will be made to meet flush at the plates and tapered to a rounded profile towards the midpoint of the guitar. I plan to have Jerry Wallace make a coil tap pickup for it,, and I may even use two pickups. as I have now... not sure... anyway, I am trying to get a more Fender/ ZB sound and I know it can be done easily with the right electronics,but I feel the all wood body and neck will give a little better "ring" and sustain that the Mica/plywood body it now has[I THINK its plywood .. not real sure.. Maurice would know].. Anyone ever done this before? I would have the body spray laquered I think.. ANY helpful ides from my friends here would be welcomed.... bob<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 18 February 2004 at 03:37 AM.]</p></FONT>

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 17 Feb 2004 8:24 pm

Why don't you just buy a Fender or a ZB?

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 18 Feb 2004 3:51 am

Howard.. fair question... first off,I really don't need a Fender or ZB.. My new Carter and the special pickup I had Jerry Wallace make for me will get me into the "tone zone' I'm looking to get into. Second is money.. I have a LOT [to me] in that Carter. I'm a struggling working stiff with a REAL bad job and a family to support,so I really can't buy guitars on a whim just to get a certain sound. Third and most important, I really like that old MSA. She still plays great and I can't sell it.That old girl helped me raise my kids with about 25 years or more of loyal service and she's still around. Her body is beat,the legs are devoid of chrome ,the end plates have HUGE digs in them etc.. I would love to get a really superior ALL WOOD body on her and then have a special pickup made... Maybe I'm wrong,but I still feel I can bring her back to life and enjoy playing her the way I have since I was a kid in my 20's..I just think it would be a fun project,you know... give me something to do... keep me off the streets etc....... bob

Palmer · Post by **Palmer** » 18 Feb 2004 6:04 am

Bob, contact Ray Walker. He built a great body for me. Jack.

Bill Stafford · Post by **Bill Stafford** » 18 Feb 2004 8:02 am

Wood works! I have a very old beautiful birds eye maple D-10 pedal steel made by a dear friend--A.J. Smith. This guitar has no metal end plates and the corners are rounded gracefully with two rows of gorgeous inlay, top and bottom all around the guitar. Frets are made of rosewood. Fret board is a clear hard glass type material with the fret markins etched on the bottom of the glass. Really a work of art. This guitar was made before "cabinet drop" was "invented" so it does not have this disease. It has nine pedals and only one knee lever that raised the E string to F#. (Before the C pedal came into existence). The A & B pedals raised the Bs to C# and G#s to A respectively. Holding these two pedals down and engaging the lever would give me the B/C changes used today and it allowed me to not loose the sixth chord with the A & B depressed. (At the time this guitar was made, lowering the E string had not yet come into existence). It was easier to raise a string than to lower in that decade. lol..Things have really changed now and all for the better, but there is not a guitar made by anyone that is more attractive than this steel. The wood work in this instrument is very artistic and beautiful to behold. Neat guitar, and I am proud to have it to this day..

Bill Stafford

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 18 Feb 2004 8:08 am

Well come on Bill, let's see a picture or two!
You just can't put the carrot out there.....

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 18 Feb 2004 2:47 pm

There is a cabinet maker in Texas named Mark Giles. He makes guitar bodies for Jerry Fessenden. Herb Steiner has a guitar or two with bodies made by Mark Giles. Herb, old pal, old buddy, maybe you could help out here.

Erv

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 18 Feb 2004 6:31 pm

Birdseye maple,can't be beat for looks.I don't know if ash will be any lighter,or less expensive.Mine has 3/4" birdseye front and back aprons,5/4" plain maple top,3/4" mahogany neck. Very little cabnet drop.The choice of wood is not where the biggest expence is,it's the assembly and finish.

If you promise not to laugh,I'll tell how I got the color that bright...

http://www.msnusers.com/WilliamsHandywork/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=26

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Bill Ford

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 18 Feb 2004 7:20 pm

Here's the guitar that Jack Palmer and Ray Walker built... Ray did the body. WOW!
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/006923.html

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 18 Feb 2004 9:33 pm

Hi Bob. Roy Thomas builds some great wooden Pedalmaster steels. My first one was pecan wood. Great tone. The one I have now is African blood wood. Also sounds great. Good luck on your venture. Jody.