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Topic: Ordered a new Sierra today |
Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 21 Aug 2017 8:16 pm |
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This is unlike me, being a vintage guy and chasing vintage tone and all.
I've known Ross for a while, before he started building pedal steels. At first I wasn't impressed, I'm not the type of person that needs the newest, or "latest and greatest" of anything. Stubborn to change as well! Having the luxury of living a few miles up the road from the factory allowed me to live with a prototype for a bit and use it on some gigs and sessions. The guitar really grew on me and I actually wanted to practice, which hasn't happened for a while. The sound man from one of my bands really noticed a sonic difference and preferred the Sierra over my beloved ZB which he has heard many times. And he, being a steel guitar student thought that the Sierra sounded more like what he thought a pedal steel should sound like, which is crazy because the "spruce" prototype I'm using didn't sound as good as the maple ones to my ears....but what do I know. Another musician friend that has heard me several times also commented favorably about the Sierra and noticed immediately. Took it to a session last weekend, got a thumbs up from the engineer and other player...At the end of the day it sounds like a pedal steel....and I still sound like me...but more in tune!  The guitar is very stable and holds tune, pedal and knee lever feel/stops are all very precise, 38 pounds +- in the case! The wife says we need the write off!  What do I have to loose, right?
I'm very excited about these guitars. Here's a little video I made with my iPad, nothing too fancy. The amp is a Quilter Mach II with a single 8" speaker. Please excuse my unfocused hippie noodling....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7zVxa1NthQ
http://sierrasteels.com
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 21 Aug 2017 9:56 pm
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Dave,Good luck ,I met Ross at the SWSGA show in Phoenix a few years ago and he is an awesome guy ,in fact he welded my broken Blanton keyhead back into playing condition,Couldn't even tell where it was broken..Ross is so knowledgeable You should be in for a treat.Can't wait o see it.
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 21 Aug 2017 11:08 pm
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Is the price really $10K for a single 10? Did I read that wrong on the website?
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 22 Aug 2017 5:41 am
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| Quote: |
| Is the price really $10K for a single 10? Did I read that wrong on the website? |
$10k is Correct. I drive a Toyota truck....I will never own a Rolls Royce, or even a BMW, but I can justify a nice instrument that inspires me. 
| Quote: |
| Dave,Good luck ,I met Ross at the SWSGA show in Phoenix a few years ago and he is an awesome guy ,in fact he welded my broken Blanton keyhead back into playing condition,Couldn't even tell where it was broken..Ross is so knowledgeable You should be in for a treat |
I watched Ross do a few years of R & D on the new Sierra's, testing almost every brand of psg made, etc, I know exactly what I'm in for. No short cuts have been taken! He's helped me with several steel guitar issues as well.
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Ross Shafer
From:
Petaluma, California
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Posted 22 Aug 2017 5:55 am
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"...a nice instrument that inspires me" That just made my day and it hasn't hardly started yet.
Thanks much for the for compliments Stu and Dave!!
Dave's been a great resource in my mission to build the best Sierra ever. Thanks for your order Dave.
Paul: oddly enough, I was just checking out a couple of your videos last night, great job! Stop by if you're ever out Sonoma County way. |
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 24 Aug 2017 2:53 pm
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I only wish the the guitar reflected Mr. Shafer's name in some way.
Shafierra or Rossierra perhaps. Stevet |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 24 Aug 2017 3:17 pm
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| Good to see Sierra back in business and making steel guitars. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2017 6:01 pm
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You had me at "38 pounds." It sounds good, and innovation in the design of pedal steel guitars is inspiration in itself.
Hmmm, Quilter with 8" speaker in one hand, steel in the other, one more trip for the seat, very appealing. |
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Ross Shafer
From:
Petaluma, California
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Posted 25 Aug 2017 5:47 am
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| steve takacs wrote: |
I only wish the the guitar reflected Mr. Shafer's name in some way.
Shafierra or Rossierra perhaps. Stevet |
The new Sierra's will all get my signature underneath.
If I weren't contracted to make these for Sierra they'd have this label: of course Gretsch would probably send me a cease and desist.
Ross>Rosco>Sco....get it?
The guitar in the pic is the first new Sierra prototype in disguise. |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 25 Aug 2017 7:38 am
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| Hey, what was that little banjo roll thing you did at about 54-56 seconds??? |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 25 Aug 2017 9:26 am
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| Quote: |
| Hey, what was that little banjo roll thing you did at about 54-56 seconds??? |
A and B pedals down strings 2-4-3-2-4-3-2-4-3
Learnt that from Bruce Leighton, who claims Buddy Emmons stole from him!
