Pedal Steel BRANDS no longer being made

[Bill Ladd]

Boen

[Jay Jessup]

Bossan

I was wondering if anyone would remember the Harold Spain built Bossan steels, some unique ideas in those guitars. Another Richmond VA area guitar was a direct Emmons copy, I had one as my first D-10, which I believe was made by a man named Wade, maybe RD Wade?, I don't know how many he built or exactly when he was building but I bought a used one from a Richmond music store around 1974. It didn't work great, plus I didn't know squat about push/pull mechanics but Harold Spain got it working well for me. I believe DC area fiddle/violinist Bob Spates still has that guitar stashed in a closet somewhere??

[Ian Rae]

While people are thinking about guitars of yesteryear, does anyone know who might have made this? It's a very solidly built copy of a Sho-Bud permanent and tantalizingly you can see where the badge has fallen off. Early 60s, judging by the fact that when I got it it had just one lever that had been added later (it is now 8x5). I have more pics if it would help.

[Leo Melanson]

What is the list of current steel companies actively making products today?

[Bob Carlucci]

Framus built them in Europe for a while, and I think they were fairly popular there... Junk, and LONG out of production...

[Rich Peterson]

Erickson, built in Clearwater, MN by Elvin Erickson back in the 70s.

[J R Rose]

Cherokee Pedal Steel. Not sure but think Smiley Weaver out of Ada, Ok. did a few of those. Not long back here on the forum there was a post about him and showed a picture of him playing one. Smiley was a heck of a picker and vocalist and played all over Oklahoma for years. I think he is still alive. Native Son and Proud. J.R.

[Cartwright Thompson]

Ernie Ball made a few interesting pedal steels

[Jeff Harbour]

I still haven't contacted him to know for sure... but I think Don Burrows may have stopped building the BSG steels. Anybody know?

[Steven Cummings]

Wouldn't it be nice to see a picture to represent each brand ya'll mentioned here.

[Mark Robinson]

Already listed.

[Jesse Varichak]

You might throw the Little Buddy in there. But that might be an offshoot of a cougar...?

[Bob Carlucci]

Ernie Ball made a few interesting pedal steels

Yes... I have seen a few for sale on ebay over the years, and at one point I believe Rumble Seat Music had one on the floor.. Didn't look player friendly to me...

[Gary Spaeth]

i remember a brand called Pierce. also heard of one made in milwaukee called Singer. probably could mend your ripped shirts after the women tore them off.

[George Duncan Sypert]

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that Jim Flynn in Salado Texas is still producing Lonestar Steels. At least I think that was the name of his product.

There was another brand with a similar name that was made by Mark Giles but I think that was Star Guitars.

Hope all of this is correct.

[J R Rose]

Yes George, I think Jim is still building a few guitars and Mark Giles is still involved in custom finishing and maybe a guitar or two. I know that this thread is about used to be companies but their is a new company in Central Texas that is building a great looking steel. "Texas Pedal Steel Guitar". They have a web site you can google. I looked at them last year at the Texas Show and they are top notch. J.R.

[Chris Templeton]

Scotty sold a super light single neck he called "SGI". I believe Mitsuo Fujii made them. They must have been all of 20 pounds. So light that if you weren't careful a RR or LL knee lever could easily move the whole guitar.
Using bodyweight via the seat to stabilize it might have worked.

[James A Temple]

Erickson built by Elvin Erickson in the late 60s to the late 70s in Clearbrook Minn. I own one I think belonged to Jeff Newman. If anyone has more info on it please chime in on me !

[Brett Day]

Sho-Bud is back. The Jackson family recently got the Sho-Bud name back from Gretsch, and they are now building new Sho-Bud steels, like the Maverick II and Pro V. Emmons is back too, and they build the ReSound '65. Franklin steels are no longer being made, although they're still heard on many country records. I liked how JCH steel guitars looked. Another company that doesn't make steel guitars anymore is Flynn, which was started by Harold Flynn.

[Michael Lee Allen]

Add...
B J (Ben Jack) Arkansas
Capri
Electradair(e), Fresno CA
Endicott, California
Herbert Hise, Chicago IL
National Electra-Chord, made one year
Norwood, Ohio
Ren-Kizer, Ft Wayne IN area
Zitnik or Zitnick, California
MLA

[Michael Lee Allen]

Add...
From England Jim Burns built S8 4 pedal and d8 6 pedal instruments sold under the Denley, Ormston, Ormston-Burns, and Rose-Morris/Rotosound brands.
From Germany the ABM parts manufacturer/distributor offered a D10 with 8 + 2
Netherlands had Devis, Dooley & Dooley Lightronic, and Pedal-Jet
Sweden had AWH/AVM
MLA