Pad or No Pad?

[Tony Glassman]

Don't forget that the height differential between the E9th and C6th necks is significantly greater on a Sho-Bud when compared with most other guitars .....so a pad of any given height is relatively lower when playing E9th on the Bud vs. the rest of the pack.

[Brint Hannay]

Don't forget that the height differential between the E9th and C6th necks is significantly greater on a Sho-Bud when compared with most other guitars .....so a pad of any given height is relatively lower when playing E9th on the Bud vs. the rest of the pack.

True about the LDG pad and most Sho-Bud doublenecks. Height differential between E9th and C6th necks on the Super Pro only is 1/4", the same as on modern guitars.

[Ivan Rosenberg]

I wound up finding a sweet Carter S-10 on a single frame, and thanks everyone for contributing to this post--really helped me decide. Since the S-10 is comfortable for me picking-wise, I figured I'd stick with it. And I got a nice Nashville 112 on the forum to play it through

As for the possible tone difference, I'm pretty new to steel, but a longtime Dobro player. One thing I learned from Dobro and all the discussions about little parts to tweak here and there for better tone is that if you have any pro quality instrument, 99% of the tone comes from your picking and barring. So I figure I'm good working on technique for 3 or 10 years before a minimal tone difference between one style of guitar and another is even an issue : )

Thanks again!
ivan

[steve takacs]

As for myself, I've played on steels with pads but did not notice any comfort or sound difference. My preference is for lacquer guitars and I would hate to cover those nice flames or birdseye with a pad. As always, it seems to come down to personal preference. steve t