Rubber Covers on Foot Pedals

[Alan Brookes]

Car accelerators and brake pedals have rubber covers. Why don't the pedals on PSGs ?

[Larry Petree]

Many years ago, after Bob White left Hank Thompson, I saw him playing in the LA area with a large band. As usual, he was playing standing up, and I noticed that he had rubber pads on the pedals of his Bigsby. They looked like emergency brake pedal pads to me. Larry

[Papa Joe Pollick]

My Blanton has rubber on the pedals.I would have to guess that most players want to be able to "slide" off the pedals.Dunno..PJ

[Roger Shackelton]

Alan, Blanton psg pedals are about 1-1/4" wide with a 3/4" wide rubber strip in the middle. The rubber strip is a fraction of an inch higher than the pedal itself.
Blanton guitars were the only guitar that I know of with rubber pads on the pedals.
Perhaps a Blanton owner could provide a picture.???


Roger

[Bill Miller]

When I got my used Carter someone had glued strips of emery cloth on the pedal surfaces. I thought maybe it was original equipment or something. When Al Brisco worked on the guitar he took it off there and I reckon he knew what he was doing. It never actually bothered me but you're probably better off with a smooth surface.

[Stu Schulman]

I watched Jerry Blanton put some of those rubber pads on a some pedals.It's like a rubber doormat that he cut to fit and then used contact cement to make it stick.

[Roger Shackelton]

"THREE" votes for BLANTON.

[Donny Hinson]

The rubber car pedals are made that way for safety, I suppose, since you often get in the car with wet or slippery shoes. Slipping off steel pedals is usually not a problem once you get used to playing. Many older steels like the Gibsons had big rubber pads on the pedals, but the idea faded rapidly with more precision made steels, and also with the proliferation of non-slip shoe soles (as opposed to leather).

[Papa Joe Pollick]

"I watched Jerry Blanton put some of those rubber pads on a some pedals.It's like a rubber doormat that he cut to fit and then used contact cement to make it stick."

Exactly Stu.
I bought the exact same rubber from the local Aco Hardware.
There were some pics.somewhere here on the SGF. Maybe there gone now,dunno.If I ever get my act together,I"ll post some. PJ

[Stu Schulman]

Papa Joe,I always wondered why other builders never followed Blanton's lead?Jerry's guitars also tune without a tuning wrench....how cool is that?Speaking of pedals in automobiles one time the loop on my shoelace got wrapped around my break pedal....panic!!

[John Bechtel]

If I remember correctly, back in the late 50's, early 60's the Wright Custom had rubber-pads on the bottom surface of the pedals, because; the floor was the only stop the pedals had and, of course; it was quieter! Can you imagine your (A)-(B) pedals popping on the floor during a snappy tune?

[Dave Potter]

Car accelerators and brake pedals have rubber covers. Why don't the pedals on PSGs ?

Cars have them to make it more difficult for feet to move off the pedal. Would you be able to play better if it became more difficult for your foot to move off the pedals?

[Max W. Thompson]

Here is a picture of the pedals on a Blanton (not mine...it only has 4).




I like them with the rubber pads.

[Roger Shackelton]

Hi Max,

Thanks for the photo of these Blanton pedals.

Roger

[Bent Romnes]

I might be wrong, but I thought the old AWH (AVM) guitars out of Sweden had rubber on the pedals. Maybe a Scandinavian steeler can set us straight...
Bent

[John Bechtel]

Well, even if nothing else, they do look good! I have, on occasion; had my foot slide off a pedal at a most inoppertune time! It's nice that the rubber does not cover the entire surface of the pedal. It might not be a bad idea, after all!

[Per Berner]

Bent, you are absolutely right. My AWH Viking student model and the later AVM Eagle pro model both had them. Very nice for practicing barefoot/in socks at home, and no slippage when wearing shoes. I can't play my Zum in socks only, the pedals hurt my feet - thinking of adding pieces of rubber floor mat.

[Gareth Carthew]

My White steel had rubber pads on.

The B pedal pad had almost half worn away, the A pedal about a quarter. I removed what was left as I decided it looked untidy and polished the pedals.

The C pedal pad was in perfect condition (show's how much use it got) so it's still on there.
I expect I'll remove it too one day so that it matches.

[Skip Edwards]

Isn't there some sort of rubber-latex coating type of stuff that is a liquid that dries to a nonslip rubber-like surface?
Y'know what I mean...you would dip the pedal into it and it would adhere and dry to a perfect nonslip surface.

[Don Poland]

You might try Plastisol Dip Coating. It comes in a lot of colors and can be found at most hardware/home centers.

http://www.pdmind.com/

[Stu Schulman]

Skip,It's called flowable silicone.It might be time to sell booties for pedals...won't that be cute

[Mike Ester]

Alan, Blanton psg pedals are about 1-1/4" wide with a 3/4" wide rubber strip in the middle. The rubber strip is a fraction of an inch higher than the pedal itself.
Blanton guitars were the only guitar that I know of with rubber pads on the pedals.
Perhaps a Blanton owner could provide a picture.???


Roger

I owned a Blanton at one time:

http://music.mikeester.com/for_sale.html

This is the old ad I had on my site before I sold it in 2005.

[Mike Ester]

Here is a picture of the pedals on a Blanton (not mine...it only has 4).




I like them with the rubber pads.

You beat me to it, Max. Guess I was too slow to post my own pics.

[Larry Sewell]

I have a Sho-Bud LDG model and it has rubber pads over the pedals. Looks like emergency brake type.
They snap on like they where made to fit. I bought
the steel used and assumed they came that way.

[Jack Stoner]

I've never played a steel that had rubber on the foot pedals. But, I just can't get myself to believe they would work.