Day or Emmons set up

[Jack Hanson]

The Day split seems intriguing to me, but since all four pedal steels I have ever owned (MSA Red Baron, Sho-Bud Pro-1, Emmons D-10, & Emmons GS-10) were set up with the Emmons split, I have stuck with it.

Additionally, the guys who taught me to play E9 (Cal Hand, Russ Pahl, & Mike Cass) all played the Emmons split. Not sure about Dave Knight, he may well have played Day, but I only took a few lessons from Dave, all on the back neck.

There were many dynamite steel players in the Twin Cities back in the '70s, most of whom were excellent teachers.

[Thiel Hatt]

I started out as a non-pedal player and later moved to pedals. I first learned the C6th. When E9th caught hold I found out what it consisted of as far as string pulls. I then had to figure out how to put it together. The day set up seemed like the logical approach according to my sense of orientation. By the time I found out that most other players had their pedals (backwards) I was already use to my set up so I never bothered to switch.

[Tony Prior]

Day vs Emmons, as in Buddy ?

interesting conversation.

[Barry Blackwood]

Day, as in Jimmy.

[Thiel Hatt]

Ron Elliott is a Day player and so was Jeff Newman and I think Norm Hamlett is also.

[Jim Bates]

O.K., we have some votes on the Day vs the Emmons set-up.

Now, show the fundamental differences in both, plus the various versions of the knee lever setups.

(I use a modified Emmons setup on my E 13th tuning, A,B, and C are same, but my knee levers may or may not be"standard".

There is probably a few old Forum articles on this subject.

Thanx,
Jim

[Bobby D. Jones]

I have played Day set up since the late 1960's. For about 17 years I had D knee lever LKL and F knee lever LKR. It made for easy 7th chords and up 3 frets moves same chord. December 2017 I went to a 12U. which was set up Emmons, In less than a week the hood was open and changing it to Day Setup. Moved D knee lever to RKR, F knee lever to RKL. Took a little while to relearn my Neuro Memory to use the other knee. But now I do it on the fly.

[Charley Bond]

Here is some more info on this subject. I would venture to say, because the Instructional Material was only written, using Buddy's Pedal Setup, is the main reason for the use of the Buddy Emmon's Pedal Setup.

https://pedalsteelmusic.com/?p=642

I like the Jimmy Day CBA Pedal Setup & believe it is the easiest to use, for Me..

If you like the Emmon's ABC Pedal Setup, good for you.

[Jeff Mead]

I would venture to say, because the Instructional Material was only written, using Buddy's Pedal Setup, is the main reason for the use of the Buddy Emmons Pedal Setup.

I would say that 99.9% of instructional material is/was not specific to Day or Emmons. They talk about the ABC pedals which have the same function on both systems. Unless they are saying "press the pedal on the left" it's non specific - you just need to know where your AB and C pedals are.

If you could only learn from a player who played the same setup as you, why is Jeff Newman's stuff so popular with Emmons players? All his videos show him playing a Day setup and I bet most people don't even notice.

[Charley Bond]

Here is a copy of Newman's copedents. It dictates which string & pedal combinations to use with his tablature.

In my little head, this requires translation on the fly to try playing Newman's Emmon's Copedent tunes with Jimmy Day's pedal setup.

This what I am referring to. I used to xerox the pages, white out the things that needed changing, re-do them & go on my my merry way.

I used more than several different instructors' music & had to re-do them all. That was my workaround, because my Foot & Knee didn't want to work the other way.

[David Cubbedge]

I upgraded from my Fender 400 to a S10 Emmons in 2000 and it has the Day setup. I like it, but my D10 bought in 2013 was standard Emmons and I like it better at this stage.