PSG build .. Is such a passion! BUT!

[Shaun]

Dont laugh, its just a thought, but I wonder how far away 3D printing Technology is from printing parts strong enough to take the stresses in a PSG.

[Shaun]

Hmmm Ponder Ponder
http://www.3trpd.co.uk/metal-3dprinting.htm

[Jason Lynch]

I've had that thought many times Shaun. Undercarriage parts would certainly be easier. This has been raised in the us forum a couple of times

[Dave Nutt]

Dont laugh, its just a thought, but I wonder how far away 3D printing Technology is from printing parts strong enough to take the stresses in a PSG.

I certainly wont luagh Shaun, In my other picking world (Im a locksmith) guys are already copying lock/key parts via 3D printing, not sure about strengths etc and at the moment seem to be mainly for small components but full on use cant be far away.

[Shaun]

Its probably just as expensive as Traditional Methods at the mo but I'm sure the day will come when we can walk into a local 3d Printing store, Cad file in hand, and have whatever parts we need printed for our PSG's. One Day ....

[Dave Nutt]

Im sure we will Shaun, will be nice to just pop in and say 'knock us up a P/P D10 mate will ya' that will be £25 please.
In our dreams.

[sheffield steel]

Very interesting subject here.
As many of you have already stated it's in the build.
To give you an example, I built a bespoke D10 for a guy about 3 to 4 years ago and the raw cost for the materials and machining was approximately £3000 and that didn't include my time which was 1200 to 1500 hours spread over a year, so as livable business it ain't viable, unless you were charging the customer somewhere in the region of say £15000 plus!!! And who in their right mind is gonna pay that kind of money!!! I certainly wouldn't no matter how good the guitar was and apart from that I ain't got 15K to buy a psg!! I've been asked if I can build a cheaper Sheffield psg, I could, but it wouldn't be the same as the bespoke ones that I build and I won't sacrifice on a quality build that has taken me some 30 years of R & D to get to where I am with my psg. I know that a cheaper one will not have the same build quality as a full priced pro model!! Maybe out source parts to say China or somewhere like that, this could be an option? But one would have to have many parts made in order for them to be cheaper, so again the initial outlay would run into thousands of pounds!!! And the psg market ain't that Big!! I remember seeing an article about Carter steels and at their height of production in the late 90s as the top manufacturer, they only produced 200 steels world wide at the best!!
Thanks to Ken and Bob for your kind comments.

Kind regards,
Dave.

[Ken Byng]

Chatting to many of the pedal steel manufacturers in the USA teases out one major fact. They are all in it for the love and not the money. They shore up their income by doing repairs and service work, with what gigs they can. Some have obliging wives who are the bread winners. Dave W mentions China, and believe me that is an untapped source. I import quite a bit in the way of musical bits and pieces direct from Chinese factories, and while the quality is superb they are set up to manufacture items in the hundreds if not thousands. If the market was there, Chinese manufacturers could build a pedal steel which would be a 100% replica of a USA guitar at a fraction of the price. Food for thought.

The Americans are more chauvinistic than we are, and look to support home grown products where they can. Chinese pedal steels would be a non starter over there unless they were dirt cheap and top quality.

[bobhcot]

As the current owner of Sheffield 01, an SD-10, LDG style guitar, built by Dave Wheelhouse of course, whatever it might have cost to produce it is a truly wonderful instrument. From hands on experience I know Dave's latest twin neck Sheffield is quite superb, so yes there is something in a "brand", but not necessarily in a big name. Keep up the good work Dave - do I get anything off that "red one" for the plug? Thought not! Bob

[Uffe]

I bought this old 1978 ZUM in January. Had some help with the restoration and today it is ready and up in £1545.
Uffe