Issues with my pedal setup...

[David Needham]

I posted about this a few days ago when I got the thing, but the more I look at this thing, I have zero idea what's going on....

So I bought my first pedal steel off a guy in San Antonio. It's a Fessenden and works like a charm, but his pedal setup is totally weird. At first I thought it was the Jimmy Day setup, but after looking at the knee levers I'm all confused. Does anyone know if this is a standard setup? Regardless, I don't think I should learn on something this weird. So does anyone know someone who does repair work on pedal steels in Houston?

Here's how it's setup currently:

LKL: Lowers the G# (on 6th string) to G & Raises the F# (on 1st string) to G#
LKV: Lowers both Bs to Bb
LKR: Raises both Es to F

RKL: Lowers both Es to Eb
RKR: Lowers both D#s to D then to C#

P1: Raises both Bs to C#
P2: Lowers both G#s to A
P3: Raises the E to F# and the B to C#

Basically, I'd like it setup in the Buddy Emmons E9th style...

[Don Poland]

Bobby Bowman, he is just outside Houston. EXCELLANT steel guitar player and mechanic.

He is a member here.

[Jon Light]

You want to post this in Pedal Steel.

Looks good to me. LKR is where you want the E>F lever on a Day setup. The E>D# lower can either be on LKL or RKL like you have it. The rest is fine.

[Tucker Jackson]

Looks good to me. LKR is where you want the E>F lever on a Day setup. The E>D# lower can either be on LKL or RKL like you have it. The rest is fine.

Well... the knees are fine for Day setup, but the pedals are Emmons. It would be awkward to hit the A+F combination (A-pedal plus E-raise) on this guitar: Pedal 1 plus LKR.

So, yes, I think something needs to change -- either pedals or knees -- so they are set to the same system.

[Dave Grafe]

Your pedals are already the Emmons setup

P1: Raises both Bs to C#
P2: Raises both G#s to A
P3: Raises the E to F# and the B to C#

Your levers are the odd bit, and this gets personal, and no doubt will start an argument, but as close to "standard" as exists right now would put...

LKL: Raises both Es to F
LKV: Lowers both Bs to Bb
LKR: Lowers both Es to Eb

RKL: Raises String 1 F# to G# AND Lowers String 6 G# to F#
RKR: Lowers String 2 D# to D with a feel stop, AND THEN Lowers String 2 and String 9 D to C#

There are many variations but this is one of the most common manufacturers 3+5 default copedants.

Buddy Emmons' own setup changed regularly, and a number of them can be found here on the forum via search engine. Here is one version...

[Billy Carr]

Same set up I put on my Excel. Except for, my LKR lowers E's and RKL raises E's. The G# to G on the LKL is used mostly with the 1st pedal. I got that from some of John Hughey's work he did on records years ago. RKR just lowers 2 & 9 a half step each. I wanted the D# to D lower to get some the Hal Rugg licks and speed pickin'. I play a simple set up with just 3 & 4 Emmons pedals. Yep, simple mind here!

[Jon Light]

I read this carelessly. A previous post depicted the pedals as Day set up. Now I don't know what's what.

[Billy Carr]

1st & 3rd floor pedals are reversed to either have Emmons set up where 1st pedal raises 5 & 10 to a C# note or if the 1st is raising 4 & 5 and the 3rd pedal is raising 5 & 10 for the Day set up. 2nd pedal stays the same, raising G#'s to A. I played Day for my first 10 years or so and then switched over to Emmons in about 1981. I can play either but I rather play the Emmons set up. I separate Emmons/Day set ups by seeing which pedal is raising 5 & 10.

[Jon Light]

I repeat--the Mr. Needham, in a previous post, told us that he has Day pedals. So when I saw his lever layout, I saw it as as 'no problem with Day'. Now that I see that he is changing his description of the pedals, the question is, is this chart correct or is his other post correct?

[Lane Gray]

David, if you have no transcription errors in your post, I'd agree you have an odd duck. I concur with the Bobby Bowman recommendation, and I'd recommend taking Dave Grafe's suggestion.
I have a firm belief that the 2nd and 4th string drops should happen on different knees, see this video for why https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdfmMfzvcI4