Adding a palm lever to an 8-string E13 console steel

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 12 Feb 2022 9:07 am

Hello folks. Since I have a spare set of adjustable legs and some nice pieces of maple and koa lying around, as well as a set of Schaller M6 tuners, I've decided to build an 8-string console steel with a Gibson Console Grande style pickup and three leg sockets.

I'm going to use it for Don Helms/Roy Wiggins style playing and similar stuff, in a standard* E13th tuning. But before I finalize the design, I'm wondering if someone out there has a good idea for a simple palm lever design - just one – that can be manufactured without access to a milling machine, and any suggestions for which string/strings to raise (or lower).

* Roy W: G# E C# B G# E D B, Don H: G# E C# B G# E C# A

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 12 Feb 2022 4:12 pm

I always felt that a R->R wrist lever was more ergonomic and affect the picking hand's position less than these palm levers.
Evidently, it offers only for ONE change, whereas Palm Levers can fan out almost like Harlin Bros. Pedals to several. I've seen some with 3 palm levers.
The would seem simple to push down on string behind the string for just raises. Raise'n'Lower is a different story altogether thou.

... J-D.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 12 Feb 2022 11:39 pm

A wrist lever would probably be even better.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 13 Feb 2022 9:45 am

A wrist lever will give require a pedal-steel-like changer... maybe simplified.
But it will give you a more steady picking hand. Some PSG's have them on.
IF you play a console standing, you could entertain 2 hip-lever sticking out horizontally... you'd just have to "twerk" a little like Nicki Minaj! Ha!.
But seriously, IF I had to give up playing a regular PSG, I would consider a wrist lever and 2 hip lever. On a 12 string, with a tuning giving you 2 Majors and 2 relative minors, 3 changes, of which 2 could be combined could be a game changer.