My Clark Custom D10.... Got Tone?

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 8 Mar 2006 9:23 pm

Got Tone??? I do!!!

My Clark Custom D10 arrived this passed Monday. And what a beautiful pedal steel guitar. Born June 10th 1972, it features wood necks, hand wound triple coil pickups, balanced all pull changers, Grover tuning keys, Tone to the Bone and Sustain for days. Very similar to a ZB, this is one of the prettiest PSGs I've ever owned. It has its share of scratches on the metal and some bar dings between the necks but IMO that just adds character. A small crack on the cab between the C6th changer and the end plate developed during shipping and I'm not to happy about that but it in no way does is effect the tone or playability of this fine axe. I am currently seeking some comp from UPS on the crack but long ago my Daddy told me, “The only thing you can really count on, is your fingers”. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Through forum searches I was able to obtain some great information on these rare steels and through the help of another great forumite I have been in contact with the builder, Jim Clark. He gave me some history on his steels and particularly mine. My Clark Custom is serial #141. The 41st out of approximately 85 lacquer D10s that were ever built. This guitar was shipped to Sonny Curtis’s music store in Columbus, Ohio a few days after is was completed. These models sold for around $1200 brand new in 1972. Jim built all his steels by hand and assembly on a D10 took about 5 weeks. As you can see in the picture, this Clark has stood the test of time and continues to stand proud.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Roger Mullennex for telling me about this guitar and hooking me up with Rick Troyer at Hummingbird Music Studios in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

If anyone out there still owns and plays a Clark PSG I’d really like to hear from you. email me anytime at jim@jimwalkeronline.com

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Clark D10 8&6
B-bender Telecaster
www.jimwalkeronline.com

Mark Fasbender · Post by **Mark Fasbender** » 9 Mar 2006 2:57 am

Jim............ What a beauty. Does it sound like a ZB?

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Got Twang ?

Mark

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 9 Mar 2006 5:28 am

Jum
Now thats a sharp guitar buddy!
my very first guitar was Clark S-10 3& 2
I wish i still had it...
Good luck with the guitar jim, i know you will love it!

Mike Sigler

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 9 Mar 2006 5:42 am

Mark, I was told by Rick Troyer of Hummingbird Music Studios that this steel sounds like a cross between a ZB and a Sho~Bud from that era and I would totaly agree.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 9 Mar 2006 6:21 am

I was raised near Tulsa, Ok. and my first pedal steel was a Fender 400 that I bought from Jim Clark. That only whetted my appetite for steel and I only played it a couple of months. My second steel was a Clark D-10, pull/release style, that had a beautiful transparent red lacquer cabinet. I think I actually bought this guitar from forumite Larry Schaeffer, but the memory is a little dim that far back.

After about 6 months of playing this one, I decided it was too limited on changes, so I bought a slightly used D-10, all pull, from Jim. This must have been about 1972, and I remember paying $400 for it and I had to borrow the money from the bank. Boy those were hard times, but I really didn't know it. I never had any idea I would one day own a collection of 8 pedal steels, and 76 guitars and basses.

I played that guitar for about 18 years. It was really hard to change setups, and was really heavy (but it didn't make much difference to a young, strong feller), but it had a great sound and played really easy. I sold that guitar around 1992 when I bought my first Williams. The Willy was a D-10 keyless and weighed about half of what the Clark weighed.

I believe Leonard Klontz, former Brooks & Dunn steel player Troy Klontz' dad, made most of the cabinets for the later models. He did some beautiful woodwork.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Mark Edwards · Post by **Mark Edwards** » 9 Mar 2006 8:57 am

Guys and Gals, I can attest to the tone this guitar has, I've heard it, and Jimbo is doing a fine job of making that beautiful Clark sing. Great looking steel, glad you finally got buddy. Keep on playing.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 9 Mar 2006 9:19 am

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 10 Mar 2006 6:36 pm

Hey Jim. I looked long and hard at that Clark up at Hummingbird Music. The folks there appear to have some great steels and appear to price them very well. It looks fantastic. They tried to send me a bunch of pictures of it but my various anti-spam, anti-virus, or some other auntie program that thought I shouldn't look at it refused to open it. I was wondering if you might be able to send a picture of the underside. I'm just curious as to what it looks like.
Thanks, Duncan