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Topic: The most pedals and knees on Steels?? |
Ed Naylor
From:
portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.
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Posted 11 May 2004 4:50 am |
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| Having been in this Steel business many years I have seen lots of unique steel guitars. Having seen all kinds of setups,homemade guitars etc. I would like to ask for info on the most Pedals and Knees anyone has used or seen on a Steel. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works. |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 4:58 am
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The most I know of was the D-12 Dekley I built for Al Petty around 1979: 20 heel and toe pedals and (I think) 5 knee levers!  Buddy Cage's Hilt pedal steel that was stolen a couple years ago had 10 pedals and 14 knee levers! 
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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
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 8:24 am
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Jim,
I saw that Steel just after Al received it at Scotty's ISGC at the old Chase Park Plaza. But I recall it as having 21 pedals. Am I mistaken? Incidently I believe that guitar was sold to a Preacher man from KY. Don't know if he still has it.
Ed,
There was a steel player that appeared on the old 50's Arthur Godfrey show several times that had pedals coming from every conceivable place on the guitar. I have not a clue how many. Just know there was a bunch of them.
I also saw the ONLY 11 pedal Fender 1000 I ever saw. Curley Chalker was playing it backing Hank Thompson in the late 50's. He used no knee levers, but his left foot danced from one end of that steel to the other as quick as lightning. He never played but one neck. I don't recall which neck.
carl |
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John McGann
From:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 11 May 2004 8:31 am
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Vance Terry had a monster rig at one point w/ 20-some pedals- and no levers!
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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.
[This message was edited by John McGann on 11 May 2004 at 09:31 AM.] |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 12:04 pm
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Carl, you could be right on the 21 pedals, it was a long time ago. As for him selling the guitar, you also are probably right, but the story he gave us for not paying for the guitar was that it was stolen.  |
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Jerry Brightman
From:
Ohio
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Posted 11 May 2004 1:36 pm
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I'm just curious...How many pedals and knee levers do most of you players have on your guitars? This isn't about more or less, and the reasons, I'm just curious about how many you choose and have on your guitar...
Jerry
http://www.slidestation.com
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forrest klott
From:
Grand Rapids Mi USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 1:58 pm
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Hey all,
In response to Jerry's question, my LeGrande III has five knees, and eight on the floor. The '71 fatback that a buddy of mine is bringing back from the Choo-Choo show will have eight and eight. That being the case, the LeGrande III will be going up to Danny Hullihen sometime over the summer when I'm not playing to have the same setup put on it as on the push pull.
Jerry, sure missed you at the GR show this past weekend. I played it for the first time, and boy was it an experience I'll never forget!! I hope I'm invited back next year. What a rush!
Skeeter |
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 5:27 pm
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| Quote: |
| "I'm just curious...How many pedals and knee levers do most of you players have on your guitars? This isn't about more or less, and the reasons, I'm just curious about how many you choose and have on your guitar..." |
Emmons D-10 LeGrande II, 9 X 9
Excel U-12 Superb, 7 X 7 physically. But all the knee levers will switch automatically, along with 2 floor pedals; so in essence it is equivalent to 9 X 16.
carl |
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Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
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Posted 11 May 2004 6:16 pm
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Several years ago, I saw Julian Thorpe(sp)playing a Sharp with the heel/toe pedal arrangment, it was a full rack and he used them all, I was so mesmerised by his playing, don't remember if there were knee levers. It was a scary lookin machine.He was with Barbara Mandrell and it was late 70s early 80s I think. Also, someone please correct me on the brand if I'm wrong.
Bill |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 11 May 2004 8:33 pm
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In Oct. of 1971 Julian Tharpe was playing a Wright Custom S-12 PSG with 11 standard pedals on the pedal bar and 6 knee levers.
Roger |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 11 May 2004 10:59 pm
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| I believe that Ernie Ball has a Bigsby with 15 pedals. Personally I'm trying to simplify my set-up and get down to the minimum that I need. |
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Jerry Brightman
From:
Ohio
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Posted 12 May 2004 5:12 am
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Carl and Forrest,
Thanks for your input...anybody else care to share?
