The British Steelies Society

Hello all.

Anyone heard of these? There's one on ebay and I would like to know more about them. Would appreciate your knowledge and opinions.
Pictures don't really show it too well. Hardware on top looks pretty good but it isn't shown standing on it's legs!

Thanks.

Martyn.

Hi Martyn, its not showing up on ebay.ie have you got a link? i have never heard of redstone steel, where is the steel located?

Hi Martin,
Just had a good look at this one. I have not heard of this model but noticed the undercarriage looks very much like an old ZB set up (similar to mine). However It shows 4 flat cross bars for 4 pedals but the pedal board (photo No.3) has 3 pedals . It also appears to have had an extra knee lever added. I'm sure someone on here can add to my comments, good luck...good price & worth a bid or two.

Eddie, its located in London ( sorry i'm not able to inset a link)

All the best Jimbo

It's HERE

AS Jim said, it certainly looks like it's made up of bits from a ZB, the knee levers are the early type and it has the
ZB cross -member design and even the pickup seems to be a ZB.
The parts alone are worth a bid !
Frank. Corfu

The left knee lever going right is a later ZB model and even the L/h, R/h adjusters on the pull rods are ZB designed.
Frank. Corfu

Many thanks for all your comments. Very helpful. Fantastic attention to detail and great to get the benefit of your knowledge.

My knowledge is fairly limited but I recognised some key features in terms of the top half - I couldn't have had a clue about underneath other than I can count the knee levers/links etc. It's slightly frustrating as there are no guarantees of it being in full working order - including the electrics as the owner hasn't ever set it up or plugged it in. I'm giving it some serious thought, though. Might be worth a punt at the right price and I'm curiously drawn to the look of it as well - slightly unusual.
If the pick up and some of the mechanics and hardware are ZB in origin, that's a good sign, as you say (I'd love a ZB single).

Cheers all.

Martyn.

p.s. does anyone know by the pictures if the pedal configuration on this can be reversed? (if required) i don't think the owner would be able to identify the config.

My first reaction is the same as others, it looks like much ZB parts. Can't see adjusters on the legs though. Anybody remember doing any work on this? Could have been a basket case rescue? Dave Wiggins used to use that typeface in graphics.
Martyn: to your question, I think I see pull rods where you would expect a Day setup to have them, i.e. two coming from the C pedal cross bar that seem to go to the B strings (for C#) presuming it's an E9th. The fourth pedal looks vacant. If the mech. is ZB it should not be too defeating to change it over to Emmons, more of a fiddly job if the 'E' raise and lower are on the left knee (that's hard to see). I play 'ABC' but if I got a 'Day' guitar I would try adapting myself, before messing with any setup that is working! Tony.

Thanks Tony. Very odd this. I thought I had already replied to you but it doesn't seem to be showing here.

Probably my IT skills!

Many thanks again, info is very much appreciated and very helpful.

Martyn.

Hi
With Regards to the REDSTONE Steel, these were made by my old mate Jim Smith in the 70's in his Carpentry workshop at Lyminge Nr Folkestone in Kent.
Dave Nutt and Sean Dohety will remember both Jim and these Guitars very well.
Jim used to be the steel player for Sean's Dad Al Doherty who was a Fantastic Artist, and then later in my old Band Southbound.
He played a ZB Custom at the time, he was and still is a Brilliant Carpenter and Engineer, and I can remember him telling Eric Snowball that he thought he could make a British steel as good as some of the USA steels around at the time.
Some six months later he took his ZB Guitar back into Eric's shop in Maidstone and told him he didn't need it any more as he had made his own.
He also showed him his Redstone and Eric was a little surprised at the workmanship and after a little groan took the steel back.
It was Jim Smith who started me off on steel by Building a Redstone Body and sending me off to make all the Metal parts.
A few months later he put it all together for me and gave me some lessons and that's how it all started for me.
It was his fault for me not using picks, as when we had a break, he would go off to the Bar leaving his picks on leaving the Bar and thumb pick on the steel.
He used to let me have a go, so when I finally got playing a couple of years later I found the picks alien to me so never persevered with them.
Jim Build about 10 Redstone's the name was his Father’s stage name Red Stone he was a Jazz vibes player.
I think Jim still has a few parts left over from his Building days and probably wouldn't mind a contact from anyone who would like to know more abbot REDSTONE'S.
his email address is [email protected] .
Kindest Regards
Dave.