My Weird Dekley

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Long-time lurker, first time OP.

I know this community is full of passionate, detail-oriented, eager-to-help musicians that are full of knowledge on all things PSG. For any of you reading who are not in this category, go ahead and skip right on to the next topic cause this thread ain’t for you.

My goal with this first post is to try and find more information on this guitar’s origin. If anyone here has some thoughts or recommendations to send my way, I’m all ears. Looking further ahead, I’d like to get this guitar into someone’s hands who knows what they’re doing to possibly restore.

I have a detailed writeup below, with pictures and corresponding captions further below.

Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this.


Original Guitar Purchase

I bought this guitar in the town of Houma, Louisiana. This is my second PSG, with a Harlin Brothers Multi-Kord being my first. I bought it from a musicstore called Fabregas Music. It was out on the floor, with a simple retail tag that said ‘Dekley guitar’. No case, no seat, no volume pedal, no other accessories. I knew I wanted something a bit more of advanced than my Multi-Kord, specifically with better string-bending infrastructure, and I thought budget-wise it was at a good pricerange.


Further Inspection of Guitar

• PSG Makeup: Single neck, 10 string, 3X3. Emmons pedals. Raise/lower Es on LKL/LKR. RKR lowers string 2 a whole step in one continuous motion.

• Tuning/Copedent: I thought it was a C6 (a previous owner applied stickers on the guitar that indicate such, see photos). My original plan was to tinker on it and convert it over to a form of Open G (popular style for steel guitar music in my area). But no. This all changed when shortly after, I realized this was moreso set up for E9. I use the term ‘moreso’ because it is more accurate to say it was set up for a D9 tuning (floor pedal travel of pedals A/B at the time matched the 1-4 chord bend perfectly for that lower tuning, as opposed to E tuning, where it was too flat and sounded sour and horrible). It stayed in this D9 tuning for awhile. I spent several years not even using kneelevers during this timeframe. I now have it as good as I can get it for E9, which took quite a bit of time/effort to get the bridge tuners to sharpen that much. I have knees working now as well.

• Plain Fretboard: In the fretboard location, this guitar came with a piece of natural grain wood, with some metal frets on it. No fret markers. This does not look like other Dekleys I have seen online, which have a fairly ornate fretboard style, also without metal frets.

• Matching Pedal Rack: The pedal rack is a similar species of natural grain wood, held on with wingnuts. This looks similar to other Dekleys I have seen online, with most google search images showing painted wood here instead of natural wood.

• Pedal Rod Engravings: Only two of the three rods have numbers engraved on them. One rod has small number 1 engraved near the top; another has a 3; no number 2. I am including pictures below.

• Cabinet Height: This guitar is low. In its most forgiving state (more on this issue below), I am lucky to have 25” of clearance. I wonder if some previous owner must have been short and chopped the metal legs.

• Leg Attachment Points: Not crazy about this design. More below.

• Strange Pickup Cover: There was a very strange cover apparatus installed over the pickup. This was set into the front and back of the cabinet with some metalscrews. This was placed right where the namebadge would go, to help give you some orientation. This completely obstructed my pick hand placement. So that weird thing was removed almost immediately after I got it home. I still have it. I’ve included a couple of pictures of this piece of metal below. I still can’t figure out what this was for. Since I don’t know a whole lot about these guitars, the thought crossed my mind that it could be factory. Doubt it though. If I've been living under a rock and am missing something super obvious in the PSG world, someone please tell me!

• Reference Guitar: This is about as good a reference as I can find. My guitar has a lot of the same anatomy as the one shown in this youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n85USsesNdk

• My Conclusions: I believe this is an early student model Dekley S10. Isaac Miller, local PSG legend and forum member, has been helpful in making that determination with me. My assumption is that some ol boy down here got ahold of this guitar and did some “coonass engineering” on it!


My Modifications Since

I haven’t done a lot. If you disregard the removal of the pickup cover, the only thing is the application of fretmarkers. I commissioned my then girlfriend, now wife, to add a design of fretmarkers <3. We went with a few patterns that repeat every 12 frets to signify octaves. I have photos that show this below.


Issues I Have Observed

• Small string spacing – These strings are very close together. You have to be very precise in your picking; probably not a horrible guitar to learn from and to develop picking/blocking technique off of.

• Bridge saddle string retention issues – String 6 will routinely pop out of the bridge saddle; kinda sucks when you’re in the middle of playing and that happens; this seems to be improved with increased gage strings which I have on there now.

• Imbalanced pickup response – There are certain frequencies, where this thing is loud as hell; a compressor pedal would probably help alleviate this issue. I have gotten good results with an outboard graphic EQ going into the input of my amp, just sculpting out those harsh imbalanced frequencies. I think this pickup has a cool sound though. Not entirely sure what brand this is (some of you may be able to tell), but I think it interacts with this guitar fairly well and yields a nice, trebly, bright tone that cuts through the mix. I prefer a sound like this, as opposed to the deep bassy sounds that some are more inclined to.

