The Steel Guitar Forum

Been playing for about a year and finally bought a Carter Starter.

The pedal board clamps to the legs via wingnuts and a flat slotted piece of steel. I don't like the way they angle out when attached, has anyone ever changed or modified this with any success. I started out on a Fender 1000 and I know they are heavy duty but the clamps they used had a curved part to them which would wrap more securely to the leg. I think this would be nice for the starter.

Don't know if being a tinkerer makes you want to play the pedal steel or if playing the pedal steel makes you want to tinker...

David P Richardson wrote:Been playing for about a year and finally bought a Carter Starter.

The pedal board clamps to the legs via wingnuts and a flat slotted piece of steel. I don't like the way they angle out when attached, has anyone ever changed or modified this with any success

My first guitar was a Carter Starter. I thought the clamps looked like an aftertought and I did point this out to Ann Fabian when I registered the guitar. The least they could do is provide a spacer so that the clamp is parallel to the board and the wing nuts seat properly. Other than that incidental I was relatively pleased with the guitar.

I had a Carter Starter to begin with, and I thought their method was simple and effective. I moved up to a GFI Ultra U-12. And it was not an inexpensive guitar believe me, however, they use a very similar method to attach the pedal bar to the legs. It is a bit more substanially made, however it is the same concept, flat piece of metal locked onto the cutout in the leg with a wing nut. Like I said, simple and effective on the GFI as well.

-Chuck

I think I might try a spacer and longer bolt. I am really pleased with the guitar so far. Just worried that the angle might bend or strip something when setting up or tearing down after a gig in a dark barroom.

Our guitar player had a Carter Starter which I used occasionally at rehearsal. One evening while going over a rather uptempo tune, the brackets came loose and the pedalboard went flying off supported only by the pedal rods. So yes, it may be advisable to modify those brackets to attach the board a little more securely!

Send me your private email addresses and I'll fwd you a pic of the ultimate clamp arrangement.
PRR
PS - Can't upload a pic or I'd put it out on the Forum.