Paul A Bigsby

R. C. Allen is a guitar luthier that uses the style of his many friends of the era in the early 1950s in Southern California when guitar innovators were reshaping the instrument and grooming it for a new birth. RC was building his own unique instruments when Leo Fender and Lowell Kiesel of Carvin were also just starting out. RC was influenced greatly by his dear friend Paul Bigsby who worked for Merle Travis on one of the most historic electric guitars of the era.

Wayne Burdick’s pedal steel guitar made by Paul Bigsby graced the cover of the luthier’s first catalog. Wayne befriended Mr. Bigsby in the 1950s while Wayne was a member of the Tex Williams Western Swing Orchestra. Wayne’s pedal steel can be heard on hundreds of recordings and in fact the very instrument made by Paul Bigsby was later purchased by Ron Middlebrook who loaned it to the Museum of Making Music for display beginning in 2008. Wayne also had a long friendship with Rob Crook, the creator of the Standel Amplifier. Wayne thought very highly of Crook and Bigsby and shared some of his thoughts on the men during his NAMM Oral History interview.
 

Bud Isaacs designed a line of pedal steel guitars, teaming with fellow country music performer Shot Jackson to form the Sho-Bud Company. In his pursuit to create and develop new sounds for the instrument, Bud went to Paul A Bigsby to request a custom pedal steel guitar. The Bigsby became Bud’s main instrument in the heyday of his career as a recording artist in the 1950s. He played the Bigsby on stage at the Grand Ole Opry and recorded a long string of hits with the instrument including the widely influential “Slowly” with singer Webb Pierce. Bud married famed yodeler Geri Mapes who toured and recorded with Bud’s band for several decades. The couple became a regular feature at NAMM Shows as well as pedal steel guitar conventions around the world.

Lowell Kiesel, as the founder of the southern California guitar company Carvin, joined the ranks with Leo Fender, Paul A. Bigsby, and the Rickenbacker Company, in establishing the new era of electric guitar. In 1946 he formed L. C. Kiesel Company winding pickups on an old sewing machine.  As the company grew and the product line began to connect with musicians around the world, Lowell changed the name of the company to Carvin, after his sons Carson and Gavin.

Ted McCarty was the president of Gibson Guitars when he signed Les Paul to help design a series of instruments with his name.  Ted went on to design and patent guitars such as the Flying V before working with Chicago Musical Instruments and Bigsby Guitars, becoming an industry icon.  Among the classic moments of the industry’s history in which Ted took part in was in the 1950s when he asked Seth Lover to design a pick-up for the newly created electric guitars that would "buck the hum."  Later in his life he was befriended by Paul Reed Smith who sought Ted's advice and friendship and brought back the guitar legend to the industry he loved.

Van Schipper is a guitar luthier who has enjoyed embracing the roots of his craft. As a student of guitar building, he sought the advice of others with a mind to paying tribute to his great influences such as Leo Fender and Paul A. Bigsby. In his handcrafted artistry, Van has used designs and inlay to provide messages of hope and love in one series of guitars and forgiveness in another. He formed Seven Guitars in the late 1990s in southern California.