Question from a newbie

Christopher Woitach · Post by **Christopher Woitach** » 24 Dec 2009 10:23 am

Hello everyone - my name is Christopher Woitach. I've been a professional jazz (and other stuff) guitarist for years, played various kinds of slide guitar since I first learned to play, and finally took the pedal steel plunge last night. I got a great deal on an MSA S-12 Classic, 3 pedals, 5 knee levers. I realize that this is a lot of guitar to learn on, but I'm really used to pro instruments, and the deal was too good to pass up. I don't have the instrument in my hands, yet, but I'm getting prepared for a long journey...

My question is (and forgive me if this is a stupid one) most of the Universal tuning charts seem to have more pedals listed. Should I set up the instrument so that the first three pedals match the first three pedals in the tuning charts, or is are there some other considerations I don't know about?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

cw

Jaclyn Jones · Post by **Jaclyn Jones** » 24 Dec 2009 10:40 am

Now you went and done it! I sort of got started the same way after years of other stringed instruments. It sort of grows on you and that puts it mildly. The first steel i had had a different set up othe than standard. It was only after setting up an Emmons set up that it made sense to me. All of the cahrts and tabs finally matched! Only my opinion, there are a bunch of great musicians on here ready to help.

Jerry Bull · Post by **Jerry Bull** » 24 Dec 2009 11:02 am

I guess it's all in personal preference but I like the emmons set-up much better, mainly because it makes sense to me, and besides most tab is written that way. The emmons set-up has the pedals in this order(ABC) the other style is to have them in this order (CBA) The only thing holding anyone back from being successful at one or the other is, wishing they would have set their pedals up the other way. So my suggestion is, set it up in the ABC order and dive in and attack that thing like you own it. JMHO - Jerry

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 24 Dec 2009 11:10 am

As your guitar has 3 pedals & 5 KL's, it would be better suited to using an Ext E9th tuning.
Same as standard 10 Stg with a G# & E on the 11th & 12th strings. Raise the 11th/G# to A on your B pedal and you can put a lower on the 12th/E string down to C# on the KL that raises your 4th & 8th from E-F for a low root note of the APed/F KL position.
Or add a bunch more pedals and go with a Uni tuning.
I use Ext E9th on both of my 12 string guitars.
JE:-)>

Christopher Woitach · Post by **Christopher Woitach** » 24 Dec 2009 11:57 am

Thanks! Jon Light sent me an email, saying something very similar - three pedals = extended E9. While this tuning seems a bit easier, a new question arises - in my professional music world, I play everything from country to avant-garde jazz, and everything in-between. I would love to eventually do the same on the PSG - is this going to be just as possible with E9, or would I need to add pedals (I'm assuming one can) and use Universal tuning? I would prefer to have the learning curve shorter, but I can figure out most things musical...

Don Hinkle · Post by **Don Hinkle** » 24 Dec 2009 12:32 pm

Welcome to the madness Christopher - I love this instrument

Ok - like yourself, I played many instuments and have always loved the pedal steel. I bought mine about 6 months ago and havent looked back.

Stick standard with the pedals
A - raising B's to C#
B - raising G# to A
C - raising B's to C# & E to F# (only on 4th string)

There are some GREAT instructional aids.

Here is a MUST see video. It describse how to relate E9 pedal steel to std tuned electric guitar. VERY helpful. http://www.carterstarter.com/cs_mediafi ... tring.html

Also - there is a chord chart by a gal named Patricia that is wonderful. You can email her and she will give it to you.
You can find her post at http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 24 Dec 2009 3:24 pm

Topher,
Your guitar, in it's present configuration is best suited for Extended E 9th. If I were you, I'd get started in that tuning, and keep my eye open/advertise for parts needed to convert to Universal tuning.
But that's just me. I play a Kline Uni.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 24 Dec 2009 6:27 pm

After learning on S10 E9, my first 12-string was Extended E9, 3&4. I had a lot of trouble with the more complicated grips on the low strings. As an experiment I restrung it with a universal set of strings, and changed the pedals and levers over to an abbreviated universal setup (including having the A, B and F changes duplicated on the low strings). There were no pedals to the B6 mode, but the lever that lowers the middle E to D functions the same as pedal 6 of C6, which gives a IV9 chord and is the most used pedal, being equivalent to the A and B pedals of E9. Without the D string the grips on bottom immediately cleared up for me.

My E9 mode expanded into the lower range for rock, blues and jazz (don't use the low strings much for country), and I began to learn some 6th style playing. You can do tons of old style Western swing playing in the old no-pedals style. Maybe bebop comes easier with the 6th neck pedals, but even without them the low strings and 6th mode open up to a lot of blues-based jazz, and even Latin jazz. The low strings are also very useful for classical music. Almost any kind of music except traditional country benefits from the low strings; and for me having the 6th mode available is much more useful in almost any genre than Extended E9, even without the extra 6th neck pedals. Now that I have a real universal 5&9, I make very little use of the 6th mode pedals. So much of that is available mixing E9 mode and B6 mode as one big tuning.

Going to universal is the best thing that ever happened to me on pedal steel. If you have a 12-string 3&4 or more, don't be afraid to experiment with an abbreviated universal setup. On modern pedal steels it is easy to make the setup changes. But to put the A pedal and F lever changes on the low strings, you will need to buy a couple of rods and bell cranks.