The Steel Guitar Forum

I know this has been discussed at various times, but it would be interesting to have it summarized here. So ..

Do you prefer the type of change described to be on 1 lever or 2?

I'll start. I'm not good at feeling the 1/2 stop so I've put the changes on RKR and LKR


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Don Walters
Carter D-10, 8p/6k
Session 500 with Lemay Mod


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Don Walters on 02 December 2002 at 07:50 AM.]</p></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Don Walters on 02 December 2002 at 09:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

my second string raise , Eb to E is on the right knee going left.
The second string double ( D/C#) lower is on the right knee going right. The half step is a fairly positive feel on my Carter. I like being able to play 4 notes off of the second string on one knee cap. Raise, natural, 1/2 step lower, full step lower.
tp<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 02 December 2002 at 08:40 AM.]</p></FONT>

I use 2 levers for that change, too. I use the D#-D in a <u>lot</u> of fast stuff, and just can't "hit the split" fast and accurately. Some steelers (Weldon Myrick, for one) tuned the 2nd to a D because they only had single raise/lower changers in the old days. That way, they could still get all three notes (D#,D,C#) on the 2nd string. Only a very few kept the idea when better steels came around, though.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 02 December 2002 at 02:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

I use 2. I tune the strung to C# and nraise it to D on the RKR which also lowers my 8th string down to D on my U-12. I raise the string to D# on my RKL, which also lowers my 11th string to C#.

I think tuning the 2nd string to C# and raising it has some advantages over tuning it to D# and lowering it. Especially for U-12 players.

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Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm schizophrenic, and so am I

I use 2 levers for the same reason Donny does.

On my Zum U12: LKR = D#->D, RKR = D#->C#

On the ZB D10: LKV = D#->D, RKR = D#->C#

I also split my knees,but then I also tune the 2nd string to D. It's all Jimmy Crawford's fault. For me it's:
LKR D - C#
G#- F#
RKR D - D#
F#- G
P8 F#- G strings 1 & 2
D - E

I put them on separate levers.

Every guitar I've bought, I've tried to do the half-stop thing on. I can never get a solid enough D, and end up going to two levers. The D note is as important as the D# - both of them need to be in tune. I just can't muster the skill to land on a soft half-stop accurately.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Think I'll try putting the half step lower on a different lever..like b0b, I'm not that skilled to get the 1/2 step stop on pitch every time..and I do like using it.( when I remember )

I see many of you put the half step on the LKR along with I imagine the E lowers, correct ?

tp

Here is how I have my E9th set up...and love it...
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
P1 P2 P3 LKL1 LKL2 LKV LKR RKL RKR
(E9th)
(012) F# G# G
(015) D# E D D/C#
(012) G# A
(014) E F# F F# Eb
(018) B C# C#
(022w)G# A F#
(026) F# E
(030) E F# F D Eb
(034) D C#
(038) B C#
</pre></font>

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Ricky Davis


My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 04 December 2002 at 09:13 AM.]</p></FONT>

I have mine on the RKL and can feel the 1/2
stop better on this lever than the RKR.
Tony

In case anyone is interested, I have a modern steel which does the 2nd string half-stop using the 9th string lower. This is a pretty common technique on modern guitars, as many of you know. What I did to improve the solidity of the stop (besides tightening the return spring for the 9th string) is to put a C6 lower on that same knee lever and time the lower to match the 9th string lower (this took a lot of work; it is important to have them lower at exactly the same point. It is important to also use the same types of replacement strings so that the lowers remain constant and properly matched after string changes). This gives me literally twice the solidity. Since the half-stop has to be tuned once in a while, it takes a little extra work. But I do get a noticeably more solid 1/2 stop this way.

Tony:
I'm with you. I also changed it to RKL. I seem to have better control.
Erv