Excel Guitars, anyone else use them?

[chris hillman]

I guess it isn't that much looking at what you get. They seem to be making a universal that does C6th now!! Just checked out the Williams 700 which i guess is closet.. £2704.19
I do like the idea of owning a Williams but, i'm not sure if there is much difference to mine. Not sure how much the GFI is and i've not played one... would be interesting to compare.
I guess its more metalic than say a sho~bud or something. BJ Cole played mine and thought it had a warm Jazzy sound, cant complain about that.

Nice Excel Les. I like the changer, do you tune the string from the changer end? Mine has to be bought up close to tension before you clamp the string, then fine tuned at the Key head.
This ones mine...

[Les Wright]

Chris, all the tuning is done from the changer end. Ball end of the string fits at the changer end, string is clamped at the other end with enough tension to restretch the return springs to tension, then brought up to pitch with the tuners on the changer.

[Ted Nesbitt]

Here is a very nice Excel SD10 3 x 5 Made in 2005 for Sarah Jory. It will be for sale very soon.

[uniman]

I "WAS" going to say Les Wright in Norfolk plays one. I've known Les since the early 80's, he used to come and see us play at a boozer in Kings Lynn. I think at the time he had a ZB-10, and I had a Denley, but waiting for my ZB-10 to arrive at Eric Snowball's "steel mill"

[Eamonn O'Regan]

Having moved on from a WBS Basic, -itself a good intermediate- level guitar, I was looking for a SD format guitar and bought from Ted Nesbitt a 2005 Excel SD-10 (originally built for Sarah Jory) at the ISGF in Dublin. I have to agree with Ted's comments on the quality of these instruments. Their great build quality and finish is evident and the instrument feels reassuringly solid and it is not particularly heavy either. Pedal and lever movements are smooth and the guitar sounds great - this one has a splittable humbucker pickup- through my Nashville 112. The tuning is very stable. A mechanically- savvy friend and MSA player recommended this to me as did Ted and Sarah (who of course played two brilliant sets), and I am delighted with it.
Some may indeed question a 'Japanese' psg - and this may explain their relative rarity. However the Japanese 'kaizen' manufacturing philosophy is to take a standard- in this case US- built 'name' guitars - and see how they can improve on them. It's clear that the Japanese have been able to apply prowess in manufacture of other products to pedal steel guitars. In any event country of origin is increasingly irrelevant in a globalised economy with steels made in Germany, Switzerland and Czech Republic and Canada among others. This Excel is one seriously well- engineered pro- level steel. Comments on the US forum also bear out the quality and sound of these instruments,all the more relevant now on the Superb line of keyless models. All in all a great find which I have gigs lined up for in '17. Btw SJ herself signed it for me!!