Hello fans and fellow players,

It seems like every time I mention a brand of steel guitar, everybody that doesn't like this brand gets mad at me for saying good things about it and those that love it get mad because I don't say enough good about it.

This includes builders as well as players. Unfortunately, we can't all love the same guitar anymore than we can all love the same brand of car. There are enough differences in steel guitars to safely say that some people need a different brand for different reasons than somebody else would need the same guitar for.

As wonderful as Chevrolet pickups might be and as many people as they might satisfy totally, they are not the perfect vehicle for everyone. I am all for brand loyalty, especially when it involves a high quality, good sounding guitar. However, I believe in keeping an open mind and not kidding myself when it comes to comparing what is obviously an incredible sounding guitar to one that obviously isn't.

If a guitar can be produced to be very strong, with great tone and weigh ten pounds less than a competitive guitar and be beautiful, I'm going to rate it a lot higher than one that is heavy, with poor tone and sustain and one that has a hard time getting parts for or is hard to service due to an awkward design.

There are several little guitar companies that have gone out of business because of horrible mishaps in the corporate structure. Several of these companies were good little companies that have left a big hole in what we all loved in the world of steel guitar production.

I don't think any of us foresaw the instant demise of the Carter guitar company. And many of us have still got a lump in our throats because of this dynamic individual no longer being with us.

The big family of steel guitar players, builders, designers and teachers is a wonderful family that is just exactly that, a family. We love each other like brothers, sisters, moms and dads, just like real families. We may fight and argue at times, but I venture to say, that most all of us would do anything for anybody in our family that needed help.

This is why it hurts when one of us leaves the ranks of the brotherhood of steel guitarists. Lord knows we've lost an awful lot of wonderful players and wonderful builders in the last many months. It seems like every big show we go to, whether it be Dallas, St. Louis or whatever, there will be an additional vacancy in the family that will really hurt most of us clear through.

You don't have to be a great steel player to be in the family. Being a fan of Bobby Caldwell, Don Helms, Tom Brumley or steel guitar in general. When it comes to steel guitar, if you show up, you're an accepted member of the family.

Friends, we are a family and I want each and every one of you to know that you are appreciated. I have got many, many friends that I've lost over the years from the forum and from personal business dealings and just plain great friends that come by the store to see me when they travel through Nashville on summer vacation.

I can imagine how friendships matter to each one of you because they sure do to me.

Naturally, there's a special place in my heart for Charley Stepp of Derby guitars and of course, the great John Fabian who always made a dynamic presence at all the major steel guitar shows. I really miss our telephone visits that I got accustomed to at least once a month over the past several years. Dick Miller, Jimmy Crawford, John Hughey, Zane Beck, Shot Jackson and many, many more are part of this list of lost friends.

But it is my job in these letters to keep you all informed of changes in the steel guitar business and changes in the steel guitar structure itself. Everyone of you are very important to everyone else in the steel guitar family.

I hear from many of you all the time telling me how important you feel I am. Thank you, but I know I would have no importance or need to be at all without all of you there.

As most of you know, I was planning on coming out with five more videos. Because of my most recent injury, I'm going to have to wait for bone healing time before I can handle a bar in my left hand. But these plans are still in the fire. I'm hoping this summer to come out with several interesting new projects.

We just got two great guitars in. A brand new Mullen S-10 for $2890 and an MCI D-10 for $2575.

See our monthly specials www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html

Your buddy,
Bobbe Seymour

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