1995 Weisner Steel Guitar

Paul Wiesner S-10 Pedal Steel Guitar

During my fruitless chase around London looking for a B-Bender Telecaster I popped into Ivor Mairants in Oxford Street looking for a half-sized Spanish Guitar for my daughter, and there in the middle of the floor was a Pedal Steel Guitar. My only experience with them to date had been when I bought the crappy 1975 Walnut Strat from Sho-Bud in Denmark Street. On that occasion I had been fascinated by the large array of Steel guitars. I had never seen one before but could see the resemblance to Hawaiian guitars and I liked Hawaiian guitar music. We dispensed with the Strat business fairly quickly and then the guy played one of the Steels. I loved that sound but, my God, those things were expensive. I did however buy an LP from Lloyd Green and it got played to death by myself and my three brothers.

Well, nearly twenty years later in Ivor Mairants things were different. I had money! The Pedal Steel Guitar they had was a Ronnie Bennet handmade student model and the price was £1000.

"I'll take it. I'll pay you cash right now"?

"Sorry, it is for someone else. You'll have to order one"

So, I ordered it and took it back to Kenya, along with the rest of the mountain of toys I had bought including the Rockinger B-Bender Telecaster that I came across as soon as I returned to Germany. What the hell. I now had a B-Bender Tele AND a Pedal Steel Guitar.

I left Mombasa in December 1994 for Switzerland. Whilst there I was looking for someone who could help me organise a new changer on the Bennet Steel and came across Wiesner Steel Guitars in Basel.

Paul Wiesner had just started up his new business of manufacturing Pedal Steel Guitars and yes, he could make the necessary metal parts for what I had in mind. BUT, sitting pretty in the middle of the shop was this gorgeous blue and polished aluminium guitar. I sat down and played it and was totally blown away by the smooth, precise and light action of the pedals and levers.

Being of very weak willpower and with little financial sense I chopped in the Bennet and walked out with this one.

It is a magnificent instrument and I am barely able to do it justice, but you can hear it on the instrumental of this Crosby/Stills/Nash song 'Helplessly Hoping'.

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© The Mombasa Flash

Paul Wiesner S-10 Pedal Steel Guitar During my fruitless chase around London looking for a B-Bender Telecaster I popped into Ivor Mairants in Oxford Street looking for a half-sized Spanish Guitar for my daughter, and there in the middle of the floor was a Pedal Steel Guitar. My only experience with them to date had been when I bought the crappy 1975 Walnut Strat from Sho-Bud in Denmark Street. On that occasion I had been fascinated by the large array of Steel guitars. I had never seen one before but could see the resemblance to Hawaiian guitars and I liked Hawaiian guitar music. We dispensed with the Strat business fairly quickly and then the guy played one of the Steels. I loved that sound but, my God, those things were expensive. I did however buy an LP from Lloyd Green and it got played to death by myself and my three brothers. Well, nearly twenty years later in Ivor Mairants things were different. I had money! The Pedal Steel Guitar they had was a Ronnie Bennet handmade student model and the price was £1000. "I'll take it. I'll pay you cash right now"? "Sorry, it is for someone else. You'll have to order one" So, I ordered it and took it back to Kenya, along with the rest of the mountain of toys I had bought including the Rockinger B-Bender Telecaster that I came across as soon as I returned to Germany. What the hell. I now had a B-Bender Tele AND a Pedal Steel Guitar. I left Mombasa in December 1994 for Switzerland. Whilst there I was looking for someone who could help me organise a new changer on the Bennet Steel and came across Wiesner Steel Guitars in Basel. Paul Wiesner had just started up his new business of manufacturing Pedal Steel Guitars and yes, he could make the necessary metal parts for what I had in mind. BUT, sitting pretty in the middle of the shop was this gorgeous blue and polished aluminium guitar. I sat down and played it and was totally blown away by the smooth, precise and light action of the pedals and levers. Being of very weak willpower and with little financial sense I chopped in the Bennet and walked out with this one. It is a magnificent instrument and I am barely able to do it justice, but you can hear it on the instrumental of this Crosby/Stills/Nash song 'Helplessly Hoping'.

















Return to the Guitar Porn Shop		© The Mombasa Flash