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Topic: Basic Pedal Steel Tuning Question |
Mathew Peluso
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2016 5:39 pm |
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I'm very new to this world. Just got a Stage One from Doug and I am beyond happy with it! I'm a long time guitar player so I've been plugging in the theory where it coincides and I'm much less overwhelmed than I thought I would be.
I do have a general question about the design of the pedal steel. I noticed as I was tuning up the open strings, pedals and levers that the strings not affected by pedals and levers in a given grip would go slightly flat when the pedal or lever was engaged. It's not incredibly noticeable, I just happened to be looking at my tuner and checked. Is this a consequence of design for all pedal steels or is something off with my intonation? |
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Carl Kilmer
From:
East Central, Illinois
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Posted 16 Apr 2016 6:01 pm
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That's known as cabinet drop. All steels have a little
of it, some are worse than others. We do manage to get
around it after time. try tuning your E strings 4 and 8
with the A and B pedals down. You won't notice the drop.
_________________
aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal |
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James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2016 6:19 pm
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| Carl Kilmer wrote: |
That's known as cabinet drop. All steels have a little
of it, some are worse than others. We do manage to get
around it after time. try tuning your E strings 4 and 8
with the A and B pedals down. You won't notice the drop. |
Indeed. |
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Mathew Peluso
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2016 7:29 pm
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| Ah, so that's cabinet drop. I've seen it mentioned on here before but didn't know what it meant until now. Thanks for the info! I'm in love with this crazy instrument already. Can't wait to learn more! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 17 Apr 2016 3:50 am
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Cabinet drop can be reduced by only giving the pedals enough pressure to reach the stops.
A bunch of it is the excess force having to go somewhere.
With practice, comes subtlety
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 17 Apr 2016 7:17 am Re: Basic Pedal Steel Tuning Question
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| Mathew Peluso wrote: |
| It's not incredibly noticeable, I just happened to be looking at my tuner and checked. |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 17 Apr 2016 10:49 am
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| Cabinet drop...and raise !!! |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2016 1:39 pm
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If you are around Portland, we should get together for some Steel time.
Also, come to the Steel Jam at The Jubitz on Sunday May1st.
Pete
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Apr 2016 4:00 pm Re: Basic Pedal Steel Tuning Question
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| Mathew Peluso wrote: |
| I noticed as I was tuning up the open strings, pedals and levers that the strings not affected by pedals and levers in a given grip would go slightly flat when the pedal or lever was engaged. It's not incredibly noticeable, I just happened to be looking at my tuner and checked. Is this a consequence of design for all pedal steels or is something off with my intonation? |
Yup, and if you play straight guitar, you'll notice (or, at least, you should have noticed) the exact same thing. One string being made tighter makes the others looser!  Of course, if the change is small enough that you can't really hear it, but only see it on the tuner, then you disregard it...totally.
Being in-tune and playing in-tune takes practice and a good ear. A tuner is just a tool to help get you part of the way there. The rest is up to you.  |
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Mathew Peluso
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2016 11:48 am
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Thanks again for all of the advice!
Pete, I am in Portland! I would definitely be interested in getting together to jam some time but maybe after I have a better grasp on the fundamentals. I'm happy to report that I'm already able to make some musical sounds with this though. : ) |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2016 2:09 pm
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Give me a ring to set something up.
I can probably help you to get up to cruising altitude.
Pete
503-849-2061 |
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Carl Mesrobian
From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2016 3:09 pm
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Better "grip" on the fundamentals? When you can make it sound like other than a cat in heat, people will thank you
_________________
--carl
"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown |
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Mathew Peluso
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 19 Apr 2016 9:27 am
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Haha. Wise words, Carl.
Pete, I will be in touch soon! |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2016 7:07 pm
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They are a bit different animals and only certain players use them regularly - but Fender's cable pull guitars have zero cabinet drop. The body is a HUGE hunk of solid maple and the way the mechanism operates non - active strings are virtually immobile.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Apr 2016 5:49 am
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| That's true, Jim, but there's also the fact that the frame was very strong, too, and the frame and deck (body of the guitar) were somewhat isolated structures. |
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