The Steel Guitar Forum

I am considering adding a whole tone raise on the 8th string to an existing lever in order to imitate the Franklin change (together with a 2-fret downslide). I would add the change to the lever that raises strings 1 and 7 to G#. I think that beyond the Franklin change this would enable me to do some other neat stuff. Note: I play a U-12; my 9th string is a B. Is there anything that speaks against this solution?

I would put it on it's own lever - not on the F# - G lever. Anyhow,I imitate that change w/out ANY extra knee levers by downsliding 2 frets and just grabbing the F#(7th)string. Not as "slidey" I'll grant you,but with a little finesse,it gets the job done.Same goes for the 6th string whole step lower a lot of guys have. I just grab the 7th string and get on with it.If I want those kind of liquid moves that such extra levers provide,I can get them in other positions on other strings w/the A pedal, the B-Bb lever and the E-Eb lever or the B&C pedals and the E-Eb lever. To my mind there's better things to use your knee levers for - especially on a universal. -MJ-

What Michael said!!!!!

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

If you only need that combination of 8/6/5 you could use the B6 pedal that raises the same two strings the Franklin pedal lowers. If you back up two frets (e.g., fret 6 in C) and use the 7th string plus the B6 pedal 6 (or 7), releasing that pedal gives the same notes as the Franklin pedal engaging. You can do the same with 1/5/6 with the root on top.
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
FRANKILIN change B6 change
5-8--8bb----------6##----6----------
6-8--8bb----------6##----6----------
7-----------------6------6----------
8-8--8------------------------------
in each case the first chord is CEG and the second is CDF</pre></font>
Just a thought. I personally prefer the Franklin changes on a pedal. Stuff like
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
5-8~~8##~~8~~8bb~~8~~8##~~8-----
6-8~~8#~~~8~~8bb~~8~~8#~~~8-----
7-------------------------------
8-8~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~------</pre></font>
can be difficult to play at all desired tempos with the changes split and/or on knee levers.

Of course, there are other strings (like the third, for example) that sound cool with the whole tone drop that won't be available with the 'workarounds'. Yep, I prefer that change on a pedal.

AND, if I were gonna add E to F# on 8, I'd do it on the C pedal. Makes much more sense there to me. The I to iim motion, unison note with the 7th string, and similar function to the 4th string movement on the C pedal make that a much more valuable change for me. I move my 11th from E to F# on the C pedal, so I have avoided the 8th thinking that it would stiffen the action too much.
Just another thought.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 18 February 2003 at 11:06 AM.]</p></FONT>

I say C pedal also.It may be to stiff there.Depends on what brand you play and how strong your calf muscles are. but I can't see devoting a knee pedal to just that one change.

But.... Gentlemen, the C pedal raises the 5th string, and if I want the Franklin change on strings 5,6,8, E to F# on the C pedal won't cut it.
Hans

Hans.Are you wanting a combo of Pauls 4th pedal and a 8th string whole tone raise? -----------bb

Hans, I'm raising my 4th to F# with my lkv and it works ok but lacks being able to squezzzzze the notes back up.
Tony

Bobby -
no, in order to avoid introducing an additional (the Franklin) pedal I want to create the same effect with an existing lever. I can imitate the Franklin change (any combination of strings 5,6,8,9 on my U12) by sliding down two frets and raising the 8th string a whole tone. The only lever open to that is the one that changes both F#s to G#. Maybe the whole tone change on the E to F lever, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with a halfstop on that lever. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Hans Holzherr on 19 February 2003 at 01:54 AM.]</p></FONT>