So who came up with knee levers?

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 10 Feb 2003 2:15 am

My two penneth worth about the Zane Beck link to knee levers concurs with what has been said.

When I was staying with him and Faye in late '78 he told me about the singer/artist (unfortunately I don't recall his name ... but I may try to find that audio tape interview with Zane that I did at the time) who "wouldn't have one of those pedal guitars in the band". Hence Zane's subterfuge of incorporating knee levers ... and the artist was none the wiser. I believe that Zane was playing the Louisiana Hayride at the time and Jimmy Day came along to see him play. Of course Jimmy did notice the knee levers and blew the "secret". That was when the artist realised that Zane was playing fine, despite the knee levers, and was allowed to have a guitar with pedals/levers from then on.

Graham

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 10 Feb 2003 9:34 am

John,

Thanks for your contributions to this. And yes I am aware that it can be done on the E9th neck. But I never did it that way. Here is why.

I was visiting Shot Jackson's garage just after this recording came out. Jimmy Day walked in and Shot introduced me to him and he asked Jimmy if he would show me some things on his new Sho-Bud. This because I was contemplating the purchase of one.

Jimmy was telling me what each pedal did and said to me, "If you buy one, you need to add a pull to RKR on your D-10. It should lower the C to a B on the C neck". Then he showed me the lick you are talking about. As well as some others. I said, "Hey, that's what they are doing on that new recording of Billy Walker's" (Thanks John for reminding me of the title and the artist

Anyway, JD shook his head affirmatively. So for all these years I never dreamed you were doing it on E9th. Although I knew it could be done. I always did it on C6, because of that incident. Thanks again.

Herb,

You may be correct. Here is what I recall. When I was contemplating the purchase of that Sho-Bud mentioned above, Shot gave me a small booklet that contained the copedents of some of the pros. And in it, Buddy Charleton is doing precisely what you said, IE, he was lowering his 2nd string from a D# to a C# with pedal A. In fact, so did Pete Drake, Jim Webb and Jerry Merhar in this booklet. (Incidently several were lowering the D# to a C# with the D lever, ie 2 lowers D# to C# and 8 lowers 8 to Eb. Gene O'Neal was one of them).

I felt that would make the A pedal too stiff. So when I changed my mind and ordered an Emmons instead, Gene O'Neal called me and said, "carl make sure you put the BE change on the D lever when you order your guitar". And that is why I have always thought Buddy is the one that came up with it. But if I am incorrect, I stand corrected. Do you suppose BE had it like Buddy Charleton and THEN decided to put it on RKR when the E's to Eb Lever came into being?

God bless you dear friend,

carl

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Feb 2003 11:12 am

Carl
For the sake of my own recollections, I went back and looked at the collection of Ron Lashley correspondence and found some very interesting things, in addition to what I was looking for.

As to the Eb question, here's the... I now think somewhat ambiguous... quote from Ron on July 24, 1964

(Buddy has) a new pedal on the E9th that drops the Eb a whole tone and raises the Ab and E a half tone. This is his first pedal and (is) used with the B pedal. It's really another Emmons first, new sound.

WHAT?!

This from April 18, 1964

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Buddy made a change yesterday. Sent his horn on the bus for knee pedal change.

Right knee now raises E on E9th to F.
C on C6th is now actuated by 7th pedal.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm... Buddy was using E-F on a knee lever in mid-1964.

One more gem of information. The Emmons Guitar must have been revolutionary. This from September 28, 1964

Business is really booming... last week I worked from 7 till midnight and am still behind. We have sold 34 guitars in Canada alone now. Around 150 in the U.S.. We have only made 7 deliveries. You can see what the future holds.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 10 February 2003 at 11:17 AM.]

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 10 Feb 2003 11:39 am

I am really am not aware of just what evolved or when! I was just trying to explain how I did/do it on E9 because I can't do it on C6 with a D on the 1st str. I have always done passage on E9. I can't tell you who or how it was done originally! I would have guessed that it was done by Lloyd Green or Weldon Myrick, since back when I worked with Billy, one or the other was doing all his sessions! They took turns, depending on whose style fit the song best! I'm not an expert on details about recording history, or how to play, for that matter! I just chugg along, and do the best I can, with what I've got, I hope! Thanks, "Big John"

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"Big John" Bechtel http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels