| Author |
Topic: Your Ideal Pedal Steel |
Walter Hamlin
From:
Talladega, Alabama, USA
|
Posted 25 Aug 2005 6:54 am |
|
If you could change the way a PSG is made or if you could build one to suit your individual taste in appearance, tone, weight, pedal set up, type materials, etc,etc, what would you do.
|
|
|
|
John Ummel
From:
Arlington, WA.
|
Posted 25 Aug 2005 8:13 am
|
|
GFI has already built it!  |
|
|
|
Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
|
Posted 25 Aug 2005 9:00 am
|
|
I would build one that would stay in tune outdoors.  |
|
|
|
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
Posted 25 Aug 2005 9:02 am
|
|
| It wouldn't matter to me! I always seem to like someone else's steel better than mine....JH in Va. |
|
|
|
David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
|
Posted 25 Aug 2005 9:46 am
|
|
Swappable pickups
A pickpup slanted toward the bridge at the bass side, and away from the bridge at the treble side, to unmuddy the bass and mellow the highs
A second pickup at the end of the fret board
two or more coil taps on the pickup to get the sound of different windings
A pull-rod/bellcrank attachment mechanism that is easily reached and doesn’t require moving the bellcrank (or adjacent bellcranks) or unscrewing the hex end tuner; in other words a really convenient quick-release mechanism
Bellcrank screws that are easy to reach and not up under the pullrods (duh)
A lacquer body with rounded edges, like the old Sho-Buds
On formica models, swappable front covers for user color and pattern changes
Double geared tuners at the key head, a low coarse gear for string changing and a precision, slackless, high gear for fine tuning
A little more space between the nut and the first and last string tuners
Either slots for the ball ends, or adequately long pegs that slant down so the ball ends don’t pop off when changing strings
Some kind of bracket on each end to hold the changer and keys off the surface when you turn upside down for repairs; the bracket should fold or retract into, behind, or under the endplates when not in use.
A conveniently movable locking mechanism that could be moved easily by the user to lock any pedal or knee lever
No cabinet drop
Gauged nut rollers on all makes and models
A mechanism for a feel stop on any pedal or knee lever, without using an additional string pull for the feel stop
A small wrist pad for the picking hand that doesn’t extend all along the back to interfere with the bar hand
Excess leverage and travel built into the pedal rod/cross-shaft attachment site (possibly a geared mechanism, or at least several possible attachment sites), so that there is more range of adjustment at the pull-rod/bellcrank attachment site (this is needed for multiple pulls that can be too stiff even in the bellcrank slot nearest the cross-shaft, if the pedal rod attachment leverage has been underengineered)
I'm just gettin' started. This is fun.
[This message was edited by David Doggett on 25 August 2005 at 10:52 AM.] |
|
|
|
