ROY P. THOMAS, "PEDALMASTER" BUILDER:
MY DESIRE TO BUILD A PEDAL STEEL GUITAR CAME THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH A FENDER "1000" PEDAL STEEL GUITAR BACK IN 1963. I CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO BAD MOUTH THE OLD FENDER PEDAL STEELS BECAUSE WE ALL OWE A LOT TO LEO FENDER AND GENE FIELDS FOR BRINGING US THOSE GUITARS! HOWEVER, I WAS PLAYING WITH A BAND AND WAS DOING A LIVE TELEVISION SHOW ..... ACTUALLY , I WAS TAKING A BREAK ON MY FENDER "1000" WHEN ONE OF THE CABLES UNDERNEATH CAME UNHOOKED. I IMMEDIATELY BENT OVER THE GUITAR TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED MY VOLUME PEDAL WIDE OPEN AND AT THE SAME TIME A BUTTON ON MY SHIRT HUNG UP ON ONE OF THE STRINGS AND I NEARLY BLEW THE TOP OF THE TELEVISION STATION!!! YOU MIGHT IMAGINE HOW EMBARRASSED I WAS! FROM THAT DAY FORWARD, I THOUGHT ABOUT BUILDING MY OWN PEDAL STEEL GUITAR.
IN 1965, I DID BUILD MY OWN PEDAL STEEL GUITAR AND IT HAD STEEL RODS INSTEAD OF CABLES. I NAMED THIS PEDAL STEEL "WESTWIND". I CONTINUED BUILDING THE "WESTWIND" AS A HOBBY UNTIL I RETIRED IN 1988. THE "PEDALMASTER" PEDAL STEEL GUITAR ORIGINATED IN FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS IN 1961. I PURCHASED THE NAME "PEDALMASTER" FROM LeROY PRINE IN 1988 AND HAVE BUILT THIS GUITAR SINCE THAT TIME. I HAVE MADE MANY CHANGES AND UP-GRADED THE "PEDALMASTER" TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS AMONG THE FINEST PEDAL STEEL GUITARS ON THE MARKET TODAY. PRESENTLY, I AM BUILDING THE "PEDALMASTER" IN A LOW PROFILE MODEL ... USING BEAUTIFUL WOODS AND DECORATIVE INLAYS. I HAVE A UNIQUE STOP PLATE WITH GUIDE SLOTS FOR THE ACTUATORS. THIS STOP ALSO ACCOMMODATES THE PULL BACK SPRINGS AND REMOVES ALL SPRING TENSION FROM THE END PLATE. THIS WORKS REALLY GOOD!
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO ARE PLAYING MY "PEDALMASTER" AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TALKING TO ANY OF YOU WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING ONE OF MY GUITARS. I TRY VERY HARD TO KEEP MY PRICES RIGHT AND THE GUITAR AT TOP QUALITY.
SINCERELY,
ROY P. THOMAS
PEDALMASTER GUITARS
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