The Steel Guitar Forum

If one was to eliminate the BooWaah function,what is the replacement function of Pedal 8 on C neck for most players..Bill Nauman Las Vegas,Nevada ps and what would be the string size for the replaced function?

Bill,
On my U-12, I moved pedal function 8 [boo-wah] to pedal 4. Pedal 8 now raises my
6 and 10 strings G# - A#. If you think B6,
A# is the natural 7 of the B scale. So with that pedal engaged you get like a Maj7 chord.
Herby Wallace uses this change, also, in his tabbed "MISTY", doing a passing
chord-ringing appregio.

Thanks Chip..Will do some thinking on this before I actually do it ..also some more research should be done..as this is a standard 10 string C tuning with a D for the first string.. appreciate the info..Bill in Vegas

I get the sense that a lot of players are getting rid of their so-called "Boo-Wah" pedal.I love it and would never want to castrate my tuning like that.It is a very distinctive change that's true - but the dominate and +9 voicings it provides plus the way you can move bass notes around really can't be duplicated otherwise.I've heard some say it's a cliche but certainly far,far less than the AB pedal mash on the E9 neck and I don't see people taking THAT change off their guitars.You know,there's a hell of a lot more going on with that pedal than the "Boo-Wah lick".What gives? -MJ-

Michael
I like it a lot - especially with raising my 3rd string on a knee lever. It gives a full '6' chord from 10 through 2; it really increases one's options in the 'root' position!

I'm new to C6, and nearly decided to 'lose' that change shortly after I started two years ago; I'm glad I didn't - it would have been an uninformed decision. It takes me back thirty years to when I first started, and couldn't understand where that 'D' string on E9th fit into the scheme of things!

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Roger Rettig

<SMALL>You know,there's a hell of a lot more going on with that pedal than the "Boo-Wah lick".</SMALL>

Yep. 7#9, 13th, alt, #11, b13, etc. etc. 5,6 is the swing sound. 6,7 and 8 is jazz.

Not to mention the neat Merle Travis licks that it gives you! I really wouldn't like to play C6th without it. It's the <u>one</u> chord voicing you can't get by "slanting the bar" somewhere else on the neck.

"neat Merle Travis licks"
Donny,on my other 12 string,I had a sort of E9/C6 tuning,7th string F#-G on a lkR and from there back tuned the same as the 8th pedal down.There is a lot of "stuff" to be done there,sort of extended E9 without the "D" string,great for Southern rock and 70s country.
BF

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Bill Ford

Hey Guys, I didnt say i had to take it off..just have heard some players are doing it..this post is a learning thing for me ..need lots of imput ..i like the pedal 8 function ..I am a bit currious why it isnt closer to pedal 6 if 6 follow 8 in a round the horn progression...would have less chance of missing 6 in a hurry..just a thought..what do you guys think? Bill in Vegas

A lot of guys - especially U-12 players put it in 4th position and move everything else down a position(to the right).Now that makes sense and I would do it if I was just starting out.I've just gotten used to death defying leaps across 4 or more pedals and/or using my right foot now and then. I did take off the 4th pedal(6th and 10th whole tone raise on a U-12) but I put it on a lever.But seriously,if I wanted to add a new change(and who doesn't?)it certainly would not be at the expense of the 8th pedal.I'd rather have to deal with 9 or 10 pedals and keep the changes I have. -MJ-

I sort of eliminated my Boo-Wah from my U-12 by tuning the 9th string to C# and dropping the low B and moving strings 10 & 11 to 11 & 12. Basically it's the same as tuning the 7th string on a C6th to D and moving everything down and eliminating the low C. I noticed that some C6th players (Terry Crisp for one) were doing that and I really like it. It gives you a lot more capability in the lower registers for soloing, at least for me. I also do a fingerstyle rendition of Alabama Jubilee and use the new Boo-Wahless pedal for that. It gives you the 6 chord but you don't have the root on the bottom string.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

I put that on the 4th pedal ,as the next chord in the circle is the 5th pedal.

I also raise the 3rd string to C# on that pedal and have A7th all the way up.

Lot of guys carry that 3rd string C# on a knee.
But I find it better for me on the same pedal and use the knee for something else.

I use it for the Dominant 7th 2 frets down from the Tonic. Very handy.......al