The Steel Guitar Forum

I play several nights a week in Port Charlotte / Punta Gorda area

Frank Parish and a few others also play in this area

I’m on Facebook - send me a friend request

More red flags than a CONSTRUCTION ZONE!

An all pull guitar has a separate rod for each raise or lower on each pedal or lever
A push pull has A SINGLE ROD for raises and ONE ROD for lowers on each string that is raised or lowered.
Waaay fewer rods on a push pull

How cool!
Thanks, John
Always loved Peterson tuners
Now I have another reason why.

Frank, I played gigs regularly with a band that tuned 1/2 step lower than standard I dedicated the Fessy to that task. It took less than an hour, using E9 strings, to retune open and all pedals and levers. I used the same tuning offsets and kept that guitar tuned down for 3+ years and hundreds of gi...

I have used Blitz cloths for decades on strings and metal surfaces. My military buddies told me they used them on brass buttons etc. I believe some of the metal care products can damage clear coat on a lacquer finish. Just be careful. Brasso is a liquid that works well for metal - aluminum or stainl...

Congratulations on the new guitar, Chris, and welcome to the Rittenberry family. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I have mine!

Thanks. It sounds really nice too. Derek did the inlay and stain; Clay did a great job on the clear coat and wound the pickup. And Derek finished it off with Gary’s Prestige Series parts and specifications. It is a wonderful guitar. https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix2020-03/806_AE328C3A90DF4D86...

My brand new Ritt
Derek did an excellent job

I completely agree with Jon and Erv. A bit more tension and string mass can make for slightly shorter throw and richer tone. I haven’t used 11s on any of my guitars for more than 20 years.

Read E9 tab from the top down - same key tab is written in
Read C6 tab from the bottom up - and realize you are in B6 no pedals - open

Read E9 tab from the top down - same key tab is written in
Read C6 tab from the bottom up - and realize you are in B6 no pedals - open - with 4 & 8 lowered

Well, I’m on the list for a new Rittenberry S/D-12 myself

Derek has agreed to build me a two tone lacquer guitar with a natural maple top and dark front & back aprons. It will still be a few months out. Really looking forward. Haven’t had a new guitar in many years.

Just wanted to add my thanks to Jerry for being a valuable resource and just a great guy to talk to in the 20+ years I've played Fessenden guitars. Haven't talked to you in a while, buddy. Hope you reconsider, but nobody deserves a peaceful retirement more than you. I've been fortunate to have had s...

I've been using Quilter amps exclusively since the ToneBlock 200 first appeared on the scene, 2014 or so. The 200 was difficult to EQ. Not a conventional tone stack. I had to use an outboard 3 band parametric eq to tame the high end, but that worked OK. Eventually, I sprung for a Steelaire Rackmount...

When I first started playing steel in 1975, I loved the silky feel of nickel/steel strings. I had several bars of varying sizes and that allowed me to home in on the most comfortable bar size to fit my hand. And drag or ‘sliding friction’ was not an issue. Shortly thereafter, I realized that my ...

Skeet,
Just tune all three with the maximum raise engaged for each. Then let off the raises and tune the open (unraised) tone at the endplate -- lower row of holes. Shouldn't require no rocket science.

What Paddy said
For the 3,5,4,3,1,4 pattern MTTIMT works best for me
Easier to pick block the two thumb strokes than the two middles on top for me
Your mileage may vary

Well, naturally, I LIKE IT. 😎 I have had the E to D lever on the 8th string since Bud Carter built my first store-bought U12 guitar in 1975. It is not just there as a B6 change. It gives the same D as string 9 on a 10 string E9 so you can play a major chord with the tonic on 8 (8,6,5) and go to t...

Do you want to be able to play stuff folks typically play on the back neck of a D-10? If you like what C6 sounds like, you might want the changes that go along with C6. If you just want to lower the range of the E9 tuning, ExtE9 is for you. 3 or 4 pedals is Extended E9 For a U12 you need 3 or 4 E9 p...

After playing 10 string about 6 months, in 1975, I bought a D-12 MSA from Scotty in St Louis and never looked back. Why? I'm a guitar player and loved the fact that 10 string E9 has the same fret positions as standard guitar, but the more I played 10 strings the more I missed the ANCHOR -- the low E...

I can (and often DO) play my two Emmons push-pull U-12 guitars barefoot. A number of things (mostly shock springs and pedal return springs) can contribute to heavy action on a push-pull. A little shock spring is fine to even out pulls, but things can get stiff. Same goes for the spring that returns ...

Thanks for the kind words, guys.
Incidentally, my personal favorites are the two 'Charlie Brown Christmas' songs. I think 'Christmas Time is Here' is my all time favorite Christmas song.

Have great holidays!

Harry was a great resource and a great guy. 1980 was a good year for steel guitar. One curious thing about the catalog, however, that caught my eye: The Emmons LeGrande models show a SINGLE 12 LEGRANDE I've been a 12 string player since the mid-70's and have only seen Emmons push-pull 12s I assume t...

Merry Christmas to all my friends on the Steel Guitar Forum. For the past decade or so, I’ve recorded a Christmas or holiday themed tune to share with my buds on the Forum. All these songs -- and others -- are available for free on my website -- make your own Christmas CD from them with my good w...