Ricky's RKnee X-over System

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 26 Oct 2002 11:49 am

A couple weeks ago I had the great pleasure of doing some shows in Texas with Ricky Davis and his cool blue Fulawka D10. He has a very elegant crossover system for both his Right Knee levers that I've never seen before. It enables him to switch over the mechanism between the two necks, thereby keeping the tension down to a minumum. (allowing more string pulls) Has anybody else tried this idea? Is anybody else doing it now? Would this concept work on a single floor pedal also (e.g. the 4th pedal)? It seem's like a simpler idea than a total crossover system to me....I could be way off, but the whole idea has got my wheels turning. Could this idea avoid the "cluster" concept on the Left Knee for somebody like me, who likes to sit far over to the right of the guitar and not so centered?

You really got me thinkin' Ricky

[This message was edited by Rick Schmidt on 26 October 2002 at 12:55 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 26 Oct 2002 9:26 pm

Yes, Ricky, that crossover idea on the knee levers is very interesting. Tell us all about it...al

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 26 Oct 2002 10:21 pm

WEll since you asked...ha

Looking at the underneath of my Fulawka on this page here>Click and scroll down a pic to see the mechanism in question
You will see that both Right knee levers have pulls on each neck. Now you have a pull lever on back apron for each of the two knees. As you can see from the pic.; you can enguage the knee(s) to work either neck individually or both together.
I usually have it only enguaged on which ever neck I'm playing and it basically has you only pulling the strings on those two knees for the neck you are playing and so you wont' be pulling on the strings of the other neck when your not playing it.....make sense???>Click here to see the full Copedent to see why this is neccessary!
The pic will show you the mechanism and how it works; if you have more technical questions....contact Ed Fulawka 705-549-3033...as he will go on and on about his guitar as he is as excited as I am.
Oh by the way....this is a all hand made(that means everything but the screws) Pedal steel....made out of All Birdseye Maple body and necks and stained blue and screened bone white fretboards(so No separate fret board peeling up and making an aweful noice)......anyway here is a link to the pics for the front and top>Click here for the Real state of the Art New Standard Pedal Steel

------------------
Ricky Davis

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Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com

Post by **Joey Ace** » 27 Oct 2002 10:08 am

I'm surprized that crossover system isn't used by more builders. It makes so much sense.

Ed has been doing it for many years.

I heard Williams has a crossover setup, but not on any Williams I've seen.

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 27 Oct 2002 10:54 pm

Ricky, what kind of pickups are those?
~~W.C.~~

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 28 Oct 2002 1:50 am

Hey Wayne; Ed Fulawka made every part....including the pickups. So he made "Completly" everything but the screws.
Those are his own design and hand wound pickups.....I can tell you how they are made and wound to; but then I would have to Kill Herb....ha

Ricky

Greg Vincent · Post by **Greg Vincent** » 30 Oct 2002 8:53 am

Hey Rick just looking at your E9 copedent...

I thought lowering a wound 6th to F# involved too much travel. Have you guys found a way around that problem???

-Curious in L.A.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 30 Oct 2002 9:15 am

Yes Greg the solution to the problem of lowering a wound 6th string a whole tone without a long long travel is> "The Fulawka".
I can actually lower this wound 6th string two whole tones...without making my knee go to the other end of the guitar....and again it's because it's a Fulawka.....Ed can explain the changer better than I; since he designed it....use that number above and give the man a call...if you really want to know why....I can only give you an initial reason..."Cam Roller".
But his changer fingers are just the most genious thing I've ever seen....but the physics of it...can only be explained with any justice...by Eddy himself.
Ed is the most pleasureable/knowledgable guy to talk to...and you just feel great after getting off the phone with This Man.
Ricky

Greg Vincent · Post by **Greg Vincent** » 30 Oct 2002 9:29 am

Wow that's awesome Ricky. I love that 6th string G# --> F# lower, but the plain sixth is such a pest!

Hope I can get to Texas again someday to hear your Blue Darlin' in person!

-GV

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 30 Oct 2002 9:54 am

Ricky D.
What a beautiful blue Darlin that is. Ed must be some kind of engineer. I can see wh you call it "Darlin"

Earl

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 30 Oct 2002 2:10 pm

Ricky I hate to admit it to you but your blue darlin is givin me the wanta and gotta and gimme. That is one gorgeous steel.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 31 Oct 2002 12:58 am

Hey thanks Greg; Earl and Chuck.
Yes I can see how someone would want one after seeing it...as the Fulawka had the same effect on me.
This guitar was built for me as a tribute to the memory of Jimmy Day...and of course all of Jimmy Day's guitars were "Blue" and he called them "The Blue Darlin".....Mine is just "A Blue Darlin" and not "The"
It was a dream come true to have this guitar I have now....as there is only one man on earth that could capture the perfection of "Blue Stained Birdseye Maple".....and that is Ed Fulawka.
....as many builders know....Blue is the hardest of all colors to stain birdseye maple.....and Ed did it perfectly....but the sound of this guitar is within the tradition of a real wood guitar sound like a ShoBud.....but also has a all wood Emmons bolt-on sound to it....and of course it's own unique qualities......and of course the just genious design of every single part of this guitar has been thought out for more than 40 years.
Ed is extreamly busy....and stacked up with orders.......but get yourself in there....eventhough it will most likely be over a year or more or less....haven't talked with Ed in a bit....but you wouldn't be sorry and it would be the last and only guitar you'll play......"I've sold all my others"....I don't even own another pedal steel other than the Fulawka Blue Darlin'.
Ricky

Nathan Delacretaz · Post by **Nathan Delacretaz** » 4 Nov 2002 6:20 am

I was lucky enough yesterday afternoon to see for myself why Ricky's Blue Darlin' has been a highlight on the forum recently. It's quite a machine, ladies and gents. And the guy drivin' it is no slouch, either! To catch him and the Darlin' in a small room like Ginny's Little Longhorn here in Austin was a treat.

He kindly demonstrated the crossover system detailed in this thread - which is a mind-blower for a novice like myself... And even if the looks and mechanics of the guitar weren't impressive, Ricky's great playing on it would still be more than worth the admission!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 4 Nov 2002 8:17 am

Ricky, every changer I've seen on an all-pull steel guitar has basically the same design. Is the changer system on the Fulawka comparable to other all-pull changers or is it another animal altogether?

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 5 Nov 2002 2:31 am

Stephen; the Fulawka Changer is similar to others but completely different too.
What makes Ed's changer and fingers so in-genious....is the pivot points and radious.
The string end(ball) hooks in the back..like others....but comes straight up a flat spot...then the string creases/bends to start following the longer more shallow radious that is unlike many other changer fingers.
These are cam-rollers and individually supported....so there is no pull on other strings from an axle....when you make a change........
So being able to pull less string along a less radious....makes it easier to pull a string.....therefore easier for that string to go more distance without the extream tension on it......that other changer fingers can put....so you can raise and lower....any string.....two whole tones if you want....and the throw is not different from ordinary.....
Oh and the pulling system is a whole nother ball game as to why this can happen also.....there are many genious designs in and under this guitar.....I'll start by saying....staggard....pullers....
Ok I can go on and on and on......but It's just alot of technical/physics....stuff nobody wants to hear anyway......cause they ain't building a pedal steel...and they don't particularly want to learn how it works.....they just want to play.

Thanks for inquiring Stephen.....but really pal; I would have to write a thousand word post to really explain all and why and be more precise and specific; but that's a general discription.
Ricky[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 05 November 2002 at 02:41 AM.]