Trying to identify this Marlen - picked it up from a local musician in Asheville, NC, who bought it from someone in Charlotte, so not much to go on. I'm assuming this is 70s by the wear and changer design, but it is an all-pull. Was there a year Stadler stopped using white fretboards? Ricky Davis seems to know all on Marlens - Thanks for any help you can offer.
Anyone recognize the type of George L? Need more pics?
Very playable as is, but I can find no trace of a serial number. It's been converted to SD from a D. There are 2 numbers - one on a plate on the body, but neither seems to give the year. Etched into the length-wise metal - 820274. The plaque on the body reads SA 33 A.
Attaching a few YouTube links in hopes I accidentally capture something useful .
Seems to be a very early all-pull, or maybe converted to all pull when the back neck was pulled off. I couldn’t say for sure, but there were pull release Marlens with the same body style and hardware.
Looks like there’s plenty of space on those right leg cross shafts to just have straight pull rods, if you felt like doing that. Another thing I noticed was that the E lower lever (LKR) has the rods way up high in the bellcranks making for a short throw but very stiff… Part of that may be because those rods need room to pass over top of the other rods, which may or may not have more mechanical advantage than you need. One thing I end up changing on a lot of guitars is building in a longer throw for the pedals, which is a little nicer to play and makes for easier half pedaling. Cool guitar, I bet it sounds good.
Yes Jeffery; Leonard and Marvin; came out with the "Patent" All-Pull Changer right at the turn of 1980. And all the Previous years, Marlen Serial numbers were read backwards to denote the Day/Month/Year, for example "30115791" Pull-release Marlen is 1975 Nov 03......then when All-Pull came out they did regular Serial number with year last two numbers like yours here is "820274" so '82 is 1982....not sure about those following numbers, I think they were like a model number; I forgot to ask Leonard before he passed. But this Marlen Shown here was a nice work done to remove back neck and all..and make is a SD-10 and that all pull changer was just INCREDIBLE and the first mechanical Changer to have a Patent.
Don't know what George L that is other than it needs to be RIPPED off there and something else put on; as the George L is awful for a all Wood finished pedal Steel....> I would highly Suggest the New 710 Bill Lawrence his Widowed Wife "Becky" now makes with Bill's original winding Machine....they sound out of this world better than any other humbucker made; sounds like a single coil but double coil with Mags showing.......; Becky and her Daughter make and ship this pickup from a Bill Lawrence website called "Bill Lawrence Wilde Pickups" found here> https://www.wildepickups.com/collections/steel-guitar
Tell Becky and Shannon, Ricky Davis sent ya.....
I miss Bill and his sound from back then; but NOW HIS SOUND LIVES ON.
Ricky
Thanks, folks! I was hoping Mr. Davis would chime in. What an incredible source of information you are, sir.
The steel plays well, but Mike Calaway is going to give it a once-over - hopefully adding a vertical left. He may read this, but I’ll mention the possibility of a longer pull. I have Mike’s former formica D with 705s - sounds much better to my ear than this George L. Appreciate the endorsement for Becky’s new model. Had thought about waiting for an old 705 to surface, but could be a while.
Eventually will decide whether I like the sound well enough to gig it. The weight is a selling point for sure.
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