Advice about choosing a 'forever' guitar

[Allan Haley]

Hi fellow steelers,
I've been playing for 10 years. Love it despite my limited time and ability.
I started on a Carter Starter, then an MSA Classic. Sold them both and got Fred Justice to build me an S-10 Pro. I've been playing that since 2016. Great guitar, but I would prefer an SD size.

If I sell some stuff, I can just about afford a Mullen G2. Also thinking about a Justice "The Judge".
Any advice on what would be a good choice for a 'forever' guitar?
I'm not pro, but I do gig twice a month locally.
Thanks,
Allan

[Fred Treece]

You never know until you play it.

I bought a brand new Williams SD-12 three years ago with the intention of it being my bff, and got lucky. I think as long as you play to the instrument’s strengths, plug it in to a good amp and dial in your tone, you have a shot. No matter whose name is on the label, because every builder is pretty good. The main thing you have to decide is cost of course, then design. There is a lot of innovation going on now, and the decision to lean more classic (Emmons, Mullen) or more modern (Sierra, Excel) is a big one.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Forever is a long time. Not too many of us keep the same guitar forever but:

I can't give you advice only my opinion. Having played well over a dozen guitars in over 40 years of playing, I have found Mullen and Zum guitars to be superior in many ways.

My favorite is Mullen because they are so easy to work on, they feel and play so nice and have a wonderful sound. The design and build is such that if maintained properly it will last you a lifetime or forever.

I like the ZumSteel too, but they are no longer being built so for a new guitar, my choice is Mullen.

[Ross Shafer]

Shameless Sierra promotion here....ask owners of a new Sierra. I've been told "this is my forever guitar" by more than a few of our customers. Yes they are expensive!

[Dan Kelly]

Yep! I am one of those guys who said that to Ross. I picked mine up from Ross in March of 2018. Please PM me or e-mail me with any questions. My experience with Ross' "New Era Sierra" has been beyond top shelf.

[J. S. Smith]

Allan, I have a G2 and a Judge, 4x5 SD10s. The G2 plays effortlessly, so easy to work on, and the 17.5ohm True Tone has incredible clarity. The Judge has a stock 705. The Judge has a growl to it that I absolutely love.
EITHER guitar can give sonic chills. If I HAD to sell one... I'd have to flip a coin.

[Brett Day]

I've played an Emmons GS-10, a GFI Ultra D-10, and now play a Jackson Blackjack Custom SD-10 with a pad with three pedals and four knees, and out of the three guitars, my Jackson Blackjack Custom is my forever steel. I bought it in 2010 after becoming really interested in the Jackson steel in '09 after trying out a Jackson Madison '63 at a steel show in Atlanta, where I first met Harry and David Jackson. In March of 2010, a call was made to David Jackson to discuss plans for my steel, so in April of 2010, David and Harry went to work building my steel(I'd thought about a standard Blackjack, but found out the Custom would be built for me), so on April 24th, 2010, I went to Lebanon, Tennessee to the Jackson Steel Guitar Company, which is in Harry's garage, and several steels were set up, and the first steel I tried out was the Custom, then the standard Blackjack, and David asked me which one I liked best, and I told him I liked the Custom the best, and he smiled and said, "The Custom is the one we built for you", so it's my forever steel, now and always!

[Ken Pippus]

Email sent

[Dave Grafe]

Forever guitar? I have a couple of keepers but the forever one rarely leaves the house. As for a forever working axe I currently have three in rotation and another on the way. In fifty years there have been some superb ShoBud, Emmons, and Zumsteel guitars, plus a sweet Fessenden D10 and our late brother Stu's Desert Rose S10. I have played but not owned Sierra, Excel, Emmons all-pull, Williams, and Mullen guitars, all of which were tight and smooth and sounded very fine, capable of being someone's lifetime instrument. I have become particular to Bruce Zumsteg's work and just bought another Zum here on the forum. It is perhaps the most promising yet, but if I ever find a fully-loaded lacquer Zum I would likely stop looking. Hint hint.

[Susan Alcorn (deceased)]

I agree with Fred Treece. Even though most pedal steels are sold online, I think it's important to have an opportunity to play the guitar first unless there's a nice return policy - especially for a "forever guitar". I think you'd want an instrument that wants to be played (by you) instead of one that you have to struggle with to get your tone or to play it. From personal experience, looking for a forever guitar without playing the guitar, even if it comes brand new from a reputable manufacturer, can be problematic.

[James Holland]

Get a Justice SD. Its your least risk way to meet your expectations.

[Andy Henriksen]

I've only been playing for a few years and I've gone from a Stage One to a Fessenden SD10, to a Mullen SD10 G2, and while all great guitars in their own right, I can't imagine ever wanting anything different or better than the Mullen. The Fessy is a nice guitar (that I still have), but the Mullen sounds better and plays so much smoother.

I can't speak to any other brands, but I am quite certain you will be 100% happy with a G2.

