Carter Steel Guitars

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FAQ:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who Makes the Carter?
• Is the Carter a Fully Professional-Grade Steel?
• How Can You Keep Your Prices So Low?
• How Fast Can I Get a Standard Model Carter?
• Do You Take Credit Cards?
• What Are Your Standard Colors?
• Can I Order My Carter with a Custom Laminate (mica)?
• Can I Order My Carter with the Tuning/Setup of My Choice?
• What Are the Cabinets Made of?
• Can I Get a Natural Finish (clear or colored lacquer)?
• Do You Guarantee a Ship Date on Lacquer-Finished Carters?
• Will It Cost Extra for a Lacquer Finish?
• How Thick is the Wood Used in the Carter Cabinet?
• Is the Carter Triple-Raise, Triple-Lower?
• What Is a Pull?
• What is a Lock Lever and Do You Offer Them?
• Since the Carter Is So Much Lighter in Weight,
  Is It as Substantial and Well-Constructed When Compared to Other Brands?
• Have You Ever Considered Making a Keyless Model?
• I am a 6-String, Standard Guitar Player.
  Why do Steel Guitars need to Have so Many Pedals and Knee Levers?
• Is the Carter Built to Last a Lifetime?

Question: Who makes Carter Steel Guitars?

Answer: The Carter is designed by Bud Carter, who designed the MSA and MCI guitars. Both Bud and John Fabian build the Carters at the Mesquite facility. By now, many of Bud's previous design innovations have been incorporated into most every brand of steel. In his most recent development, the Carter, Bud has intentionally designed in great, consistent and clear sound, while keeping only what parts are necessary and useful. One of the features Bud feels is important to most steel players is keeping a steel lightweight while being easy and fun to play and maintain. The sustain and tone of Carter Steel Guitars are the best available and the result of many years of computer and field studies. The compact, low-profile design provides a Pedal Steel Guitar with maximum intonation and sustain throughout the scale. This results in extremely fast and easy playing action and no "dead spots" anywhere on the neck.

Question: Is the Carter a Professional-Grade steel?

Answer: Yes. Each of our standard models is a state-of-the-art, Professional-Grade pedal steel guitar that will give you many years of playing pleasure. The pedal steel guitar industry has existed for quite some time. However, it took Carter Steel Guitars to perfect steel guitars far beyond all present-day standards.

Question: Your prices are just slightly higher than most used guitars ... how can the price for a Professional-Grade pedal steel guitar be so low (it seems like a wholesale price)?

Answer: We believe that a Professional-Grade steel should be available to as many people as possible. We keep our prices low in 3 main ways:

1. By selling mainly Factory-Direct to the pedal steel guitar player;
   
   
2. By using only the dealers who do not require a high percentage markup. This allows dealers to carry the Carter, while keeping your price low; and
   
   
3. By avoiding the expensive endorsement contracts (giveaway programs) with celebrity steel players, which most other steel companies use to promote their guitars.

Question: How fast can I get a Carter?

Answer: Fast! On all Standard Models, we guarantee that we will ship to you within 30 days of receiving your completed Order and Setup Forms and $250 Deposit (in guaranteed U.S. funds), as long as we receive the Balance Due (in Guaranteed U.S. Funds) before the 30th day.

Question: Do you take credit cards?

Answer: Yes, we take Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, and Discover®. We also accept Money Orders, Cashier's Checks, Bank Checks, and Wire Transfers. Sorry, no personal checks.

Question: What colors can I get?

Answer: We have 7 Standard Colors: Black, Burgundy, Navy Blue, Red, Bright Blue, Turquoise, and Black Pearlwood (grey woodgrain). You may select 1 or a combination of these colors for your Carter. (Sometimes we also have custom laminate colors available for no extra charge while our supply lasts.)

Question: Can I get a Custom Laminate (mica) on my Carter?

Answer: Yes, you may have your Carter covered with a custom laminate by sending us a sample chip of any laminate (easily available in the U.S.). We charge $125 extra per color for this service (therefore, if you want 2 custom laminates, it would be $250 extra).

Question: Can I Order My Carter with the Tuning/Setup of My Choice?

Answer: Yes, you may order your Carter in the Tuning/Setup of your choice.
If you would like to check them out, here are the Tunings Most Requested by our customers.

Question: What are the cabinets made of?

Answer: On Carters covered with laminate (mica), the cabinet under the laminate is Hard Rock Maple.

Question: I would rather have the natural wood. Can I get my Carter with a natural finish?

Answer: Yes, on natural wood Carters, we use Curly Maple usually, and when it's available, we also use Birdseye Maple.

Question: Do you guarantee shipment on natural wood Carters?

