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Topic: Setup Routine...? |
Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 27 Sep 2009 5:55 pm |
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Ok, heres a generic steel question I havent seen here.
When setting up your steel, do you hook your pedal rods up in order (123...) or just as you find them out of the bag. Sounds silly, but everyone has their own way of doing things. Whats your "routine".
Also, I cant say enough about good techs on the road; for changing strings, tuning, etc.— when pressure is on, theyre invaluable!
What do Steel Guitar techs do?
I like road stories! Lets hear some please! |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 27 Sep 2009 6:50 pm
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I have mine numbered,They are not all the same lenght.Also put the legs in the SAME place every time. YOU BETCHA DYK?BC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 27 Sep 2009 7:35 pm
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Someone here posted a very valuable tip here for me.
I now pack my legs in order so they are assembled in the same locations each time. 
BTW, on my Mullen, I always tend to assemble the pedal rods 3,2,1 left to right.
Just my way, but I was curious how others have habits of routinely setting things up. |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 27 Sep 2009 9:19 pm
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One thing that I do, and it could be pointless, is to gently take the weight of the legs as I am screwing them in.
I like to think that I am prolonging the life of the threads in the aluminium endplates.
I also have the legs numbered, and I don't tighten the front legs up firmly until I have got the pedal rack in position. |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 1:05 am
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Richard,
Interesting, I too am real careful when attaching the legs. Nothing worse than wobbly leg(s)! Especially my own on a first night!
I haven't numbered my legs (yet), but someone posted a thread about packing legs away which I do now.
Thats an idea for a new thread, identifying the four legs via the many various methods.
I put the front legs on the outside pouches on their respective sides, then the back legs same way and the rods in the center. Roll it up, and just reverse the deal when setting up. Valuable tip!  |
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Ryan Barwin
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 1:46 am
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I just take the legs out one by one and screw them in...don't have them numbered or anything...then put the pedal rack on and tighten it. Then I take all 8 pedal rods out of the bag, put them down, pick one up, attach it, pick up another one, repeat until I'm done. Doesn't matter what order I do the pedal rods...
_________________
www.pedalsteel.ca |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 1:56 am
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My pedal rods are numbered and not all the same length. They go on as I grab them (in their numbered locations).
The Legs have a specific slot in my leg bag and always go on the same location.
I've never had a roadie to change strings, setup, etc. I've always had to do it myself (and I prefer it that way).
Last edited by Jack Stoner on 28 Sep 2009 4:27 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 4:21 am
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
| I've never had a roadie to change strings, setup, etc. I've always had to do it myself (and I prefer it that way). |
Back in the mid 90's, as a cover guitar picker, I was fortunate to work with a great band and crew in NJ. My "15 Minutes of Fame". The 3 crew were the main mixer, the monitor/guitar tech, and last but not least, the lights.
Over the few years we worked together, the monitor guy was like gold! I showed him how to set up my guitars, effects, changing and tuning strings (my axes all had locking tremelo systems then). He learned fast and soon I never had to change or tune strings. Everything was already set up.
And referring to a post I read here earlier about leaving your steel in church, all my gear was on a straight truck 24/7. Locked, insured and well protected; though theft wasnt a problem, it certainly was always a concern.
I used to ride my motorcycle to the shows! Ah, the good old days! But that was just 6 string electric guitars. Im curious about the professional tour level pedal steel players. What happens when a string breaks on a steel on a big show? Is that why its good to have a double neck!?  |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 4:38 am
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I've worked a lot of shows where they had stage personnel to unload and move equipment to the stage (and then load after the show) but we still always unpacked and set up/tuned our equipement ourselves.
A story on a roadie setting up steels. Paul Franklin Sr told me a story about Paul, Jr on one of his road experiences. The pedal rods on a Franklin steel have a bend (angle) at the guitar end of the rods. A new roadie set up Paul's steel and thought the rods were bent so he straightened them. When Paul sat down to tune the guitar all the pedals were sticking and he found the bent rods. Fortunately he had a second steel with him that he used until he could get back to Nashville and his Dad repair the rods. |
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Bill Terry
From:
Bastrop, TX
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Bill Terry
From:
Bastrop, TX
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 8:40 am
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oops...
_________________
Lost Pines Studio
"I'm nuts about bolts" |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 9:58 am
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| I never label or have any set regiment to how I pack my equipment at the end of the night. I generally just turn 'er up and screw the legs off 'er. |
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Stuart Legg
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 10:16 am
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| Seems to be a lot of that going on. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2009 3:11 pm
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Bo,that's why my rods and legs are marked,at the end of the night it don't matter how they go in the leg pouch. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Jerry Eilander
From:
Hadspen, Tasmania, Australia
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Posted 29 Sep 2009 1:03 am
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I do the E-9 neck. marked 1 2 3.
then I do the other 5 rods ,willy nilly.
as I cant ,or very little play C-6,
I use it as a Gloryfied arm rest.
cheers
_________________
Linkon d-10 4x8. Fessenden sd-10.5x3. NV 112.G&L telie |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 29 Sep 2009 5:37 am
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When I lay out the leg/pedal-rod bag, the steel's front legs are always the two outside ones - they go on first. Then the pedal-bar, then the rear legs. The rods? I put them on in the order I grab them.
(Why is it that much more difficult to fit the rod to pedal two on an Emmons LeGrande??? It seems a bit crowded around that part of the undercarriage!)
The Emmons rods have their numbers stamped into the black socket-end but are almost invisible - I just painted some 'White-Out" on to the numbers then wiped off the excess.
I once managed - by sheer luck - to 'pick out' each rod in exact numerical order from 1 through 8!!!! Sheer luck, though, and it only happened that once! I didn't win the Lottery that day, so my luck didn't hold....
The steel goes back in its case in half the time it takes to set her up - maybe three minutes!!!
(Oh - and these days I like to have the case up on a table or something; I can't stay bent double while I fit in those rods if it's on the floor!)
The last two tours I've done have been with guitar-tech guys who very quickly learned the ins-and-outs of setting up my steel; what a boon it is to turn up for sound-check and see her all ready to play!!!
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 30 Sep 2009 6:17 am
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
| A new roadie set up Paul's steel and thought the rods were bent so he straightened them. |
Now thats a story that made me chuckle! Thanks for sharing.
And thanks for this link also. I hadn't read that one yet.
This forum really has covered just about every topic! |
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