[Allan Haley]

Thanks for your responses. I appreciate the wisdom of trying out a bunch of guitars before making a purchase. The challenge is up here in BC, there are not a lot of PSGs around to try. A few local players have generously offered their guitar or guitars for me to try out. I am looking in the directions of a Mullen G2 or a Williams.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

I hate the idea of "are you sure? Is this your final answer? You better choose wisely because this is IT!"

Doing your due diligence, it is still possible that your quest will not be ended. The worst thing you can do is be paralyzed by the need that your choice is absolutely positively the right one. Your research will help you to have confidence that you will have a good guitar. But nothing but playing it for a while will answer the question of whether it is the right guitar.
I have several forever guitars. Because questing is part of life. (My next one, under construction, may well be "THE ONE"....I couldn't be more excited in anticipation....but still, I don't know that I believe that there is such thing as "the one")

[Steve Lipsey]

One of the main advantages of the forum is that it doesn't matter where you are, mostly, you'll never be able to try out lots of steels for long enough, in the right environment, for you to really know if they are right for you.
And actually, all your current steel will teach you is what kind you want next...the beauty of the forum is that, for the price of shipping, you can buy and sell used steels forever (and we mostly all do)...

[Susan Alcorn (deceased)]

We each have our own outlooks on this, and there is truth in all of them. But if buying an expensive guitar when your at a place in your life where you're not going to be able to afford another one, or selling one to buy another when sometimes you end up losing money on the deal, it's important to choose very wisely what works for you. I'm at a similar stage in life. In the future I'll have less money to make such a purchase.

Best of luck Allan with your search.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If you are buying a guitar to play into your "Golden Years".
Be sure to check the weight of guitar, And total weight in case.

[Roger Rettig]

I've had my current Emmons LeGrande 111 from new. That was twenty-three years ago. I had been thinking over the last two or three years that, just maybe, it was time for a new guitar; I yearned for something with a light yet positive pedal/KL action.

I'd begun to zero in on a Mullen; they have that reputation.

Then, Junior Mercer did an overhaul on my beloved Emmons. The Counterforce is gone (it's just as in-tune as it ever was!), the underside looks like new, my RKR (five pulls!) is as light as I could want and the whole guitar is functioning perfectly.

I'm 80 now so I actually think I have my 'forever guitar'. It's a lesson: the grass isn't always greener elsewhere. I'm reminded of Judy Garland's last line in 'The Wizard of Oz'.

PS: Thanks to Jim Aycoth (in memoriam)for such a fine instrument.

[Roger Crawford]

Like many players here, I’ve played most of the big name guitars over the years. At one time, I had three of the top brands in my music room. When the time came to thin the herd, they were all set up for comparison. Two were sold, and the Mullen G2 was kept. Not that the others were lacking, but the Mullen had the tone, playability and ease of making changes that I wanted. It just fit me better, if you know what I mean.

[Steve Leal]

I wound choose Mullen G2. I am a lefty, and have been limited to playing / owning these brands: Sho Bud, Pedalmaster, BMI, GFI, Williams, Jackson, ZB Custom, Mullen.

My Mullen G2 SD10 aluminum neck steel has been consistently good to me. Plays like a dream, built like a tank, has amazing tone, stays in tune very well, great hardware, easy to change copedents, looks amazing, and the Mullen team is top notch to work with and supports us for the long run. I know I am keeping mine forever, and will likely order another wood neck version down the road.

You will not regret it!
Stephen

[Larry Jamieson]

My forever guitar is a Zum that I bought new. A few years ago I talked with a well known player at a steel show. He had played a Zum for several years and then switched to a Mullen G2. I asked him if he liked the Mullen better and he said yes...

[Justin Shaw]

Having owned dozens of instruments over the years, one thing I've learned is that a guitar having a list of features you think you want doesn't automatically make the guitar perfect for you. On the other hand sometimes everything just comes together on an instrument to make it great, or at least great for you. My number 1 six string is a $300 Ibanez that I just can't put down for some reason. Twenty years ago I would have laughed at the idea of even owning an Ibanez. My advice is to just try as many guitars as possible and see what inspires you the most. Hopefully it's not the most expensive thing you've ever played haha.

[Roger Rettig]

Good point, Justin.

I stated earlier that my recently-overhauled 8+9 LeGrande 111 is my 'forever guitar' and that's still true.

I would add, however, that it's as much the realization that the guitar that's going to make me a better player hasn't yet been built.

The Emmons has tone to die for, is loaded with as much as anyone could ever need, and is in sound mechanical condition. The steel itself is fit-for-the-purpose. The player still has much to learn.

I have encountered steels that just didn't do it for me; I'll mention no names but a couple were surprising to me and didn't live up to what I'd read or heard.

So: I have a nice Short Key-head LeGrande (8+4) that's probably for sale at some point. My 2000 LG3 will be my last steel guitar.

(There: I've said it..... )

[Donny Hinson]

The Mullen company has been around, continuously, for something like 50 years! That’s about as close to “forever” as you can get in the pedal steel guitar world.

[Ken Metcalf]

Between a Mullen and Justice.
I personally would go with Mullen.