The Carter Steel Guitar Product Review

by Danny Hullihen
September 1998 - Issue 38

Well, Steel Guitar friends, I got my hands on a new toy! John Fabian of World Class Steels, Inc. (Carter Steel Guitars) was kind enough to send me a Carter for a complete product review.

The pedal steel guitar I received was a new Carter D-10 with 8 Pedals and 5 Knee Levers (standard), in an attractive new, glossy, mica, Rosewood finish, with George L's Traditional Premium Pole Piece Pickups (TPP), and Sperzel tuners. When I asked to switch out to Carter's standard pickups, the George L's E66 and 10-1, Carter promptly sent me replacements to exchange. Personally, I prefer the sound, tone, and sustain of the E66 and 10-1 to the TPP.

Playing the Carter:

Bud Carter's 35+ years of pedal steel guitar design and building have been put to good use in this guitar. While I was playing the Carter over the 4-month period, I noticed that the Pedals on the Carter Steel have a nice, solid, positive feel, and the Knee Levers are smooth, quick, and accurate. Although the Carter Steel Guitar is lightweight when compared to other brands, I did not get the impression I was going to knock the guitar around when I applied the Knee Levers. The Carter was extremely quiet! No mechanical noise or rod clatter was noticed when using the Pedals. Carter has a novel approach to silencing the undercarriage by using Delrin guides on the Pull Rods.

The tone of the Carter Steel (with George L's E66 and 10-1 pickups) is reminiscent of what I'm hearing when Junior Knight plays in concert with LeAnn Rimes. It has a nice rich, crisp, and even tonal range.

Carter Mechanics:

As I've noticed with all of Bud Carter's guitars, the Carter is mechanically solid, and "right there" when you move a pedal or knee lever. I particularly like the feel of the Sperzel tuners as they also have a positive feel, making even minute tuning corrections an easy task. Pedal and knee lever tuning rod adjustments were not complicated by the stiffness I've experienced with some other brands, also making meter tuning an easy accomplishment. Not only that, I measured less than 1/2 cent of Cabinet Drop using a Boss TU-12H Chromatic Tuner! Changes to the Carter's setup and tuning are easily implemented since the all-pull system basically snaps together and the undercarriage layout is a very clean, uncluttered, and straightforward design. The square Cross-Shafts also make adding or changing pulls easy.

Technical Aspects of the Carter:

Carter Steel Guitar cabinets are made of Hard-Rock Maple and covered with mica. Carter makes extensive use of modern CNC machining techniques, including state-of-the-art "4-Axis Machining". They said their outsourcing strategy allows them to consistently access the latest manufacturing technologies and techniques at minimal cost and investment. This strategy results in maintaining lower prices for Carter purchasers. It allows Carter to practice "kaizen", the art of making constant improvements to the product and the manufacturing and assembly processes. Carter also listens to its customers and implements new features in response to their input. These practices continually improve the quality, reliability, and playability of the Carter, and also contribute to lower player prices.

Nearly all aluminum parts are made from 6061-T6 aluminum and are extruded and/or machined. The Control Fingers are made from a proprietary extrusion using 7075-T6, which is one of the hardest aluminum alloys available. Bud told me they use this alloy to resist the strings cutting grooves in the aluminum Control Fingers. The pedals are cast using 356 aluminum and are the only castings used in the Carter. Extensive use of steel includes the Cross-Shafts, Knee Lever Stop Brackets, Raise & Lower Fingers, and Return Stops. Also, the Pull Rods are made of 303 Stainless Steel. Delrin (acetyl nylon) Bearings are used for the Cross-Shafts and Pedals.

Available Options:

Other pickups are available, including all standard George L's and Bill Lawrence models. Carter's Standard mica colors are: Black, Red, Burgundy, Bright Blue, Navy Blue, Turquoise, and Black Pearlwood (grey wood grain), as well as several other custom mica colors at no extra charge (such as Rosewood, Swirly Mahogany, and 4 Birdseye-Maple- type laminates: Ebony, Hunter Green, Royal Blue, and Scarlett Red). Colored Fretboards are standard at no extra charge. Standard Carters are guaranteed to be shipped within 30 days.

Carter also offers custom models available in custom lacquer finishes with abalone inlay, and custom laminates for an additional charge. In addition to this, all models can be made with any mica finish made by Formica, Nevamar, Wilsonart, and Laminart. All they need from you is the Mica finish number, or a sample chip. And, of course, trade-in's are welcome.

Other Neat Things:

The first thing I noticed when I opened the steel case was the Carter Owner's Manual (well-written, easy to understand, and very handy!). Also enclosed with the Carter was a Tuning Chart (by Jeff Newman) for E9/C6 and a myriad of information regarding various steel guitar products. Included in the packet were flyers (many included order forms) from Goodrich Sound Company; George L's; Centaur Amplifiers; Jeffran College; BJS Bars; Evans Amplifiers; Stereo Steel Amp; Full Circle Sound Tracks; Red Rajah Steel Guitar Bars; Jim Loessberg's Jazz Series Courses; Buddy Emmons Music; Oklahoma Steel Guitar Assn.; Pedal Steel Guitar Assn.; Steel Guitar World Magazine; Ozark Steel Guitar Assn.; Scotty's Music; and Junior Knight Tapes/CD's. Carter invites vendors to submit their promotional literature for inclusion in this packet.

If you're newly involved with Pedal Steel or don't get a chance to get to a lot of steel shows, this Introductory Package could be of great assistance in helping you find the steel guitar Products and Teachers you might be looking for.

Other Info:

Carter is now a Authorized Dealer for Peavey Electronics, Stewart Power Amplifiers, Centaur Amps, and most all steel guitar accessories, including their own UltraLight, Full- ATA, Flight Case, which weighs only 26 pounds and can be ordered for any Carter model.

Carter also has their own packaged string set, called the PSG Smart String Set, made of Ernie Ball custom-gauge strings. The E9th set comes with an extra 3rd string, the .011 reinforced (.011R). The C6th set comes with a bonus G and D top string. And the E9th/B6th Universal 12-String set also comes with an extra .011 Reinforced (.011R).

As an added plus, Carter keeps computer and video records of each Carter and setup so that they can assist you in answering any questions or in helping you make any changes to your particular setup.

Carter also maintains 2 really neat Web Sites (www.steelguitar.com and www.steelguitarINFO.com) with a lot of useful information about steel guitar mechanics, maintenance, and repair. Bud, John, and Ann are always happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can contact the Carter folks in the following ways:

By PHONE or Fax:
Tech & Info Line: (972) 288-9100
Fax: (972) 288-9169

By Mail or Visit at the FACTORY:
617 West Kearney Street, Suite 101
Mesquite, TX 75149 USA

By E-Mail or Visit on the INTERNET:
E-Mail: psgbuilder@steelguitar.com
Web Sites:
www.steelguitar.com
www.steelguitarINFO.com

If you are looking at buying a new pedal steel, check out a Carter. You can roadtest a Carter and meet the Carter folks who stand behind their product by visiting their Showroom (Dallas/Fort Worth area, Texas) or by attending a Steel Show near you. Carter announces on its Web Site the shows it will be attending. Or, you can call them for their show schedule if you prefer. All in all, the Carter is a nice, professional-level axe at an affordable price.

Reprinted with Permission from Steel Guitar World Magazine
Volume 7 Issue 32, 1998

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