The Steel Guitar Forum

Being in my 50's and needing reading glasses I've been having problems seeing the little numbers on the pedal rods when I set up before gigs on dark stages. My reading glasses (dollar store variety) are packed with my effects so instead of having to dig them out immediately I just color coded with sharpies over the rod numbers Red (1) Green (2) Blue(3) (RGB is easy for me to remember since its the computer monitor colors.)Maybe worth a try for all you geriatrics like me. So far its working great, now If I can only find my glasses for tuning ....

50's? Geriatrics?

Funny enough, I color coded my nylon tuners.

J.C.

Mitch,......just wait until you reach the 70's.

Lee Baucum wrote:50's? Geriatrics?

I'll go along with that question. I'm 53 and I freeride mountain bike....not exactly a geriatric activity.

Sounds like a plan! Here's how I'm going to do my 8 pedals.


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Just having fun but.....in the same dilemma, I'm trying to find a way to put bold black bars (stripes) on the rods---bold enough that they won't blur and be hard to tell 5 from 6 to my nekkid eyes. Colors, in dark or color-gel situations would tend to present problems, I would think.

You can also put tape on the rods at graduated heights so you can feel them in order for those dark stages.

You may wish to try colored tape. For 8 rods, use 2 colors per rod, such as red + green = #1, blue + green = #2, or some scheme like that. Sequence of colors could also be used, eg, R+G and G+R. My thinking is that colored marker ink may rub off.

Great idea about using tape instead of ink, Bob. I was wondering why the steel manufacturers just don't put steel guitar "braille" on the rods with easily felt dimples along with the numbers so you could just feel the rod number in the dark. By the way, I should have just said senior (in my 50's) , not geriatric. Must have been all the yard work that made me feel older today!.

i kinda thought this was a dumb thread at first, but being almost 60,in a dark bar i find myself walking over to where there is some light to tell the difference betweem #6 and #9.

Am I the only one that carries a pen light in the pack seat?

nope

Roual - I usually just depend on my shining personality.

I used colored electrical tape and in the sequence used by electronics techs to mark various electronic components. From 0 to 9 the colors are black; brown; red; orange; yellow, green; blue; violet; grey and white. You can find them at Lowes and maybe Home Depot. Clean the rod first and keep it up near the neck of the rod so it won't show below the cabinet. Lasted me for many years.

Regards Paul

I use yellow electritians tape graduated as someone mentioned. Then with the pedals rods installed, I then write the pedal number with a sharpie pen so the numbers are only visible from the back side, then I wrap the electricians tape with a piece of clear packaging tape so the numbers won't wear off. I can see this even without my glasses.

I use a Brother P-Touch labeler with white tape and black letters. I wrap the number around the coupler that attaches to the ball post. I'm over the hill, too (70) and I can read those in low light level.

If I were going to use colors, I would use the standard electrical resistor color code that I learned in the Air Force Basic Electronics school.
There is also a saying that we used to learn/remember the color code. Don't think the forum censor would like it.

Would that little poem start with the words: "Bad Boys......"??

Did you study morse code in that school ? I remember falling asleep early one morning with my headset on and the instructor came by and snapped his pencil on my ear piece. Sounded like an explosion !!

Were you at Keesler opr Scott AFB ?

Regards, Paul

It put it up there twice but I didn't do it !!

Paul, I was at Keesler AFB for Ground Radio Operator (morse code) school in June 55. I was also an Instructor in the Ground Radio Operator school in 59/60 and in the Tech Control school in 62/63.

I also went through Basic Electronics (BED) in 62. Yes the "Bad Boys" for remembering the resistor color code.

The first band I was in, was at Keesler with a couple other Instructors. We played at the "Swamp Room" on Friday and Saturday nights - made $5.00 earch per night - big money Later on it was called "The Peppermint Lounge".

I purchased small colored self-adhesive numbers, which fit perfectly on the bottom of the rod end. The numbers are flourescent colored. I used a different color for each rod and a matching number for the correspondiung pedal. When I put the rods on the steel it is naturally updide down and you only see the numbers then. They are also different colors for each rod and matching pedal so I really don't need to know if the numbers match up, just the colors. It has worked fine for me for many years. I got my numbers at a store called the the "Learning Tree". Hope that helps some. By the way I am 74 and like some of you it is getting harder to see in the dark.

Easy.

Dark or electrical tape, preferably cut in half width.

From A pedal on from the bottom to the top. One just a little higher than the other. Or just up halfway.

You can find them in the dark, or while you're talking to fans..

NBer.



EJL

Bill Rudolph (Williams builder) puts notches on the hook ends of the rods to correspond to the rod position (1 notch = pedal 1, 2 notches = pedal 2, etc.). I love this because I can run my thumbnail over the rod and easily tell which is which in pretty dark conditions when setting up.

It would be easy to do this to any set of rods with a cold chisel and a hammer and some "gentle persuasion". Never wears off and can be used in near total darkness. Of course my Williams is an S-10, so not sure how this would work out with 8 pedals. Maybe some pair of notches to indicate which pedal group, then a count? Lots of possibilities.

Clever guy, that Bill Rudolph! Builds great steels! Love mine.

Like Jack, I used a label maker (mine is a Dymo)and used white tape with black numbers. Only, I placed mine up at the the hook end of the rod where it is hidden by the front apron. This works great. If the place is too dark for me to see the numbers, then it is too dark to see the holes where the rods hook to. Then the pen light comes out of the pak-a-seat.

Joe Buczek wrote:Bill Rudolph (Williams builder) puts notches on the hook ends of the rods to correspond to the rod position (1 notch = pedal 1, 2 notches = pedal 2, etc.). I love this because I can run my thumbnail over the rod and easily tell which is which in pretty dark conditions when setting up.

It would be easy to do this to any set of rods with a cold chisel and a hammer and some "gentle persuasion". Never wears off and can be used in near total darkness. Of course my Williams is an S-10, so not sure how this would work out with 8 pedals. Maybe some pair of notches to indicate which pedal group, then a count? Lots of possibilities.

Clever guy, that Bill Rudolph! Builds great steels! Love mine.

When Bobby Bowman refurbished my old MSA, the pedal rods were done the same way. Real easy to find the right rod in any light conditions.

I used a permanent marker to I.D. the rods until it wore off, then I used black electical tape: one ring for P1, 2 rings for P2 etc.