Early Steel Guitar Designers.......and functionality

[Ray Montee (RIP)]

Each time I surf thro' eBay ads for steel guitars.....I'm overwhelmed by the wide assortment of instruments that in many cases appear to have been designed and constructed by some kind of demented inventor with no concept whatsoever of what an accomplished, or even beginning steel player, might need or choose to have.......to assist in the playing.
Some appear (quite like many a bride to be...spending more time thinking out the bridesmade dresses/colors/fabrics, than the actual honeymoon night) to have spent more time on the decorative, molding housing around the pickup and pick guard......than on the quality/design of the pickup itself.
Volume and Tone knobs.....placed in all kinds of places, none of which appear to be in an ideal location for using other than a fixed adjustment or whatever. Same with the fret boards....all kinds of "designs" but many would give you a headache visually, while trying to figure out where the 7th or 8th fret might be.......
Today's builders do a great job!! Were the early day, orignal builders of steel guitars, just dreamers or anxious to become famous with their creation?
Rickenbacher and Bigsby IMHO seemed to be light years ahead of all the other wanna-be mfr's. Yes, Gibson and Fender also built really popular, player friendly and rugged guitars.
I'm looking at the overal "design" and playability aspect and not structural strength. WHAT SAY YOU?

[Eric West]

Maybe it's got something to do with a "Muse" of some kind, but the early designs in other fields seem to magically hold a certain longevity.

In firearms, designs of over 100 years ago are still the mainstays. Motorcycles, Harley Davidson used the exact same transmissions from 1936 to 1984, and the same exact motor from 1929 to 1973 on the servicar. Sewing machines are basically the same design as 150 years ago.

There's little difference in the Pedal Steel guitars that Shot and Buddy designed, and today's. One manufacturer just down the street bought a warehouse of gynocological instruments and examining table parts and made them look just like Sho-Buds. I think they're still making them.......

I'll stick with the old Sho-Bud. Maybe renew the "Professional" I've got in my "studio" after I spruce up the Goldwing ratbike I bought and put the disc brake setup on the old Panhead...

Maybe I'll even straighten up the pedal rods... I dunno. I never seem to get any time off playing it to do it....

Nice to see youse the other nite.

As Always..

Off to the Eagles in The Dalles, and an 80Db sound limit. Probably won't be double amping.

Thanks for all the french fries.

Eric West.

------------------
EJL63FLH
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'63FLH 90"Stroker
'80 Gold Wing
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
"You can Smart Yourself Dumb.
Why Can't you Dumb yourself Smart?"-Me
"There are only so many ways to fry cat food."- Buster
"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Eric West on 01 November 2002 at 05:58 PM.]</p></FONT>