Mangling Pedal Steel Guitars

[Tom Keller]

Why do people mangle pedal steels by taking off the C6th neck and adding a pad?

[Richard Sinkler]

As I said in your other post about this subject, To make the guitar lighter since they don't play C6.

[Dave Hopping]

Because they don't play enough C6 to justify the weight or setting up the C6 pedals,plus having a double frame with a pad gives ya a bit of LLoyd Green cool. Probably a little more esthetic than the guy I saw playing a doubleneck without having set up the C6 pedal rods.

Me,I play a Uni at work but have 2 doublenecks at home. I've thought about having one or the other of them converted to an SD-10, but then I set one up once in awhile and play it and I'm reminded of why a doubleneck should remain a doubleneck.

[Brett Day]

I play a Jackson Blackjack Custom with a pad on it. When I played a GFI Ultra D-10, I mainly stayed on the E9th neck mainly because E9th is my main pedal steel tuning. I played C6th once or twice, but realized I felt more comfortable playing E9th steel, so when I got my Jackson Blackjack Custom guitar, I decided that just the E9th tuning would work for me-my Jackson has three pedals and four knees.

[Tom Sosbe]

If you don't want a d-10 but do want a sd-10. Why destroy a good d-10? Just sell it and buy a sd-10. Just makes no since to me. But it's your guitar do as you please.

[Ricky Davis]

[Michael Lester]

Many years ago, I bought two pedal steels from a prominent steel shop just outside of Nashville.

The shop owner was a jovial, happy guy who went way out of his way to make sure I was happy.

In both cases, the telephone discussion about the guitars included the question: ..." do you want both necks? No extra charge to remove the back neck."

Kept the neck on with an Emmons, off with a BMI.

Never ever considered it anything other than an 'option'.

[Jon Voth]

It's like having a 440 Charger but swapping a 318 because you don't want the power or want better fuel economy-doesn't make sense to me either.

[J D Sauser]

Check the Buy-Sell section of the Forum.
There is a good number of these, and it's a negative selling point.
People try to "include" the removed hardware and all... it's just devaluating a steel to less than a SD10 would be worth.

I'd say, sell the D10 and get a nice S or SD.

... J-D.

[Jim Palenscar]

In my case, it is way easier to sell an SD12 than a D12. In any case- it is the owner's prerogative- many more double necks than SD's out there and if a guy want's an SD and already has a D10 that he likes but doesn't play the back neck- why not? The D10 or SD10/12 allows the knee levers to be closer to the player than an S10 or S12 and they don't have to sit so close to the guitar.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I get it. Maybe it's a little bit different than modding or hotrodding a classic automobile with different engine, suspension, paint etc.

I agree that it's the preogative of an owner to do whatever they want to their own personal instrument that they bought and paid for. Maybe they really like the instrument they have, the tone, the looks, the setup and all but just want to lose the weight or the parts they don't use. I know several guys who have done this, keeping the parts for future use or re-install on the guitar when they want to sell it.

Difference is when you see a guitar for sale that has obviously been done for sales purposes and reselling the removed parts, it just makes some people think less of the guitar as a modified SD10 or 12. I feel the same way. Certainly would be worth less money to me than the original configuration.

I guess it's the same feeling we get when we see an old movie where they drive a 68 Firebird or 65 Mustang off the Santa Monica pier into the Pacific ocean. Lots of people appreciate the originality and aesthetics of an instrument as much or more as it's utility purposes.

Like I said, I get it....but what is there to do?

[Jim Kennedy]

IF you look in the for sale section, there are a lot of D10's and SD 10's for sale. I suspect they, D 10's in particular, are for sale by "older players," (I fall into that category) who no longer want to carry the weight (I have moved a D10 a couple of times--heavy!!). Rather than buy another guitar, I suspect many D 10's have been converted simply to lighten the load. Add to that, even though I love it, country swing is not exactly in vogue anymore. Light weight S10's and S12's seem to be what most players are going for.

[Chris Templeton]

The big differences for me, between necks, are the nice tones of the thicker strings on the C6th, and being able to play bass notes on the it.
Buddy's Expedition E9 course has "Oklahoma Stomp" on it, and that gives a bunch of approaches for C6th on E9th.
Maybe about a year ago, b0b posted about liking D9th. I haven't tried it, but I like the idea a lot.

[Dave Hopping]

I think about D9 once in awhile too.Be nice to have everything pitched a little lower, but the thought of all that transposing gives me the willies.

And I don't mean Nelson.

[Donny Hinson]

Why do people mangle pedal steels by taking off the C6th neck and adding a pad?

Many reasons. But in a nutshell, you get the lighter guitar you want (and the one you know all about), and you also get about $500-$700 worth of parts that are an easy sell. There's no shortage of double-neck steels left to buy, and the prices of good singles are getting very close to doubles.

So for a couple evening's work, it turns out to be an easy decision.

[Chris Harwood]

none of this is collectable, correct? Like telling someone not to mod their Mexican Strat with new tuners and pickups. Even if it is semi collectable, it'll be in a landfill or another owners hands in a couple of decades anyway. Material stuff.

I'm just waiting for the "relic fad" to hit the PSG market! ya know...cig burns on the edges, beer stains... oh and flash can soot, as evidenced in another thread. That sounded like a nightmare.

[Mike Vallandigham]

IMO - it's wrong.

You want a single neck, buy a single neck.

I think that molesting ANYTHING that's vintage and not being made anymore it a shame.

That said people can do whatever they want to something they own.

But really, we're only temporary caretakers of these old guitars.

[Jeremy Reeves]

take em both off to play a game of cards or set up some little snacks

[Jerry Overstreet]

IMO - it's wrong.

You want a single neck, buy a single neck.

Point taken but you must remember that sometimes due to economics, availability or ignorance, people buy what they can get or afford, especially getting started. So they might find down the road they need to make some changes. Also, they might really like their existing guitar's characteristics and just need to lose some weight or hardware.

I don't see anything wrong with that with one's personal guitar that they modify to suit their needs. Like you said, it's theirs to do with what they want and I wouldn't hesitate to do that if it was necessary in order for me to keep playing.

NOMB really, but I have to admit I do wince just a little when I see complete back neck sets of parts for sale because you know the rest.

[Brooks Montgomery]

take em both off to play a game of cards or set up some little snacks

And the necks can make nice cribbage boards

[Craig A Davidson]

I can understand the weight thing but we have so-called dealers on here destroying old Buds and push-pulls thinking they are really doing something and then taking the parts and building their own so-called brand.