The Steel Guitar Forum

I have heard of "The Franklin Pedal" I think that is the right term. Can you tell me it's purpose? Does it replace a Knee Lever or raise or lower a combination of strings that other wise would be dificult to manage with the Standard 3/4 set up.

I suppose some like it others don't

Wayne D. Clark
Desert Rose S10 3/5
Goodrich
Nashvill 112
usnyn12nd@verizon.net

It lowers strings 5, 6, & 10 a whole step.

Could somebody post a few "Franklin Pedal" licks so it would be easier to understand its usefulness?

Have you ever played this?
[tab]
key of G -- 3rd fret NP position
4---------------------------------
5--3~~3A~~3~~1~~~~~3--------------
6--3~~3B~~3~~1~~~~~3--------------
---.---------.-----..
---play first 3 notes as triplet (1 beat)
[/tab]

It's a common phrase to play, either over a I chord or one beat of I, one beat of V, and the last note is a half note (2 beats) of the I chord

Instead of going back to 1 you can use the Franklin pedal. You can also move all those notes with the 4th string ringing OR lower the 4th to D#.

so you're going from B D G to A C G (strings 654)
one way to think of the ACG is as a V7 (D7 in this case)
If the 4th is not lowered it is D7sus4 (no root if you lower 10). When you lower 4 to D# you remove the suspension and it becomes a D7 chord.

This is just one example. There are many ways to use G# to F# independently, as well as B to A. I personally like them combined; others split them -- usually B to A on a pedal and G# to F# on a lever.

There are a MILLION posts on this subject. Do a search.

Thank you Larry...I'll take your advice and search past posts.

I thought of adding that pedal to my U-12 Zum but Bruce Zumsteg is highly resistant because of the congestion already under an 8-5 Newman setup. I'm trying to decide if it is useful enough to warrant the trouble of difficult reroding....

Yeah, Bob, I understand congestion

This is the endplate on my Show Pro.

46 pulls

FPedal in use

go here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujS7lbIz ... re=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_nz4CGXnU

THanks Tony. Those clips really show the effect of the pedal. Sounds like something I'd like to have. May I ask, what other changes you might tend to use it in combination with the Franklin pedal most frequently? I'm thinking of position....I seem to see it mostly done in the first pedal position adjacent to the A pedal...

Hi Bob, I'm not Tony, but I believe it's important to have that pedal in a spot that's easy to use your E lowers along with it. I personally have it on the 4th pedal. Paul Franklin has it on the 4th pedal. Many have it as their first pedal next to the A pedal. I'm speaking of an Emmons setup here not Day everything is reversed then. This pedal adds some great options for melody stuff. I use my 2nd string lower and raise for a Hal Rugg sounding thing with that pedal as well. I doubt you will tire of it.
Jeff

So Dan with the Franklin Pedal The 5th string is lowered from a "B" to an [A], the 6th from a "G#" to an [A#] and the 10th string from a "B" to an [A]

And Jeff you would install the Franklin to the left of the {A pedal} so that you could combine it with the {D lever} which lowers the "E's"

Am I understanding this correctly?

So with the [Franklin Pedal] and the [D lever] you have the ability to lower strings 4, 5 , 6, 8, and 10. the Franklin Pedal the only pedal that would lower strings, A. B. & C all raise the strings.

Wayne D. Clark
Desert Rose S10 3/5
Goodrich
Nashvill 112
usnyn2nd@verizon.net

Hi Wayne,
You can put it in the position to the left of pedal A for the Emmons setup as long as you can easily access the lever that lowers your E's. For me that is the Right knee moving left. Many guitars have the lever lowering the E's on the Left knee moving right. I have never had my E's lowered with the left knee so I don't know if working the Franklin pedal to the left of A and working my left knee to the right would be comfortable. That's were I would be concerned about the placement. If your E lowers are on your right knee it would then be a matter of where you were more comfortable moving one space left or moving across all 3 of the first pedals to get to it at the fourth position.

Jeff

(I thought I explained this stuff above)
The changes are 5 6 and 10 lowered a whole tone
That's B to A on 5 and 10 and G# to F# on 6

The main other lever to combine is the E to D# lever.

I have used it on P0 (left of A ped) and P4. Both work fine. It is noteworthy that Paul lowers his E's on RKL, as do I. That makes it a bit easier to combine but it's not a big deal with E to D# on LKR.

Sorry, thought that was clear.

My 3 pulls are on the outside Pedal, left of the A Pedal, called 0 Pedal. I believe that this Pedal offers some very easy to use phrases which add a nice touch to any music. After using it I now see that splitting the changes, moving the 6 drop to it's own lever offers even more opportunity.

Start simple, add some basic phrases then add more !

t

I've tried these changes in several places, it's not a problem at pedal 0 position with E-Eb on LKR. And for me, splitting the G#-F# lower to another lever (RKL on my Zum) is essential. Really sweet stuff with that change by itself and in combo with others.

I have a U12 and already have my own '0' pedal, not to mention C6 changes on 5-8, no pedals convenient to try the Franklin change. I haven't been using the B-Bb lower I had on my LKV much, so I put the franklin change there. I realize that I will have a hard time using my LKR lever with it, which would be handy. But I can't think of a better place at the moment, except possibly RKR. So far i like it, anyone else have this change on LKV?





Oh, also E's 4+8 have a lever lock to Eb for pedals 5-8.

Sorry for the shoddy copedant chart, i can't be bothered with perfect spacing here, you get the idea.

At the risk of sounding redundant, I am going to put the Franklin Pedal on my 4th pedal along w/the changes on my C6th. Anyone experience any problems doing this? Since I have never used this change before, is this an appropriate location for this pull? Thanks Tommy

Tommy,

I have the 5 and 10 strings lowered on my 4th pedal along with the normal C6th pull.

The pedal feels perhaps a little stiffer than normal, but it works fine. I already have the 6th string whole-tone lower on RKL on my three steels (Carter, Fessenden, Mullen). Adding the two pulls is very easy if your E9th copedent is "standard".

Quite a few players have this arrangement, and the 6th string whole-tone lower has been common on E9th for a whle now. This gives you a split Franklin change which some players prefer to all three changes on a single pedal.