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 25 Aug 2017 10:23 am
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| Thanks my friend,,,a very effective little ditty!!! |
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Larry Weaver
From:
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2017 5:05 am
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| Congraats on the Sierra Dave! We'll be looking forward to hearing more about it. I think it's incredibly exciting to have someone like Ross building a steel that takes us to the next level and into the future with the instrument. Exciting times! |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2017 7:09 am
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| Nice to have the classic wood cabinet but in a more modern compact design with advanced mechanics. Thanks for posting and the web site looks great. |
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Ross Shafer
From:
Petaluma, California
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Posted 30 Aug 2017 9:44 am
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| Greg Cutshaw wrote: |
| Nice to have the classic wood cabinet but in a more modern compact design with advanced mechanics. Thanks for posting and the web site looks great. |
Thanks for the positive comments on these new Sierras and the website updates Greg. I've enjoyed reading your reviews of various steels and hope you get to check one of these new rigs out sometime. |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2017 2:55 pm
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How great to see another pedal steel company building.
The guitars look beautiful and sound excellent in the video.
I'd like to have one. At $10k and up, it puts the instruments out of reach of most working players. That's a shame.
J |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 30 Aug 2017 3:36 pm
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| John Goux wrote: |
How great to see another pedal steel company building.
The guitars look beautiful and sound excellent in the video.
I'd like to have one. At $10k and up, it puts the instruments out of reach of most working players. That's a shame.
J |
Yes and no. There are plenty of Hyundai, Ford, Honda and Chevy steels currently on the market.
Kudos to Ross for making the Beemer.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2017 4:59 pm
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Lane, more like a Tesla.
35% more than the Maestro, Frank Carter's Infinity?
100% more than a Mullen or Zum?
I'm excited to have Sierra back in biz. But these are rarefied heights.
Congrats on a fine guitar, Dave. You play it very well.
John |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 2 Sep 2017 1:39 am
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I like the way you think, Dave.
I drive a ten year old Corolla and play an Infinity and an MSA Legend.
I have a sticker on my steel case that says "my other car is a steel guitar".
I think I`ll drive the Toyota a few years more......
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2017 2:10 pm
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Congratulations  |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2017 6:28 pm
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| Yeah, more like a Tesla. I know because I got the same feeling looking at this guitar as I did when I checked out the Tesla today that silently whirred past me with it's 24" control monitor in the center panel. |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 2 Sep 2017 6:57 pm
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nothing to do with a guitars, but I believe that Nikola Tesla (who was born in Croatia) who spent his whole life trying to better people's life's with affordable or free energy, would find insulting that such a overpriced pile of metal is named after him, that stupidiously expensive car represents everything Tesla was against ... sad
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 3 Sep 2017 4:58 am
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Big Tesla fan here! Read a few of his biographies cover to cover. Also studied Maxwell's equations extensively and their application to Tesla's work in AC power generation, transmission, conversion and use in 3 phase motors. Tesla is also credited with the practical use of the tuned circuit which took us from spark gap transmitters to the modern radios we use today. We owe him a lot and most of this was first conceived in Tesla's head where he applied the complex mathematical theory to 3 phase power then made it practical enough to move us beyond Edison's DC power. Most of the power we generate and use today is identical to Tesla's inventions.
The owner of Tesla automobiles quick to grab government and private money and sink it into non-profitable products. The Tesla car is expensive and not too reliable but I stand by my original statement that the car is uber impressive in person and a marvel watch in action.
The new Sierra is also a marvel and not at all expensive if you consider a machinists wages at $62 per hour with overhead not to mention product development and the cost of premium materials. In fact it's pretty cheap compared to a vintage Fender tele which is basically a shaped block of wood with strings!
I welcome the innovation that companies like Sierra and MSA are introducing into the market. I work with a team of tool makers, engineers and machinists every day. I realize the hours it takes just to build the first guitar and the overhead of running even a small shop with overhead like machines, maintenance, insurance, labor, product development and programming, procurement, etc. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 3 Sep 2017 3:06 pm
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Back to Sierra steels, I still have the prototype and like it more and more each time I play it out. Drove to Livermore CA and unloaded it in 103 degree weather into an air-condition wine barrel warehouse and didn't even have to retune it. Plugged into my Quilter Mach II 8" combo. The guitarist from the other band who is a tube amp snob said it sounded amazing......I didn't even ask him about my tone.
When I play now I sound in tune almost all the time instead of half the time
...and 38 pounds in the case.
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 3 Sep 2017 3:12 pm
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Congrats Dave. I'm envious. It's great to see this new and innovative steel guitar in the mix.
Cost is irrelevant. I'll bet Ross will have a tough time keeping up with demand as is. Wishing all the best for the company, it's new model and it's customers. |
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