Got one....any more WINSTEELS out there...!!?

[tonewheelkev]

Phew....finally plumped for an Irish made Winsteel....not many of 'em about I understand!!
It was the right price...and I believe it will serve me well at this stage.

Wondering if anyone out there knows of any others that are around.....??

3 pedals / 4 Levers.....pedals set up CBA...so does that make it Emmons???

Not sure whether I should leave it this way....or convert to ABC...!

What do members think???

Seems to stay in tune very well, and cabinet drop negligible...well to me at any rate!...
Has George L PF1 pickup, and an untried Mullen spare....love the sound of the PF1
......having said that...they ALL sound good to me!!

Also acquired Peavey Nasville 1000 + a.c. adapter....needed a bit of attention/time...
but spot on now..!!

....Oh....and a Hilton pedal too...as new...I HAVE been spending...haven't I........?

[bob adams]

CBA means its Day Kev... Your call!!
Numbers of players here play Day as that was the way they got their first steel.
It has to be said though, a lot of the online instruction (Mickey Adams for instance) is Emmons setup.
When I gigged I played Day but now play Emmons. Once you get used to either you get comfortable with it.
Day is the most natural direction of travel .....eg... A Pedal with 'F' lever raise going right is a natural progression.
That PF pickup has a stonking sound! You'll find it hard to beat!
enjoy"

[Ken Byng]

Any pictures for us Kev?

[tonewheelkev]

Here are a few pics!!!

[Paul Brennan]

I never knew there was an Irish made steel. Who made it? Where and when? It certainly looks beautiful. Day/Emmons setup. It's entirely up to yourself. Once you get used to a particular setup it doesn't matter.

[tonewheelkev]

I never knew there was an Irish made steel. Who made it? Where and when?

Ted Nesbitt has informed me that Winsteel steel guitars were made by a great craftsman called Winston Hamilton who lives in Hillsborough, County Down. Over a period of 6 years he built about 8 guitars, D10s and SD10s. There are a couple still in Ireland, and the rest of them are somewhere in UK. Sadly he quit building steel guitars about 6 years ago.

It is a bonny thing, and I now intend to give it an Emmons setup...which will hopefully bring it in line with a lot of the teaching materials now available 'out there'....

[winsteelman]

Yes Ive got a Winsteel bought it on ebay a year ago
Ive striped it down re finished it in a pearl burnt orange originaly cream
Ive also re engineered the cross shafts/pull rods etc looks and sounds great.
also the case has the initals WH marked on the case clips could it be one of the first Winston Hamilton steels anyone ??

[tonewheelkev]

How about some pics John....would be good to see your re-engineering!!

[Ted Nesbitt]

The "Winsteel" pedal steel guitars were made by a great craftsman called Winston Hamilton from Hillsborough County Down in Northern Ireland. Over a period of 10 years, Winston made around 8 guitars, (the early ones were branded W.H.)a couple of D10s, and the rest were SD10s.
I sold all the guitars he made. I know there are 2 in Ireland, one in white lacquer and one in natural lacquer finish, the latter having 4 pedals and 4 k/levers. The guitars were very modern in construction, and some of them retained the old Sho-Bud headstock design. He also used Sho-Bud fretboards on most of them, so they were all 24" scale. I remember when he built
the one that Kev has, he wanted it to be as close to the original Sho-Bud LDG green, so he bought a Reckitts clothes dye, and stained the wood cabinet with it, it turned out pretty good. I know one of them went to Norway or Sweden, the rest of them are probably somewhere in UK. I have some photos of the last one he made. If I find them I will post them.
By the way, there was another steel guitar maker in Northern Ireland ... Roy Lambert from Richill Co.Armagh, maker of the "Lambert" Roy is a "Lefty" player. He found it impossible to buy a left handed steel, so being an engineer for The Metal Box Company, he set about building his own guitar .... he has built a few since then, in RH and LH versions.
If you want any more info, contact "Nesapedia" @Iknoweverything.dingding
Ted Nesbitt

[winsteelman]

I phoned the guy that I bought my Winsteel from.
he stays in Bristol he tells me he bought it from someone who was a member of Wentworth golf club.
thats as far back as I can trace it.