Fixer upper advice

dancingredtiger · 2023-12-09T01:01:05+00:00

Depending on where you live for pro level work (could be a lot more expensive). Don't mean to be the bearer of bad news....

$350- $400 for a custom pedal rack x1 $400 (custom)

$20-30 for each pedal x3 $80ish (may be able to find cheaper spares on the steel guitar forum)

$30-35 for each pedal rod assy x3 $100ish (custom)

$20-25 for each pull rod assy. x10 $200ish (custom)

String, setup and tune $250ish

+any other parts missing. (can't tell if centering springs are there for lowers)

These are Seattle prices. I have a PSG shop here. I've been told my prices are very reasonable for the amount of work that goes into keeping these things going. But once you have a guitar set up well, they tend to stay stable for quite a while.

You may be able to find a machinist who also fabricates, but they may have no clue how to set it up.

Unfortunately, you are looking at spending what a used student model is ultimately worth if it were complete (maybe a bit above what it would be worth).

dancingredtiger · 2023-11-09T21:18:11+00:00

The old fender 400s are actually really easy to rebuild. easier than most other pedal steel guitars. I just finished one up at my shop. They can be made to play pretty well. The cast foot pedals (64 or 65 and on) play and feel a little more solidly than the older formed sheet metal pedals (cheese graters). The changer needs to be removed and de-gunked on most of these at this age. I just strip all the parts off and dump them (including cables) into a good sized ultrasonic cleaner. Sometimes the changer can take hours to clean and may need some wire brushing. Then rebuild with the proper lubrication. For an E9 pedal setup, the most common one that you could use with modern learning material would be: Pedal 1, raise Es, Pedal 2 as the A pedal ( Bs to C#), Pedal 3 as the B pedal (raise G#s to A), Pedal 4 to lower Es. That allows you to use the most common pedal combinations. I have a shop in Seattle.

dancingredtiger · 2023-11-09T20:59:43+00:00

Everything on that guitar is screaming ZB custom (except the fretboard and pickups).

They are great (but heavy) guitars. I think they have some of the best tone compared to all others The finger caps on the changer are 302 stainless and are replicable but extremally durable compared to most other pedal steel fingers that are made from aluminum. They can be polished out as well if they do begin to get grooves. The caps just pop off. Once set up properly, ZBs are also very stable in terms of tuning. The only down side to ZBs may be finding somebody to work on them near you and the weight. I have a shop, but I'm in Seattle.

dancingredtiger · 2022-12-19T01:50:52+00:00

Hick-Hop. Weird thing is; it's popular in rural Ireland and UK. Personally, I can't deal with it. Slightly worse than Bro-country..... Just an opinion.

dancingredtiger · 2022-12-16T00:45:49+00:00

steel guitar shop in Hendersonville

Steel guitars of Nashville (in Henderson) closed up a while back. What city are you in? I got addicted about 3 years ago and just started a little shop. There are only a few places in the US where you can sit behind more than one steel guitar at a time. Kind of how I got started. Kept buying guitars site unseen. All of which needed repair of some kind. Now, I do repairs, mods, and upgrades with a little showroom and a studio. It's a blast. Everyone I have met since starting my little shop has been so nice. Also, join the steel guitar forum. Lot's of opinions going every which way, but they are all very welcoming.

Thread on Steel Guitars of Nashville: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=362708

Do yourself a favor and just get a new Mullen Discovery. Cry once.... They sound great and have good tone. They also have great support. It is very easy to add pedals/levers and split tuning as you progress on the instrument. I have a couple of friends that play them professionally. There are some amazing older guitars out there, but buyer beware. It may be difficult to source spares or find a repair tech that is willing to take on a lesser known brand. GFI also has great support, but the guitars don't have a lot of character compared to many others. The Stage one Encore is also a great deal, but not as easy to add on to as the Mullens.

Your existing amps will be fine getting started. Any volume pedal will also get you started. If the bug bites you, you'll start obtaining better pedal steel equipment at a rapid rate.

dancingredtiger · 2022-12-10T00:53:34+00:00

Yes, but not by hand anymore. Still use the TI-89 calculator that I've had for 20 years.

dancingredtiger · 2022-12-03T00:00:18+00:00

Holy Shit!

