Sierra Steel Guitars

[Max Lee]

Howdy Ross, this is a friendly request to please consider making more pedal steel video content in your retirement (at you leisure ofc!).

I know all of us at over in the builders corner of the forum would appreciate any additional ramblings/musings that you may care to share. You've got a presentation style that reminds me of ThisOldTony on youtube, who you should check out if you haven't!

Some topics that come to mind that I haven't seen covered on your channel are guitar fit/adjustment and changer design/machining. Heck, I've even watched bike frame brazing videos for fun fwiw.

A fantastic and nerdy example (similar to what you've already documented) that comes to mind is Ken Parker's youtube channel, specifically his Archtoppery series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... mVl6CjSx9X
I would watch a long-form unstructured video of you just walking through a Sierra guitar and pointing out the little innovations or features pulled from other guitars and the thought behind your design!

[Ross Shafer]

Thanks for your post Max. my wife and I had a blast making those vids, but even as short and home spun as they are, they took a lot of time to produce. Time, that as orders came in was better used making guitars. While I really enjoy sharing and teaching, these vids were promotional in nature more than anything else. Now that Sierra's owner has shut Sierra down, there's no need for such promotion.

All that said....who knows what trouble I'll be looking for when I finally retire (late orders and even later inlay work have conspired to extend my working life by at least another month). So I won't say no, but I'm not saying yes.

Funny that you mention brazing, that's something I have well beyond 10k hours in and have been thinking of doing a one or two day, one on one brazing class. I love firing up the torch, laying down beautiful fillets is one of my favorite things in life, very, very Zen!

Thanks for the tips on Ken's vids. He and I have a close mutual friend that introduced us years ago, right after he'd built his first archtop and a few years after I'd completed my archtop apprenticeship with Taku Sakashta (RIP).

If you like excellent show 'n tell instructional type vids, definitely check out my dear friend (fellow make-a-holic) Paul Brodie's very popular vids...way pro compared to my attempts. Paul is a gift!

You and any other steel obsessed nerdy types are always welcome here on our little farm where my shops are, pretty cool scene here and we love showing it off! C'mon by if you find yourself in the SF bay area looking for trouble.

If anyone wants to stop by and assemble these last guitars so I can start enjoying retirement sooner, I can promise long hours, hard work and no pay!

[Max Lee]

I really appreciate your response, Ross, and I totally get it!

Be careful with your farm invitation, I'm actually originally from SF and my folks are in Moraga! I would genuinely jump at an opportunity to swing by your shop!

Unpaid long hours? Some of my fondest memories from my mechanical engineering undergrad at Cal are mashing my chrome bianchi pista up the Berkeley hills and hand-coping double butted chromoly tubes for my school's FSAE race car chassis. . . So don't threaten me with a good time!

My dad recounted to me that everyone was talking about "Fisher and Shafer" breaking into the scene in the 80s, so he and I are fans of completely different bodies of your work. It sounds like you've crammed multiple successful passion-driven careers into one lifetime (presumably due to the workaholism)!

P.S. "steel obsessed nerdy types"? Ha, guilty as charged. I will check out Paul Brodie's vids, they seem right up my alley.
P.P.S. Thanks for selling Jon Jaffe his Sierra so that he could offload his Kline to me!

[J D Sauser]

This thread is now 12 "pages" long, so I apologize in advance I haven't seen this question answered:

Sierra has been one of the most unique and also most expensive pedal steel in the, shall we call it "luxury" PSG market... a niche among a niche.

Can owner expect that a stock of replacement and extension parts has been created and left accessible... Knee Lever and Pedal kits, additional pull rods and bell cranks etc?

Whom to contact for such parts?

Thanks!... J-D.

[Ross Shafer]

JD, you have a legitimate concern that Sierra's owners had not considered. Take comfort in knowing that I have purchased the remaining stock of parts and can make anything I run out of. Yes I'm an old f--k, but promise to move all the stuff along to someone younger when the time comes.

Building these special guitars has been a big deal to me and those who took the leap of faith to buy them know how important their happiness with the rig I built for them is. Just like in my former life as a bicycle frame builder, I will continue to help former customers in any way I can. I sold my bicycle company 28 years ago and still receive questions and requests for guidance that I happily address. These may be Sierra branded steels but first and foremost they are indeed Ross designed and built guitars and I'm available to help anyone who I've made one for or who luckily ends up with one.

I spent a hell of a lot of time testing, testing and testing parts for durability. To this day I test every carbon pedal rod. One of the very first prototypes I made before putting them into production failed. 4 more have failed my testing in the last 12 years or so, but none in the hands of a customer. Because they an epoxied assembly and "shit happens" I also include a spare pedal rod with every guitar. At this point if the guitars are well maintained, not abused and treated as the precision machines they are, there's little that can go wrong.

Happy to address any other questions or concerns!

[J D Sauser]

JD, you have a legitimate concern that Sierra's owners had not considered. Take comfort in knowing that I have purchased the remaining stock of parts and can make anything I run out of. Yes I'm an old f--k, but promise to move all the stuff along to someone younger when the time comes.

Building these special guitars has been a big deal to me and those who took the leap of faith to buy them know how important their happiness with the rig I built for them is. Just like in my former life as a bicycle frame builder, I will continue to help former customers in any way I can. I sold my bicycle company 28 years ago and still receive questions and requests for guidance that I happily address. These may be Sierra branded steels but first and foremost they are indeed Ross designed and built guitars and I'm available to help anyone who I've made one for or who luckily ends up with one.

I spent a hell of a lot of time testing, testing and testing parts for durability. To this day I test every carbon pedal rod. One of the very first prototypes I made before putting them into production failed. 4 more have failed my testing in the last 12 years or so, but none in the hands of a customer. Because they an epoxied assembly and "shit happens" I also include a spare pedal rod with every guitar. At this point if the guitars are well maintained, not abused and treated as the precision machines they are, there's little that can go wrong.

Happy to address any other questions or concerns!

That is GREAT to know.
And yes, you know I always called it "The Ross Sierra"... it's got your DNA.

Thanks!... J-D.

[Ross Shafer]

As some of you may already know, now that Sierra's doors are officially closed the phone number is no longer in service. The email addy soon will be as well. Please contact me through the forum for my direct email addy.

[J D Sauser]

Sad day!

This was a great design and built to excellence!

Enjoy your retirement, Ross... IF we let you! Ha!

... J-D.

[Daniel Morris]

Where are the Joe Wright videos featured on the Sierra site to be moved?
Seems I saw a post about that, but alas, I can't find it.
My Sierra is the pride of my fleet. Ross, you deserve all the accolades people post.

[Ross Shafer]

Good question Daniel, I've no idea, thus far I've relayed what I've been told to on that subject. I've not been given any info about the new location. I'll certainly let everyone know here if I find out anything. I will let the mothership know of your inquiry.

UPDATE: Joe Wright informs me that the lessons will be moved to the new Hall of Fame website. I'm not in the loop on that so no idea when that'll be. Have a great weekend Y'all!

Thanks for your compliments my friend, but mainly thanks as I've issued to all my customers for taking the leap of faith to order one. It's pretty well known in my circles that I throw my heart and soul into projects like this that I have so much passion for. I so appreciate those who recognize the benefit of this kind of commitment. Thank you!