personalized guitars

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 29 Sep 2002 8:43 pm

During the days when Bigsby's were the hottest thing in country music.....Paul would inlay the owners name on that beautiful Birdseye Maple body....a status symbol of one sort or another.
Bud Issacs, Noel Boggs, Johnny Siebert, Wayne Burdick, Speedy West and others prominantly displayed their names on the front of the instruments.
Since then, one seldom sees the name of the steel guitarist and unless they ask, they have little opportunity to discover just who that great instrumentalist was.
Is there a reason why?

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 29 Sep 2002 8:58 pm

Who knows? Maybe someday you'll be playing on some late night TV talk show and if your name is right there on the guitar then EVERYBODY will know who to blame!

Chippy Wood · Post by **Chippy Wood** » 29 Sep 2002 11:58 pm

Perhaps it's because people tend to trade their guitars more often these days for a 'better'? model and having someone elses name on the guitar might not be such a good idea. Joe public might not know who's playing but fellow steelers will.

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Ron (Chippy) Wood
Carter S10/Pad

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 30 Sep 2002 12:16 am

I thought Speedy's name was on the cover that clipped on the legs, not on the steel itself? I don't have any pics here to check, so I may be wrong.

Ian

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 30 Sep 2002 4:03 am

I remember in the old days in LA that some of the players had hand tooled leather name plates covering the whole front of their steels. Blackie Taylor was one of the guys as well as some others. I thought it really looked cool. With the crap that some of the Forum members post about the steel and country music it would probably look too hillbilly for some of them. Now that I've remembered those things I think I'm going to see a friend of mine who does leather work and order one of those front covers. One of the coolest steels I ever saw belonged to Jim Bob Sedgwick of the Forum. He had it at the convention in '87. I believe it was a Williams D-10 and across the front it said "ASLEEP AT THE STEEL". I remember that there were some players from Japan and another foreign country getting their pictures taken behind Jim Bob's steel. Hey JB, if you see this, do you still have that guitar?

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 30 September 2002 at 05:04 AM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 30 Sep 2002 8:16 am

All of Paul Franklin's guitars say Franklin on the front.....

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www.tyack.com

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 30 Sep 2002 8:43 am

I feel so enlightened now. Thanx to all that responded but especially Marty Pollard....who has that rare ability to take a simple question and manage to turn it into a "negative" response with a touch of personal insult added to it. With a friend like him, who needs enemies?

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 30 Sep 2002 8:50 am

As an after tho't Marty.........
I did play on prime time network television for five years.....with my name emblazened on the front of my old Bigsby and I got more write-in requests to my personal attention than any other of the seven band members....folks wanting to hear various steel guitar instrumentals and also wanting to find out where they could learn to play steel guitar.
Failed to receive a single complaint or insult....as you inferred one might. I guess if you do a good job and your proud of what you do, you're willing to put your name on it.
Now I realize, that NO ONE, could possibly be as great as you are Marty....at least in your own mind...but I try to make my posts
worthwhile.
[This message was edited by Ray Montee on 30 September 2002 at 09:51 AM.]

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 30 Sep 2002 9:28 am

I hope you realize I didn't mean 'you' as in YOU!
I meant you as in the generic sense of an individual!

Mine says Dekley so I redirect all hate mail to Jim Smith!

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 30 Sep 2002 9:47 am

Dan, you're right about Paul's, Del Mullen's steel also says Mullen. Now, Buddy has had his name on at least three that I know and Terry Bethel, well, the list could go on. Your point was right on the money, thanks, Gary.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 30 Sep 2002 10:47 am

I have my name on the front of my guitars, you don't like what I do, you can come talk to me about it.

Gord Cole · Post by **Gord Cole** » 30 Sep 2002 11:13 am

I'm playing a rare gig this weekend. I putting Marty's name on the front of my guitar,

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 30 Sep 2002 3:27 pm

Ray
I beleive you meant to say....with friends like you,,,,,who needs "enema's

Oh Boy..This is a riot..Ray.I had a panel made of "birdseye" maple for the front of my
Bigsby..I think its cool to have a name across the guitar....look at all the names Buddy has across thousands of his guitars.

Chas,,I think your name looks good. Mike Black told me so and thats the gospel when Mike tells me anything. Ray,,,negative?
I dont see anything negative on here

in fact I dont see anything I dont want to see.

Here we go again....bOb get the locks ready,,it almost time again.

Bryan Knox · Post by **Bryan Knox** » 1 Oct 2002 10:40 am

For what it's worth, I bought a new cover for my Fessie from Seymore and had my name monogrammed on it. My wife thought it was a nice touch.

I might put my name on the steel when I learn how to play the darn thing.

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Help prevent juvenile delinquency...teach children to STEEL

[This message was edited by Bryan Knox on 01 October 2002 at 11:41 AM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 1 Oct 2002 4:27 pm

I don't think anybody will think my name is Emmons, especially after they hear me play. But MAN, weren't them old timers cool, with their Grammers, names inlaid down the fingerboard, wearing them Nudie suits? Or Joe Maphis, with that doubleneck? Merle Travis? First class, all the way.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 1 Oct 2002 5:00 pm

Bud Carter has his name on his.

So does Joe Wright.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 1 Oct 2002 5:06 pm

I removed the decal from my Emmons and had

Don Corleone's name put on the front,the people paid attention to my playing and were
afraid to leave during my solo.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 2 Oct 2002 9:31 am

Hey Jerry, Long time no see. That Rosewood mica Williams went through a house fire. It did not burn, but the heat and water damage warped the changer. I traded it back to Bill Rudolph (he can fix anything), for a red D-10, Lacquered.
I was playing 5 nights a weeks with that old guitar while working my day job 5 days a week, and was so tired one night, I did fall asleep while playing and my head actually hit the strings. That's where I got the idea. Bobby Boydd, who did most of the Carved name,leather fronts you were talking about, did the lettering on the front. I should have charged a buck apiece to the people who wanted their picture taken behind my guitar. It would have paid for the trip.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 5 Oct 2002 5:34 am

I have something in the works that will show
my dis-pleasure with Leo's tripod leg design.

I admired,,and loved Leo..but Oh that "middle
leg". I will have someone post it when its finished. God Bless Leo,,but the middle leg was not suited for me. Will post it when its
finished. Soon I hope. Corny? maybe but to me
Its like me and Im corny as well,,,