how often do you tune your pedals?

fraser · From: seattle wa

1. Everytime you tune your strings
2. Only when you change your strings
3. Other

Thanks in advance
Fraser

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

At the beginning of the night, when the strings are not "worked" mine raise slightly higher so they need to be adjusted down slightly. as the night goes on, I lengthen the pull slightly to sharpen them appropriately.

Most suseptable are the full tone raise strings, and the .020 fifth.

Others results....

EJL

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

when they're not in tune after warming up the strings -- very rarely on my guitars

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Ken Williams · From: Arkansas

When a pedal or lever doesn't sound right, I tune it. Rarely, would I tune all the changes at one sitting. I guess the only time I've ever done that was when I bought the guitar. Most changes stay pretty close without much adjustment. I have noticed that there is more need for touch up atfer changing strings.

Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill

Gino Iorfida · From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

I check them whenever I change strings, they of course will soemtimes need touched a bit. I also check them before every gig, however, I never seem to have to touch them, whenever I seem to need to adjust them, I figure it's time to change strings, because it never changes it seems until after the strings have been on for a few months.

Gere Mullican · From: LaVergne, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

This is my first experience with a GFI SD10 and I have found I rarely ever have to adjust the pedals. Normally I don't even take the little wrench out of my bag. I have to tune the strings as the temperature changes but hardly ever the rods. I have been playing steel since 1944 (archtop) and pedal steel since 1954 and this is the first steel I have owned that didn't require much fine tuning.
Gere

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Tune 'em?? Ya mean yer supposed to...???

------------------

  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

I have very good luck with my Emmonses and my two Fessendens in that they pretty much stay in tune as well as in pitch.

Very occasionally one pedal or another might need a touch-up, easily done before a show. The guitars stay in tune the whole night, and usually I find them in tune from gig to gig.

I tune the pedals when I change strings, of course, but I usually find them on the money anyway. I make sure my nylon tuners are tight on the Fessendens, or else I replace them. Cheap enough.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

LARRY COLE · From: LANCASTER, OHIO, USA

I tuned mine when it was new and had them welded.

Val Gethers · From: Hesperia, California, USA

What Gere says. My GFI D10 pedals or knees hardly ever need tuning. Gere, are you using SSteel or nickel strings, and has anybody noticed if one or the other {SSteel, nickel}goes out of tune more often than the other.

Val Gethers · From: Hesperia, California, USA

Herb: could you explain to us new guys {again} the differance between tone and pitch. Sorry guys. I'm trying to keep this thread going. I'm in a talking {typing} mood and I seem to be getting this "puter" thing down. "Puter" is what my granddaughters call this computer.

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Val--SS strings stay in tune a bit better, I have found--they require longer changer pull to change pitch so therefore react a bit less to minor variations. I know that ever since I chaged to SS, if my 4 & 8 strings are a little out from each other, it's a good bet that 4 (plain steel) needs tweaking because the wound strings are real stable.
And as to tuning pedals, once the strings are up to temperature, just the occasional touch up on the Carter.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 05 December 2003 at 04:42 PM.]

Val Gethers · From: Hesperia, California, USA

Thanks Jon. I was using plain and tried SS on my last string change and they just seem to stay in tune longer. Thanks again. Real quick. The weather guy says it's snowing in your neck of the woods right now. Sorry guys, off topic, I know.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

What I meant was is the pedals stay in tune with their changes, and that the general pitch of the guitar... higher or lower than straight up 440... doesn't vary much at all.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

Do you realize that a guitar-player tunes 6 strings, whether at a gig, or whether new strings are put on, or whatever. On a standard D-10 with six knee levers, a steel player has to tune 20 strings, and make sure around 30 pulls are in tune, for a total of around FIFTY tunings. Ridiculous.

------------------
[url=http://www.mightyfinemusic.com/jeff's_jazz.htm]Jeff's Jazz[/url]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

When I first started playing, I used to tune them a lot! Then I found out that if you get the guitar warmed up (by playing for about 5 minutes), they usually don't need tuning. Some players will set up their steel, strike an open chord (and tune it), and then immediately hit a pedal...and start cranking on the tuning nuts, and what happens is they wind up "chasing their tails" all night because as soon as the rig comes up to temperature, the pedal tunings are out again!

You should ALWAYS play before adjusting your nuts.

(Wipe that silly grin off your face!)

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I check them before I start playing. They rarely need adjusting. I have 2 Mighty Stable Axes

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

My last few years of playing pro i was very fortunate.Played rock and roll so never hed to tune or change strings,even before the job.Eat your hearts out all you country pickers.lol.Tracy

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I just counted... I have 68 things to tune. Shudder.
I actually had lost count.
I tune when changing strings of course, but also when something is obviously out.
More so when the strings are old.
The low C needs more touch ups than anything else.

David Doggett · Posted 6 Dec 2003 1:42 am

The strings might need tuning before each set. But fortunately the stops need tuning only when you change brands or types of strings. Or maybe if you go from really old strings to brand new ones. After months of use, maybe there is a little mechanical drift and you have to touch up the stops. If you are constantly retuning your stops, seems like something is wrong, either in the guitar, or in what you are trying to achieve. Unlike Herb, I find that overnight temperature changes, or just moving the guitar outside and back inside to get to a gig causes the general pitch of all the strings to drop or raise. But once they have all been retuned, the stops are usually right on.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 06 December 2003 at 01:47 AM.]

Gere Mullican · From: LaVergne, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

Val, I believe I am using nickle strings. Not sure but they are Jagwires. All I see on the package is tempered and made from the finest steel. But this thing sure stays in tune good.
Gere

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

When I have to tune my pedals and knees, I know it's time to change strings. I check my tuning immediateley AFTER each set, when everything is still at playing temperature.

Just before the first set, I check to be sure it's pretty close to being in tune with itself. Almost always, any strings I touch up then, get tuned back to where they started AFTER the set.

------------------
Jim Smith jimsmith94@comcast.net
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 9&9=-
-=Emmons D-12 push pull 9&4 (soon to be 9&9)=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-880

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I check them after I change strings, and sometimes one or two of them need adjusting.

If my strings are really old and I'm trying to get another gig or two out of them, sometimes I'll need to adjust the pedals to accomodate false harmonics. They still sound bad, though. That's my wake-up call.

Eric, I can't imagine having to retune the pedals during the course of a gig. If my pedals didn't stay in tune, I'd sell the guitar!!

------------------

Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

I agree with Bobby.
If you tune your pedals at home before going out on the job. You shouldn't have to tune the pedals again during the night.
If you do, you got problems with your guitar.

Sometimes I adjust a string or too using the pegs, in the early evening before the temperature stabilizes.....al

------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

In the 24 years I've had my Kline, I'm touched the pedal/knee tuning maybe five times-- all after changing strings.
If the pedal doesn't sound in tune, I check to make sure I'm in tune open. Chances are I'm a little flat or sharp to standard. Once I get the open strings in tune, all else if fine.

JW

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic