Why do Push Pulls do my Head in!

[bob adams]

Many have tried and nobody can really give a definitive or absolute answer to the question!

I was in the car today, a track come on I though wow! what a sound, then realised it was me playing and thought, yeah, that playing is a bit suss, but that sound is awesome!

Yip it was my old wood neck I should never have parted with! (the one Davie Holland said! ..' oh I loved the sound of that Emmons you played back at our night in the Le Ronde!)

It has taken some years but my present rig to replace (PSG & amp) would be around £10k ..... don't be mistaken, the build quality on the guitar is 'second to none' and the amp is just awesome!

So!!!!!!!!!!! Why do I crave the PP sound!

I guess for the same reason JD Maness has four and won't part with any of them! Bless his heart as he bought replacement fretboards for all of them from me at the ISGF the year before last) .....

Plug! ......I still have fretboards for PPs that are 'way' better than the originals!


It's that sound! ... tone to the bone! ....and to die for!!!


B

[Ken Byng]

Well Bob
The push pull is the bench mark that many present day manufacturers try to emulate. To some, the sound of the push pull is a myth, and yet to others it has a distinctive bell-like resonant quality that is unmistakable. To me it has a very big tone that records perfectly and sounds wonderful live. I compare it to Leo Fender's Strat and Tele. They were designed 100% right in the first place, and are the bench mark for all others. It's called genius, and Buddy Emmons basic design of changer, mica and compact body still stands up today in much the same way that Leo's designs did all those years ago.

I must get to have a look at your fret boards sometime, although I have the metal ones on mine already. However, chrome must look really sharp.

I have 2 or 3 pedal steels that will remain in my possession until I pop my clogs. Top of the list is my push-pull. It is a thing of beauty and fits me like a well worn glove.

[Willie Gamble]

Bob / Ken, I could not agree more on what has been said regarding push pulls, I still have my second only guitar which is an Emmons Black Rock 10, I know it is only the entry level to Emmons pro guitars,, but I played that guitar for the first thirty odd years of my playing career with only 3 pedals and two levers, and just before my crushing between two buses I fitted a third lever to give me the first and second unison, that is the only change I have ever craved. Had it not been for the early intervention of First Bus I recon I would still be playing it today.
I hope some day in the near future to strip it down and rebuild to try to ascertain what the problem is, it took a fair old knock with the bus incident and afterwards it would not stay or indeed play in tune, I am hoping it is only a binding issue.
During it's playing career it was a very busy guitar, and we did a fair old bit of Playing, depping and recording.
I still miss playing Old Buddy , although it has to be said, I do so enjoy my Mullen RP10 very much, and after the shunt it was like night and day having a guitar which played and stayed in tune.
But it does not attract as many compliments on the tone as the old Push Pull did.
I had in fact made a pact with myself that when the Emmons packed in, I would pack in too, but I am not quite at that stage yet.
So, in summing up yes I do agree with what Bob and Ken said, Old Buddy will not be leaving me,Ever, and I hope some day soon to have him fit and healthy again.
And just for the record, it is the correct colour too.......Black, wood neck and with tone to die for.

Asleep at the steel

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

How do you resist a thread like this?? answer is You don't!!! I am just here looking for a bit of sympathy as I am down to my last three Emmons P/pulls ........ .... yes I still have four at the moment, but the baby Blonde is half paid for and will be heading off to the bright lights next month how could I......

Still I do have something remarkable to report, I purchased a "Bennett" steel a week or two ago not expecting it to be anything special as I have owned quite a few of Ronnies but nothing has ever lit my lamp compared to my gigging Emmons until now!!This 3/4 size guitar built for C6th had 9 X 5 blew me away with the smoothness of the pedals and levers and the lovely warm tone of the pick up, the finish on the guitar and the inlays are beautiful, plus its a very light weight guitar.
With all the extra transmission underneath this sucker I now have more bell's and whistle's than ever before and they work beautifully!
So impressed am I with what I regard as "Ronnies Masterpiece" I invested in one of those SKB trap cases at enormous expense to house the little cracker ........
Now what the hell do I do! no one loves their Emmons more than me but oooohhhh this Bennett...

[Tony Smart]

I would describe the push pull guitar as being "alive". The tone jumps out at you. (no, not me - I've packed up party tricks ) It's so responsive compared with some others. Harmonics are very easy to get and ring out loud and clear like no other. (IMO)

The only thing that brings you back down to earth is carrying the bugger.....
For anyone with a D10, I would say a split case or keyboard case/bag is a great help.

[Bill McKillop]

I bought my blue birdseye sd 10 from Eric Snowball in 1980. It arrived on a Sunday and I was playing that night so, I took it with mealong with my ZB Student that I had been playing until then, just to try it out. When I got to the gig and set it up and tuned it, wow! It sounded awsome. Needless to say that the ZB never got out of the case. I fell in love with my push pull that night and the love affair has continued till now. I know I'll never part with it! That being said, I've had a few guitars since and my Legrand also sounds great as does my Mullen and my former Carter too but, there is no sound to match that of my push pull.

[Willie Gamble]

Bob, they do your head in simply because they are worth it

Asleep at the steel

[Tony Smart]

I mentioned earlier about split cases.
Danny Hughes recommended to me, a Hockey Bag.
These are just the job, not too bulky and you can get one for about a tenner.

[bob adams]

Now that is thinking aloud Tony! Anyone for 'push/pull' ........ Smart for sure! great idea!

As for you Mr McKillop.. a blue birds eye p/p ... I came over all unnecessary over the adverts for those things never mind the real thing!
We must get together some time! Life is way too short!

Willie, you know where my head is! .. Will I ever recover?

Just done Misery & Gin for Danny for his project, figured I had to do it since it was me who threw the S**t at the fan last month!