Today I join the dark side

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 4 Sep 2022 8:11 am

After many decades playing dobro and lap steel, I take possession of a 12 String Williams Pedal Steel today. I'm actually pretty nervous about the whole thing. I'm not particularly mechanical. Not sure how to tune it, set up the rods, or if my disabled feet will even be able to play the pedals. But I figured, if not now, when? and if everything goes south, I should be able to sell it.

Wish me luck. Here are some pictures of the steel sent to me.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 4 Sep 2022 8:54 am

My new one (curly maple with 7 and 6; tuned to D13) is still months away.

Yours looks terrific. Perhaps tune it to Ext. E9? How many KLs do you have?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 4 Sep 2022 9:13 am

Roger, it is currently tuned for ext E9th. 5 kl. There are actually parts for 7 pedals if I want to reinstall them, but for now, this should keep me busy.

Tucker Jackson · Post by **Tucker Jackson** » 4 Sep 2022 11:27 am

I don't know what tuning you're already most comfortable with on non-pedal... but on E9, if you hold down the A and B pedals, you're sitting in A6 on most of the strings. Maybe that's one way to get oriented to a pedal steel?

When I was starting out a couple of decades ago and was thinking about getting a pedal steel, somebody wryly posted this on the Forum as to "How to play E9":

Strings 8-6-5

Open
AB pedals
>> Then slide that up two frets.

It made no sense until I got the guitar. Oh... that's a 1-4-5 progression. And it was off to the races.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 4 Sep 2022 12:49 pm

Thanks Tucker. I've been playing a 10 and 12 string Eharp tuning for lap steel so I'm used to 12 strings and it looks like frets line up with G being around the 3rd fret, C around the 8th which I'm used to. I started mapping the differences between my Eharp tuning and the E9th and they are similar in many ways, at least as far as straight bar voicings of complex chords is concerned and on frets I've used to.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 4 Sep 2022 7:46 pm

Bill, welcome to the club. I think you're going to enjoy playing around with pedals. That's a really nice looking instrument too! Congratulations on your new acquisition!

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 5 Sep 2022 4:54 am

Williams is a top quality guitar, in mechanics and sound. Bill Rudolph is very helpful if you have questions. Just email or call them. You have a VERY nice axe there!

Bill Sutton · Post by **Bill Sutton** » 5 Sep 2022 5:11 am

Bill Its A Beauty...Good Luck.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Sep 2022 5:38 am

Fedex is toying with me. Looks like delivery has been delayed until tomorrow. Maybe I will join Paul Franklin's course today and start learning.

Doug Taylor · Post by **Doug Taylor** » 5 Sep 2022 6:14 am

Have fun Bill, are you going to stop the Eharp tuning or continue with both? Either way I am sure you will enjoy the new guitar!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Sep 2022 6:30 am

Doug, I am definitely continuing with the Eharp.

Doug Taylor · Post by **Doug Taylor** » 5 Sep 2022 6:46 am

I did not think you would give up that! Have fun with that beautiful steel!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Sep 2022 6:51 am

Actually things lay out very similarly on both, which helps. For instance, C chords lay out on frets 3 and 8 on both. I got a Casey Saulpaugh's Chord book for E9 and have been mapping the chord grips and voicings back to the eharp and so far, I can get any voicing on the eharp. My goal is for the Pedal steel to help make me a better eharp player as well since it opens up a ton of teaching materials not available on the eharp which I hope to then apply back to the non pedal. All part of my master plan to rule the universe.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 5 Sep 2022 7:18 am

It does look lovely, Bill!

I've played a D-10 for decades so why I'm embarking on a new challenge so late in life, I sometimes wonder.

My 12-string will be D13, based loosely on Johnny Cox' very clever amalgamation of E9 and C6, but adjusted to give me all the E9 pulls I'm accustomed to as well as C6th.

My challenge (apart from suddenly dealing with 12 strings) will be avoiding the 'new' 6th string (in D, it's a sixth tone - a B note) and lies between the old 4th and 5th strings on standard E9.

It looks as though you and I will be jumping new hurdles at the same time. Here's hoping that FedEx do their stuff tomorrow.

Here's by 7+6 D13th: pedals 1,2 and 3 replicate the ABC E9 pedals and 4,5,6 and 7 are the same as standard C6 pedals 5,6,7,8. Of course, it's all in D, but there's great logic behind this departure.

I'm indebted to Johnny for his original notion and to b0b who helped me figure things out (and produced the charts!)

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Sep 2022 7:25 am

Verty Cool Roger. I've always been a late bloomer. Didn't start my first company until I was 46. So, not sure why now should be any different.

Retired life is full of challenges. At least this is a fun one.

Bonnie Saher · Post by **Bonnie Saher** » 5 Sep 2022 11:15 am

Bill
Start the Paul Franklin course now .The first 3-4 lessons are all paperwork
It will be a piece of cake for you .and keep you in that happy anticipation mood
Thanks again for all the Eharp literature.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 5 Sep 2022 6:46 pm

Nothing dark side about it. Enjoy!

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 5 Sep 2022 9:10 pm

Welcome to the forum and steel guitar.
The road map to the E9th tuning is Mel Bay's E9th Chord Chart. b0b sells them here on the forum, Top of page Instruction. Or Google Search. Best 8 dollars for learning material and reference.
It will show the basic chords, Strings to pick, Pedals and/or knee levers to engage for Major, Minor, 7th, Augmented and Diminish chords.

It is designed for a 10 string E9th tuning, With most Extended E9th copendents the 11 string is a G# and 12th string is E which just gives you another octave of base strings.
Good Luck on your Journey and Happy Steelin.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 6 Sep 2022 6:02 am

Thanks Bobby. I've actually been a member of the forum since 2005.

. I have been playing Dobro and lap steel fork 20 years and I specialize in the 12 and 10 string Alkire Eharp tuning. But this will be my first steel with pedals.

I just picked up Casey Saulpaugh's chord chart and scales for E9th.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 6 Sep 2022 1:06 pm

Well, it arrived!! Figured out how to set it up, put on the rods and pedals and got the rudiments of tuning it down. Beautiful instrument, but the strings need changing, so I'll probably be diving into that tomorrow. It came with an E and low B on the bottom two strings, but I'll swap those out for G# E. One thing for sure: I won't be giving up lap steel anytime soon. There is a lot of stuff to get my head around her, the biggest being how to position my body. I can see why you really need to be custom fit to these things.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 7 Sep 2022 8:20 pm

If the guitar was set up with E 11th and B 12th string. Sounds like The guitar may have been set up for a Universal tuning.
You may want to check the 9th string. Does it have the 9th string tuned B with a knee lever raising it to E9th D?

May free up a knee lever for you.
Good Luck on your Pedal Steel Journey.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 7 Sep 2022 8:55 pm

It was originally set up as a Universal but then set up as standard E9. I may have it converted back though