2nd lower separation: D#-C# with F#-G#?

[Ben Feher]

I’m considering removing the feel stop on the 2nd lower because I can’t strike a balance between a having a firm positive half stop point and the 2nd half of the lever travel from being too stiff. I use the 2 lower to D a lot but because it’s so stiff I almost never go past that point for the 2nd or 9th C# lower.

I think the most common answer will be to just get better at feeling and/or adjusting the 2nd string feel stop but I’m much more interested in what people think about this copedent change:

Use RKR to just lower 2nd to D and 9th to C# seems pretty straightforward.

My RKL is currently F# to G# on 1, D# to E on 2 and G# to F# on 6.
Is it crazy to change the pull on 2 to lower D# to C# on that lever instead of raising 2nd to E, which I don’t use much compared to the other changes on that lever.

I think the issue would be with the 6th string lower, but I feel like the 1,2 strings pulling apart from a minor 3rd to a 5th would be a cool sound. What else would I gain or loose by by rearranging the D/C# lowers stop in this manner?

[Ricky Davis]

The 1st string F# to G# and 2nd string D# to C# on the same lever is what Dicky Overbey had forever on his E9 pedal steel. I set it up on 3 of his steels through the years and of course I would always play it first after changing strings for him....and I LOVED IT.
Ricky

[K Maul]

If you will use it more, Eb-C# on a separate lever is a good idea. John Hughey did it.

[Brian Hollands]

I put that change on JC Norris push pull this summer. It's an interesting change. He liked it and we left it that way. Didn't know Dicky Overby used it. I'd say it's worth trying.

FWIW, I think feel stops work better on the outside of a knee (RKR for instance) than on the inside.

[Ricky Davis]

This is how I set up Dicky's E9 neck and D-10's through the years....but only on his last LDG; he didn't have a vertical.



Ricky