Answer: No. Due to the custom nature of lacquer-finished Carters, we cannot guarantee shipment by a particular date. Generally, it takes 60-75 days to ship a lacquer-finished Carter. We do go as fast as we can ... however, lacquer-finished steels take extra care and handling every step of the way.

Question: Do natural wood or lacquer-finished Carters cost extra?

Answer: Answer: Yes. One-Color (including clear) natural finishes are $650 extra. Two-Color natural finishes are $750 extra. Also we charge a $500 deposit. If you want a color other than clear, please send us a sample of the color you would like on your Carter.

Question: How thick is the wood used in the Carter cabinets?

Answer: All the Carters have the same thickness on their cabinets as follows: the top deck is 3/4", the bottom deck is 1/2", and the front apron is 5/8".

Question: Is the Carter triple raise, triple lower?

Answer: No. The Magnum is QUADRUPLE raise, DOUBLE lower which allows better action and more options for most of the modern setups. Most setups do not use more than 2 raises and 1 lower per string. (Triple raise, Triple lower will be used on each pull which requires Triple lower.)

Question: What is a Pull?

Answer: A pull is the connection between a pedal or a knee lever and the desired raise or lower finger. Each raise or lower of a string is isolated and separate from any other raise or lower, even though it may replicate an already existing raise or lower.

Question: What is a Lock Lever and Do You Offer Them?

Answer: Basically, a lock lever allows you to engage and hold a knee lever without having to continually use your leg to do so. When it is used it is typically used on E9/B6 universal tunings, on the strings that lower the 2 top roots (or E's), as well as the 2nd string, to form a B6 tuning. Carter Steel Guitars does not offer lever locks at this time.

Question: Since the Carter is so much lighter in weight, is it as substantial and well-constructed when compared to other brands? For instance, the Carter's bell cranks and rods even look lightweight. Are the Carter's bell cranks, rods, and other key components going to last?

Yes, the Carter is as substantial and well-built as any other brand out there. And, yes, the bell cranks, rods, etc. will last.

The Carter is a Professional model steel and is designed and built to last a lifetime.

Some of this answer may surprise you. It surprised Bud when he studied this in college (he took some physics courses a few years back to get this design even better).

The Carter's bell cranks are made of 6061 Aluminum (hardened to T-6). The Carter's pull rods are made of Stainless Steel. The weights of these pieces on the Carter are about the same as most all other brands.

Our rods are actually stronger and will last longer than welding rod and cold-rolled rod, which is what is used by most other manufacturers.

The weight has not been removed in the bell cranks and rods. Instead, the weight has been removed from the Carter in "dead areas" or areas that do not need the weight, such as the underside of the neck, metal areas on the top deck if not necessary for sound, playability, etc.

And, 2 other things, which may also surprise you: The Carter has more actual Steel (versus aluminum and other lighter metals) than most other brands! Also, the amount and thickness of the wood used in the Carter is at least equal to most every other brand.

The present-day Carter is a result of a lot of consideration and research on our end so that the player has fast, positive action and stops, and the easiest time possible playing, maintaining, carrying, and setting up his steel as we can possibly design! The Carter is built as a road-worthy, Professional model steel capable of holding up as well as any other professional models out there ...

Question: I am a 6-string, standard guitar player. Why do steel guitars need to have so many pedals and knee levers?

Answer: The simple answer is that the steel guitar uses pedals and knee levers to form chords, change individual notes, and change tunings rapdily and easily. You can get a more complete explanation of how this works by viewing one of the videos on this page.

Question: Have you ever considered making a keyless model? I understand this helps to reduce the weight of a steel. What are the pros and cons about a keyless model I should consider?

Answer: Actually, we have considered offering a Keyless Model and we have researched it thoroughly. We have concluded that the keyless "keyhead" sacrifices too much control of the overtones, which give the Carter the characteristic sounds it has. So, we do not plan to make a keyless model for that reason.

In our opinion, while the lack of overtone control will not hurt you on a keyless guitar, it will not help you, either.

Weight really is not a consideration on the Carter since we have already removed the weight from places, which truly do not need it. Therefore, we do not have to sacrifice overtone control by using a keyless "keyhead".

By the way, most all of the manufacturers who offer keyless guitars also make a heavy guitar (even with the keyless "keyhead" on it).

The shorter body, which the keyless "keyhead" allows, does not reduce weight enough to warrant the sacrifices (overtone control being the major one) it would require. If you look at where the real weight of the guitar is, you will find it is not in the cabinet -- it is everywhere else.

We continually look at different ways to improve the sound and mechanism of the Carter.

Bud Carter builds each and every Carter to last a lifetime.