• Leg attachment issues – The legs do not stay secure in the externally mounted leg attachment housings. This sends my guitar wobbling and scooting all over the place, especially when I flatten the Es on LKR. In my case, the plastic housing has deteriorated on each of the rear legs, which worsens this issue a lot. I see pictures of other Dekleys online, where the legs look like they attach in the more conventional threaded rod style, mounted internally underneath the cabinet. I believe these are on their higher end and/or later built guitars. I have seen other Dekleys online which still use the external housing, but with a metallic housing in lieu of the plastic ones my guitar has.

• Leg height issues – This design would benefit greatly from the telescopic leg extension hardware you see on other steels. It is really tight for me as it is. In order to sit at this guitar, I have to use a drumthrone set on the lowest possible setting to get my thighs in there! I am thinking this was not available on their base/lower end models.

• Pedal rod attachment issues – *Edited - Forumites saved the day and helped me diagnose this!*


Dekley History

From what I understand there is a bit of a sordid past with the Dekley company. I hope that doesn’t come across as me being impolite in any way, but my understanding is you’re not really able to pick up the phone and call these guys any longer. Despite the issues I list above, I think this guitar sounds great.


Summary

Much appreciate all of you for making it this far in my first OP! Total amateur player here, just trying to figure things out. It has taken me a long time to wrap my head around the quirky nature of this guitar, and this forum has already been a huge resource. Yall are seriously awesome, thanks in advance for any help/guidance!


Photos

https://ibb.co/0RG2b4b8
Photo 1: Photo of Undercarriage, Facing Towards Bridge

https://ibb.co/mVmShzPq
Photo 2: Photo of Serial Number “001-0068” Etched Into Brushed Aluminum Base

https://ibb.co/Rk8VMBtr
Photo 3: Photo of Top of Guitar, Facing Towards Tuners, Note the Use of Metal Frets

https://ibb.co/Mksxgq95
Photo 4: Photo of Top of Guitar, Facing Towards Bridge; Notice Stickers Applied Corresponding to the Open Notes of a C6 Guitar

https://ibb.co/xtwdkdZC
Photo 5: Photo of Top of Guitar, Front Visible

https://ibb.co/JWvzTVQv
Photo 6: Photo of Undercarriage, Pictured Near Bridge

https://ibb.co/C3n9GmCw
Photo 7: Photo of Undercarriage, Pictured Near Tuners

https://ibb.co/HpbB4PJS
Photo 8: Photo of String Changer, Notice “C6 Tuning” Sticker Applied

https://ibb.co/LzzMYdzj
Photo 9: Photo of Pickup Cover (Removed at Time of Purchase)

https://ibb.co/xqxPtjrs
Photo 10: Photo of Pickup Cover

https://ibb.co/Zpd9YBc3
Photo 11: Photo of Pedal Rod Engraving, Notice “1” Etched into Metal

https://ibb.co/S4z10N69
Photo 12: Photo of Pedal Rod without Engraving

https://ibb.co/cSCYbsqV
Photo 13: Hand Sketch of Pedal Rod “Pop Out” Issue Described Above

[Lee Rider]

Aside from the pedals, it does not look like a Dekley to me. Pull release changer. Looks like a conglomerate to me...

[Doug Beaumier]

It’s a Dekley student model. The logo is missing and the fretboard has been changed. Dekley was in business from 1977 until 1984. I believe they introduced the student model in 1980.

IMG_1457.jpeg

[Jeffrey Shu]

My first steel was a Dekley student model like this - aluminum body? I have no idea what the pickup guard would be for unless, as you suggest, someone has done some engineering. Could they have put it on to protect the steel for transport? Strange, though. Probably someone else knows better.

I had no idea how to set up a steel when I got mine , and had your same problem with the pedal rods falling out. The only solution is to flip them around - angle the rod hook to loop in between the connector and the body, which keeps the rod in place. Then connect the opposite end to the pedal. You say they won't fit, but I'm 90% sure the designer intended it as such. My other steels all have connected this same way.

I thought mine was an excellent starter aside from the legs being a bit wobbly. Getting a better steel with threaded legs was a game changer. Regardless, I very much hope you're able to bring this one back to life!

[Lee Rider]

Aside from the pedals, it does not look like a Dekley to me. Pull release changer. Looks like a conglomerate to me...

I stand corrected!

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Thanks guys for the help here.

Doug - I am still figuring out this forum. I had to revise my original post a few times, because I couldn't link the photos. Let me try again here. If this works, you should be able to see the serial number (001-0068) in the photo below. If not, it is linked up above; see the link with caption for Photo 2. Curious if anyone here on the forum has any knowledge of the Dekley company and/or how to date this thing. Would be cool to talk with someone and find a good tech to service this guitar.

Jeffrey - Thanks for the tip. I gave that a shot. I am now remembering I once did try this (thanks for the reminder that there is a way to get those rods in there). In my case, my pedal rods attach to the pedal with a threaded connection. If I'm understanding you correctly, I'd hook up at the top first, then attach to the pedal. If that's correct, then I don't believe my guitar will allow that - i need the hooked connection liberated in order to spin the rod into the female threaded hole on the pedal. Hope that makes sense.