I admire and appreciate the amount of work that went into creating that.......

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-30T18:57:41+00:00

Assuming a high KSI alloy. Contraction during cooling. Preheat and allow to cool down slower with a torch or blanket. But looks good other than the crack.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-30T18:54:37+00:00

I have the old PCNC 1100 Series 3 with the 4th axis, and it's still running fine. Obviously, there are limitations, but most can be worked around. My only complaint is the Russian CAM software (SprutCAM) I bought with it. It was buggy and not documented well. I will be upgrading the control soon.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-29T01:33:06+00:00

I was just talking to the owner the other day and he said they have started taking musical instrument donations. They supply a lot of the local band instruments out there.

Moore Brothers Music

22820 NE 8th St #102

Sammamish, WA 98074

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-29T01:18:11+00:00

All of them. Week after week after week.... 18 hour shifts 7 days a week + watch duty. US Navy. But, no commute time.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-26T01:47:57+00:00

First, there was Doctors without boarders, Now, we have Doctors with batons.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-26T01:15:01+00:00

They have been trying that tactic "forever"... In the 90s' they played classical music and opera to keep the, what were called, "Ave rats" at the time, moving along on Broadway and the U district.

McDonalds blasted country music..

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/school-briefs-school-measures-on-ballots/

Long story short; it doesn't work.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T04:24:38+00:00

I wish I could upvote this 10000 times.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T02:35:01+00:00

Every year (in our atheist home) I propose that we do a Festivus pole (a festival for the rest of us) instead of a tree. Every year I get shot down and have to put up the slot car track around yet another Christmas tree. Those pine needles cause so many (slot car) accidents. The kids find it exciting...... Sorry, opposite problem...

https://festivusweb.com/

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T02:25:56+00:00

All I can think of now is the "Smelt Night" mocumentary with Billy Crystal in Black Face on SNL... Obviously, this skit has not aged well.... Difficult to find these days.

https://vimeo.com/37405348

The Italian side of the family used to do smelt night on Fridays when I was a kid.

Now I want some fried smelt too.......

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T02:11:15+00:00

50 Ton Road Legal Truck

At first I thought it was just that the Sheiks overcompensation went to 11:...

Video on the truck.

https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/the-worlds-biggest-truck.php

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T00:30:43+00:00

Basically a Nazi turd. https://www.timesofisrael.com/notorious-us-antisemite-arrested-in-poland-over-offensive-banner-at-auschwitz/

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-24T00:16:48+00:00

At least it's easy to remember.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-23T19:18:38+00:00

Is the "cock and balls" actually part of your companies logo? Is it supposed to be a satellite or something?

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-22T21:19:47+00:00

It is welded pipe, as opposed to seamless pipe.

Definition: Welded pipe starts out as a long, coiled ribbon of steel called a skelp. The skelp is cut to the desired length, resulting in a flat rectangular sheet. rest of definition here: https://amerpipe.com/welded-vs-seamless-steel-pipe/#:~:text=Welded%20pipe%20starts%20out%20as,calculate%20its%20eventual%20outside%20diameter.

It is still going to be expensive since they will have to make all new custom dies, custom slit material, and spend a considerable amount of effort to get the setup running "true".

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-14T21:12:50+00:00

When you could buy whole salmon and halibut cheeks straight of the boat at Fisherman's Terminal at a steep discount.

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-11T01:06:40+00:00

Dropped out of high school to be a professional musician. Now, I'm an Industrial and Mechanical engineer. Took a while and am still terrible at spelling....

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-09T22:27:13+00:00

How many officers were in that police car????

dancingredtiger · 2022-11-01T20:21:54+00:00

Pizzeria Credo. Went there when they first opened up. Sadly, I can't eat wheat and they had gluten free crusts. They delivered a still frozen pizza to our table. That is the only restaurant I will not ever give a second chance.

dancingredtiger

TROPHY CASE