Who invented the Emmons volume pedal?

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 9 Jul 2013 7:05 pm

No doubt this has been covered here previously, however a quick search did not reveal the answer. Was it Buddy? Ron? or somebody else? Was it ever patented? Just curious…

Cass probably knows. And Ernie in Brainerd.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 9 Jul 2013 7:56 pm

buddy has said that one of his original concepts with the emmons steel was to have a volume pedal that attached to the pedal rack so you could move them across the room together.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Jul 2013 5:50 am

The concept certainly belongs to Buddy, if not the specific design.

Jack Strayhorn · Post by **Jack Strayhorn** » 10 Jul 2013 11:09 am

A difference between concept and working design.

Jack Strayhorn · Post by **Jack Strayhorn** » 10 Jul 2013 11:12 am

In any concept or design, does concept mean mere mention of an idea or any working drawings or models?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 10 Jul 2013 1:25 pm

we get that, jack. so who made the first aluminum framed pedal for the emmons?.... you?... ron, sr?
i would guess ron.

then they changed from the drop pin model to the fixed pin model. ron again, with buddy's idea?

what was the original 'string' made out of?

was buddy smart enough to wind the string in the correct direction the first time he had to change one?

did buddy ever have a steel guitar tech on the road? or did he just take care of his own business as most people have to?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 10 Jul 2013 1:27 pm

supposedly, buddy had working drawings of the first emmons', but things may have changed some in ron's fabrication.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Jul 2013 2:56 pm

Jack Strayhorn wrote:In any concept or design, does concept mean mere mention of an idea or any working drawings or models?

Good question, Jack. To me "concept" would refer to identification of a problem and offering a solution; in this case, dealing with an outboard volume pedal is a PITA, and attaching it to the pedal board is the solution.

The "design" is how to achieve the solution by a creating something that works. I think Big Ron came up with some great and historic designs, fer sure, and that could easily be one of his.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 10 Jul 2013 4:02 pm

Herb Steiner wrote:The concept certainly belongs to Buddy, if not the specific design.

I concur. I also believe that Buddy once mentioned the "tilt legs" were his idea, too.

As to what was used as the first "string" on the volume pedal, I'm going to take a wild guess...and say that it was very likely... a piece of string!

I own one, of course, but I'm not a fan of the design as everything is far too "exposed" to dirt, damage, and the elements.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 10 Jul 2013 11:33 pm

a piece of string!

same piece Dave Easley used....

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 11 Jul 2013 9:26 am

he had to use it easily so it wouldn't break.

Lynn Stafford · Post by **Lynn Stafford** » 11 Jul 2013 9:29 am

Gary Lee Gimble wrote:
a piece of string!
same piece Dave Easley used....

Jack, I'm sorry about hijacking your post, but I couldn't resist sharing this photo I took of Dave in '08 in St. Louis in the Jazz Room.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 11 Jul 2013 9:40 am

2008 indeed, I was front and center to witness said string. And guess what Chris, he wasn't playN any L R diity either...

I couldn't resist...oh, i'd like to extend one hijacked thread apology as well...but, strings are strings as you can clearly see

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 11 Jul 2013 9:51 am

that picture illustrates some fine uglification of a nice emmons.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 11 Jul 2013 12:10 pm

"fine" as it may be....for sure thou, not a hindrance to his picN expertise

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 11 Jul 2013 12:11 pm

I never new "tilt legs" were Emmons Idea, Donny. I learned something new today. I always thought those Bigsby straight legs were ugly as sin. Tilt legs also spread the load out I suppose.
Interesting concerning the attached Emmons pedal - Budy in his early days used to place the pedal outside the legs ironically I notice in a few photos from the fifties.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 11 Jul 2013 12:19 pm

What's the story behind Dave Easley's string?

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 11 Jul 2013 12:32 pm

Michael, innovative technology, cutting edge

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 11 Jul 2013 1:32 pm

Jim Pitman wrote:I never new "tilt legs" were Emmons Idea, Donny. I learned something new today. I always thought those Bigsby straight legs were ugly as sin. .

Bigsbys had angled or tilted legs on the cabinets that were narrow. But on a wider cabinet, such as a triple or quad, angling the front legs would place the pedals farther away from the player -- especially one standing or sitting on a high bar stool. Also, angling the legs of a triple or a quad just makes the footprint unnecessarily broad.

Bigsby had tilted" legs before Buddy Emmons (Buddie, actually) worked with Shot Jackson to make the first Sho-Buds, and DALAND had some angled legs in August 1954 -- those were made by Don Davis, Sugarfoot Garland and Shot Jackson. I have a photo somewhere of Buddie Emmons sitting behind his Bigsby and next to him is a DALAND with its spread legs.

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 11 Jul 2013 7:34 pm

chris ivey wrote:that picture illustrates some fine uglification of a nice emmons.

I certainly agree.

Mitch

Mule Ferguson · Post by **Mule Ferguson** » 12 Jul 2013 8:23 am

Legs?, What Legs?

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 12 Jul 2013 9:01 am

Ay yes, the console.
If that steel were to be played on that show Mad Men it would have a drink bar setup underneath. Plumb it up and plug it in.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 12 Jul 2013 9:18 am

Pete Martinez told me he had a D-8, one that PAB built soon after Joaquin's console, that the case became the support system, like Travis' guitar.

Sadly, that guitar was stolen about 20 years ago and Pete lost all interest in playing steel, even though he had Fenders to use if he wanted to.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 12 Jul 2013 12:51 pm

Here is the photo of Buddie Emmons sitting behind his Bigsby and next to the 1954 DALAND with tilted or splayed legs.

Do you think Emmons had the same reaction to what was sitting next to him as Sophia Loren had sitting next to Jane Mansfield?

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 12 Jul 2013 1:27 pm

How lucky was Buddy to have a dad that had the same last name as a famous Pedal Steel Guitar.
If it had not been for that none of us would even know who Buddy was.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Who invented the Emmons volume pedal?

Who invented the Emmons volume pedal?

Dave Easley...