[Pat Chong]

Hi Jacques,
As far as the piece of metal over the pickup, it looks like what amounted to a 'wrist rest'. Some of the older units had a metal piece placed over the bridge or changer, where you rested your wrist and played from there ... yours looks a little higher though, just a thought ....

The pedals and rods: Jacques, the "threaded connection" you mentioned could be either the connector on the end of the pedal rod, or the ball joint (screws into the pedal) that it connects too. You don't need to unscrew either of the "threaded connections", but rather just separate the connector and the ball joint.

You separate them by pulling the connector cover up and out of the way (held in place by a spring). Pulling it up exposes where the ball joint fits in, allowing you separate and remove the ball joint without having to unscrew anything. Then you can assemble it like Jeff said, and that way the pedal rods won't fall out.

....Pat

[Doug Beaumier]

Dekley serial numbers will not tell you the exact year the guitar was made. They will only tell you if it was made before or after December 31, 1979. The student model was introduced after that date. See the “B” box below.

IMG_1509.jpeg

[Doug Beaumier]

The Dekley owners’ manual is online:
https://www.steelguitar.com/manuals/Dek ... Manual.pdf

There’s a lot of useful info in the manual, including a section on troubleshooting. The info applies to their pro models… I’m not sure how much of it applies to the student model. As I remember the student model has a different, simpler mechanism.

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Pat/Doug - This worked. Found the spring-loaded collar that slides up over the female threaded hole. Pedals are properly set up now. Many thanks guys.

Doug - Thanks for sending owners manual. I'm attaching a screenshot explaining proper pedalrod attachment and pedal setup. Related: I have a Dekely Low Boy pedal being shipped to my house now! Should arrive tomorrow.

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Oh and Pat: About the wrist rest... Appreciate you clarifying that. I thought that at one point, but it just seems like that would really hurt one's ability to mute or block strings. I'll have to search more, for online pics of older guitars like mine, to see if they come with a similar wrist rest.

[Joseph Vinsik]

Man, that metal thing looks like an overpass for a hiway.
It could however hold a pitcher of beer between sets!
Best of luck!!

[Donny Hinson]

Remove all those goofy "stickers"! The strings look old, and that may be part of your volume problem between different strings. (Crappy strings = crappy sound.) Set the guitar up in D9th or E9th, and learn to play it that way. It's a basic pull/release student model, and can be made to play decently with a little work. Toss the "palm rest". It's junk, obviously hand made, and added by someone who didn't know what they were doing. As far as the wobbly legs, you'd have to determine what's causing the slop - the mounting of the leg receptacles to the frame, or looseness of the leg in the receptacles. You may have to tighten the screws, or add a layer or two of scotch tape to the legs where they slide in.

Good luck!

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Haha thanks guys. Not sure WTF is up with that piece of metal. That post made me think of the rickety I-10 bridge in Lake Charles (for any of you who have had the pleasure ).

Man if by goofy stickers, you mean the fretmarkers... I gotta tell ya: I was lost trying to move around that neck before those got put on. Maybe some of you guys can do it, but I was pretty useless on a steel guitar with an unmarked fretboard.

Some of the pics are from last year, when I was showing Mr. Isaac Miller pics of my guitar. I have some newer strings on there now. Pickup still has hot/cold spots. Parts of the neck lack sustain as well. I think it sounds cool though. Has that zippy, cut-right-through-the-mix tone that I like. Nowhere close to Ralph Mooney's killer sound, but it can do a similar bright, trebly sound like he had in the early recordings. The player might have a thing or two to do with that though .

And yes. I may be returning to my trusty friend duct tape for the leg wobble issue. Had it on there for years at one point. See below pics showing the unfortunate level of deterioration. Third pic is from google; see the metal housing. That would be cool to find. There is a thread going now in another part of the forum, talking about Dekley parts. Wonder if those guys would know where I could find these.

All things considered, my guitar has been pretty good for a student model.

[Donny Hinson]

Man if by goofy stickers, you mean the fretmarkers... I gotta tell ya: I was lost trying to move around that neck before those got put on. Maybe some of you guys can do it, but I was pretty useless on a steel guitar with an unmarked fretboard.

No Jacque, I was talking about the "C6th Tuning" strip on the end and the strips with the string notes on the keyheads. Nothing wrong with fret markers, though, as almost every guitar has them.

[Dave Grafe]

The new forum software has size limits for posted images and most cell phone cameras now create huge files. If your photos won't load resize them so that the longest dimension is 1k pixels or fewer and they will upload easily.

[Jacques Boudreaux]

Donny: Of course! Duh! I'm so used to seeing the C6 labels on this guitar. I do wonder if we have any savants here that can play steel guitar with no fretmakers though.

Dave: Thanks. I eventually figured out how to provide photos with the attachments feature.

And lastly, guys I have some exciting news...

I have a new guitar. I've been on the lookout for awhile. Finally found one that seems to be a great fit. I'm considering making a post on it, but as of last Friday, I'm the proud new owner of an MSA D12. I have so much to explore on this thing. I'm having so much fun already.