Jerry |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 12 May 2004 5:25 am
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I still can't understand how Cage could get by with only 14 knee levers, unless he's doing lots of bar slants.
In answer to Jerry's question, most of my double-neck guitars have a minimum of 6 levers and a maximum of 8. That would be horizontal levers on both knees/necks (6 levers), and adding a vertical on each neck (8 levers).
The exceptions are the S-10's (4 or 5 levers), the Fender 1000 (no levers), and the Bigsby-types (no levers).
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 12 May 2004 at 06:29 AM.] |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 12 May 2004 5:51 am
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| Quote: |
| I still can't understand how Cage could get by with only 14 knee levers, unless he's doing lots of bar slants. |
He "gets by" because his last three floor pedals work both necks! The copedent of his stolen Hilt can be seen here:
http://www.buddycage.net/tech/copedant/index.htm |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 12 May 2004 7:48 am
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Carl is correct. Al Petty's guitar was a D-12 with 21 pedals (toe and heel) and 4 knee levers. It had an E9/B6 universal on one neck, and some new tuning Al invented on the other. I found Al's new tuning to be totally incomprehensable, but he sounded great on it.
I believe the guitar I saw was a custom made Sierra though, not a Dekley.
Incidentally Sierra made a prototype S-10 guitar with heel pedals instead of knee levers. Blasckie Taylor had it in his shop for a while. I tried it out and didn't like it at all.
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Jerry Brightman
From:
Ohio
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Posted 12 May 2004 6:39 pm
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Thanks Herbster...
BTW, a little off topic, but the new website looks great 
Anyone else on how many pedals and knee levers you use?
Thanks,
Jerry
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Craig A Davidson
From:
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA
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Posted 12 May 2004 6:58 pm
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| Emmons 8&7 |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 12 May 2004 7:13 pm
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Jerry,
Fessy D10 with 9 and 11
Fessy SD10 with 4 and 8
Emmons D10PP with 10 and 10
Emmons D10PP with 8 and 9
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Jack Strayhorn
From:
Winston-Salem, NC
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Posted 12 May 2004 8:10 pm
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| We built a LeGrande once with 10 pedals and 13 knee levers. |
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Winnie Winston
From:
Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.
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Posted 13 May 2004 3:27 am
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The "incomprehesible" tuning that Mike refers to on Al Petty's guitar was a simple diatonic. Not sure exactly what he did with the other strings, but 8 of them were a straight scale.
JW |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 13 May 2004 8:18 am
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Speaking of Pedals and Al Petty, here's a unique design that Gene Fields made for him.
To answer Jerry's question:
4P, 5KL is my favorite for E9, I'm not enough of a C6 player to comment on that neck. |
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Al Udeen
From:
Hendersonville Tn
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Posted 13 May 2004 10:03 pm
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| When I was traveling for Gretsch/Sho-Bud in the mid 70s, I first met Al Petty at a club he was playing in Marshfield, Wi. He had his own band, that included his [then] wife, Donna Love, & he was going by the name, Al Perry, he was playing a Fender 1000 that had about 20 floor pedals, I ran into him again, later at a club in Souix Falls, SD. He was transferring those same pedals to a Sho-Bud that he had just gotten,& then, several yrs later, he called me here in Mn. & invited me to a Church that he was preaching & playing at, I went & saw him, & he was playing a blue Sierra, w/ those same padals, I remember the pedals being staggered! Regards! au [This message was edited by Al Udeen on 13 May 2004 at 11:06 PM.] |
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 14 May 2004 7:46 am
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Joey,
I saw Al play that GFI shortly after he received it at the ISGC. It was the same year he had a seminar on "how to tune a PSG". I learned a lot that day. And I am greatful to Al for his knowledge.
He explained AND demonstrated why a regular guitar could NOT be tuned JI in all keys and how to get it quickly into the best compromise tuning. He also sold a tape in case anyone forgot what he said. It was IMO brilliant. He went on to show why many struggle trying to tune a PSG.
Al, like Julian Tharpe, thought, lived and played in another sphere from the main stream. I am very saddened by the tragedies that befell both of them.
carl |
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 14 May 2004 9:01 am
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Carl-has anyone got that Al Petty tuning tape available today. I would sure like to see it...al
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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