| Author |
Topic: Evolution of the Stage One |
Doug Earnest
From:
Branson, MO USA
|
Posted 11 Sep 2020 9:13 am |
|
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=361747
In the link above Alan Rudd has a post to sell an early ZumSteel economy model, and Albert Svenddal has a picture of an early Stage One.
Just for the sake of clarity of history, the guitar Alan has for sale is not a Stage One.
It has different endplates and keyheads than the first Stage Ones like Albert has pictured. We don't someone to be looking at this thread in forty years and be confused!
Alan's guitar is a one of a kind. The cast endplates are the ones used on single width body 10 string guitars and as can be seen they have a fair amount of pits so they would not have been suitable to polish and use on the professional ZumSteel guitar. Rather than let them go to waste Bruce likely made up this economy model, as it does use a regular Stage One pull release changer. Just a theory. EDIT 9-13-2020 -confirmed by Bruce Z this is a one of a kind guitar made from this and that parts.
Bruce made a few different economy models before he decided that the Stage One configuration like Albert has pictured was the way to go. This was the first model actually named Stage One, but there were never any Stage One decals on the models that came from the ZumSteel shop in Raytown, MO, and Harrisonville MO.
That same configuration with different keyheads, pedal rack, pedals, cross shaft brackets and pickup is the basic recipe for the current Stage One guitars.
Anything Bruce has ever made is a good gig worthy guitar or it would not have gone out the door. You can read about it all in Bruce Zumsteg's book, he probably still has some for sale.
Last edited by Doug Earnest on 13 Sep 2020 10:00 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
|
|
Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
|
Posted 11 Sep 2020 9:57 am
|
|
Great!
The day comes, with all steels, when people start asking about "when did they start with...." and "mine has xxxx -- what year would that make it?"
This post will be a bookmarked keeper if, when you get the chance, you fill in any and all details about the history and evolution of your guitars.
I wish we had solid and authoritative histories of all steels. Fights about 'facts' are annoying.
These facts, in your words, your post, will keep things accurate and honest. |
|
|
|
Andrew Frost
From:
Toronto, Ontario
|
Posted 11 Sep 2020 5:45 pm
|
|
| This is great. I've been wondering about the earlier stage one Zumsteels and how they differ from the current models, which are fine instruments. Thanks for posting this Doug. |
|
|
|
Alex Stewart
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 11 Sep 2020 7:40 pm
|
|
Doug,
I have been real happy with the Stage One that I bought from you a year and a half ago. That is how long I have been playing, so I am almost up to 'bad'...lol.
In the evolution of your builds, you were just starting to offer the black textured metal body around then, I believe, and that is what I have. I waxed it up like you suggested and play it most every day and haven't seen any wear on it. I think the metal looks great and was curious if most of your builds these days are laminate or metal? Have you come to any other conclusions about the metal now that you have been doing them for a while?
(fwiw, I have a 1" lift kit I bought from Doug installed if the legs/rods look longer to anyone)
Thanks-Alex
 |
|
|
|
Doug Earnest
From:
Branson, MO USA
|
Posted 12 Sep 2020 8:48 am
|
|
Alex, thank you for posting that picture of the current standard Stage One configuration. Three pedals, four knees, humbucking pickup, Grover keys, nice E9 setup.
The metal body covering was my answer to saving time as demand for guitars is too great and I am only one man. Hiring help is not a workable option, though I do have some occasional part time help for which I am very thankful. I studied how earlier makers of economy guitars had handled body coverings and didn't like any of their solutions. This seems to be working well. The great Johnny Cox played the prototype one whole summer in Branson on a Conway Twitty tribute show. He sounded great and liked it, I figure if it's good enough for Johnny it should be fine for the rest of us.
The very first guitars were covered with what Bruce Zumsteg describes as "an ugly vinyl wrap". I have seen some, and he is correct, it was ugly. Next came formica type laminate coverings in a variety of colors.
Production of Stage Ones started in 1985 in Raytown, MO. Bruce recalls a selling price of $399.
The rest of the differences between the early guitars made in Bruces shop and the current models produced in Branson, MO-
Pedal rod connectors - the first 250 Stage Ones used a shop made nylon pedal connector. Making these parts was one of the first tasks Bruce put me on in his shop. I told him he would go broke paying me to make parts like this when you could buy the industry standard ball and socket connector for two dollars. We had a beer, the ball and socket connector was adopted and a great friendship and business relationship was started.
Brackets - the picture of the red guitar in the other post shows the wooden brackets for the cross shafts in the undercarriage that Bruce used for some time. When developing the Stage One he had no metal brackets in use that were suitable, so having plenty of maple scrap he made a large lot of wooden brackets that carry a nylon bushing. They worked great and have stood the test of time. After the model was a proven success he ordered up some factory made metal brackets that still used the same nylon bushing.
Four knee levers - three were standard on the early Stage Ones, with the bodies being drilled to accept the fourth so as to be easily added at a later time. Guitars I have made have all been equipped with four levers. Times and teaching materials had changed by the time I took over so I just made it standard. We never charged much for the extra lever anyway.
Pedal rack and pedals - I continued the use of the laminate covered maple pedal rack for a very few guitars. It was sturdy and looked nice but was inefficient to produce. I switched to an aluminum channel rack with a brushed finish and stayed with the same straight aluminum channel shop made pedals for about four hundred guitars. Next was a factory made formed aluminum pedal rack that already had all the holes, notches and brushed finish. At this time the switch was also made to the floor pedals from the "pro model" ZumSteel guitar. This has been a nice improvement in a number of ways.
Pickup - early guitars had the shop made single coil bar type magnet pickup. They sounded wonderful! Unfortunately they usually had a lot of hum, so when I started making the guitars I had a custom made humbucking pickup designed and manufactured. All other steel pickups available at the time were too tall too fit in this application. I did not want make pickups anyway.
Neck - I added a neck to the Stage One. There were a very few black painted wooden necks, next was a solid aluminum neck, finally the current formed sheet aluminum neck. All they do is hold the fret marker and make for a little nicer appearance. I have always used the colored fret markers where most of the early guitars had plain silver fret markers.
Keyhead and tuners - Early guitars had a straight keyhead and economy tuners. I continued with those keyheads but have always used the Grover tuners. The economy tuners were very good ones and worked nicely, but manufacturing the keyheads, which was done in house, required a few more steps than was required if using the Grovers. When the Encore model guitar was developed a stairstep design factory made keyhead was used and that model is now also used on the Stage One. The two are not interchangeable.
Legs - I have used both non adjustable and adjustable legs, but mostly the adjustable type. Adjustable legs were an option on early Stage Ones. The very first guitars used tubing for legs, no threaded plug. They slid in to a hole in the endplate and were secured by means of a thumbscrew. Next came plated legs with the common threaded plug which screws in to the endplate.
Changer - the simple and reliable pull release changer is unchanged. It works great for the E9 setup used on these guitars.
Undercarriage - permanently welded bellcranks on round steel shafts is unchanged. Nearly all have been plated although some Arkansas Chrome (silver spray paint....no offense to my good neighbors in Arkansas!) assemblies have been used when necessary.
Wound sixth string - The guitars I have made have all been set for use of a .022 wound sixth string. GHS Stainless have been used as standard equipment. You can buy the exact replacement sets from the Steel Guitar Forum Store.
Case - As far as I know a good case has always been included in the purchase price. The one compartment design has always been used where the guitar body goes upside down in the case and then a sheet of hard material, usually bare plywood, is inserted and then the leg bag and pedal rack stows on top of that. Simple and effective. I think Bruce may have made a few early cases but not many. Dorene Zumsteg made the leg pouches for Bruce. She is quite the talented seamstress and a lovely person.
Endplates - have always been cast aluminum with a baked on textured black finish. It has proven to be quite durable.
Serial numbers - I started with serial number 400, taking over the sequential numbering system Bruce used. The Stage One number system does not coincide with the standard ZumSteel numbering system!! I started in Branson in December of 2006. Current serial number as of this writing is about 1280. Serial numbers are stamped in the aluminum plate on the inside of the front apron. The number was preceded by the letter E (for economy) until the last year or so. I used a backwards number 3 for the E because I am too cheap to buy a letter stamp set. Last year I just dropped the E so now we only have the stamped number.
That should pretty well cover all of the Stage One story until now. Thanks to all!
Last edited by Doug Earnest on 13 Sep 2020 10:16 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
|
|
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
|
Posted 12 Sep 2020 11:53 am
|
|
Just a comment on cases. I was building a new case for my D-10 PP Emmons and needed some hardware. That was when Bruce lived in Raytown and I called him about the hardware I needed for the case. He said he had some so I went (from KC north where I lived) to Raytown to get it. I showed Bruce the case I was building and he asked me if I wanted to build cases for him as he didn't want to devote the time to building them. I wasn't set up to do that so I declined.
_________________
GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit (for sale) |
|
|
|
Aaron Johnson
From:
Lemoore, CA
|
Posted 12 Sep 2020 3:50 pm
|
|
| Doug, thank you for the detailed history. You’ve done an amazing job with these guitars. I’ve got #511 and it sounds fantastic and plays well. |
|
|
|
Jim Fogarty
From:
Phila, Pa, USA
|
Posted 12 Sep 2020 7:19 pm
|
|
| Great info.....thanks, Doug. Very happy with red #1185! |
|
|
|
Greg Forsyth
From:
Colorado, USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2020 5:45 pm
|
|
Doug,
Thanks for going thru your build processes with us. I'm curious about the metal body covering that you refer to. Please describe the process that you use to build this part of the Stage One. |
|
|
|
Doug Earnest
From:
Branson, MO USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2020 6:33 pm
|
|
| Greg, it takes three pieces of laminate to cover a simple wood single body. I use one piece of aluminum to cover it. That is about as detailed as I will go. |
|
|
|
Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
|
|
|
|
