The Steel Guitar Forum

No need for a poll, just rate your brand experiences.

(Edit: emphasis on pedal shape related comfort)

Of the steels I have the most familiarity with I would rate them:

Msa vintage xl: 9/10

Fessenden: 5/10 (otherwise a terrific guitar)

'74 Shobud (wide knurled curved): 6/10

Best is my S-12 Zum, the worst was my Milly.

Thanks Neils...note I changed my question from a worst/best to a rating...more informative I think.

Blanton guitars have the easiest smoothest pedal action that I've played. Some of the new guitars may be as good or better, but they don't intrest me much.

Dekley S-10 ........8/10
Emmons SD-10 .......7/10
MSA (maverick) .....2/10

BMI S10 6/10
Sho-Bud Pro III 8/10
Emmons S10 P/P 10/10
Emmons D10 P/P 10/10

I tried playing in sock feet. I will try anything once if I think it is beneficial. That hurts like h***, even on guitars that I've had that have real easy pedals. Don't see how anyone can do that.

Any guitar 0-10

Maybe instead of rating guitars, we should be rating stockings!

Got so much tied up in steels, can only afford offshore walmart socks.

John Booth wrote:Dekley S-10 ........8/10
Emmons SD-10 .......7/10
MSA (maverick) .....2/10

Is your Dekley action really that soft? I have a pre slim S10 and my feet hurt just thinking about playing it in socks. Maybe one pedal at a time but A B rolling is out of the question on mine. I have a fessenden as well and I would agree with tom on 5/10. I think the slim pedals on the fessy would have a lot to do with that even though the action is decently soft.

probably any steel would be ok if you just ductape a big ol' cottonball to the top of each pedal.

I'm thinking more on pedal shape than action itself, although it makes bad pedal shape less painful...

If its pedal shape, then the old Emmons push pulls would have the flattest surface to be comfortable to. Stocking feet.

Are we talking about stockings or socks? Don't know any men that wear stockings.

Hahahahah....well Christmas is on its way...ok....Socks it is....so says wikipedia...(surprised didn't get more female input on this topic...)

My Sho~Bud plays ultra-soft, but my Marlen is tough!
Sho~Bud 9/10
Marlen 2/10

I'm not tenderfooted...I play'em both barefooted or socked

I have played in stocking feet since I started back in the 70's.. To me Nothing is more comfortable than an MSA.. Just the pedal shape makes them easy on the soles of your feet.
I had a Dekley, and it was awful.. good steel, but the D shaped pedal felt like razor wire.
Could barely play it..
The Fessy I had for a short while was also quite uncomfortable

Marlen pedals are large and flat and my Marlen plays ultra soft. so that is also super easy to play in socks...

Carters are ok, Bud with small pedals are ok, IF they are set up "soft"...
Large pedal Buds, are a problem for me.. Some are ok, others are pretty uncomfortable when playing with socks..

My Fender cable steels were very comfortable to play as well.

If I put a pair of very soft thin moccasins on, I have a lot less problem with pedal feel with any pedal steel. bob

Nashville ltd (riittenberry era) 10/10 suitable for a queen, really.
Fessenden 7/10

I promise you guys: NOTHING beats the Swedish AWH/AVM steels for playing comfort. Slightly curved pedals with rubber cladding (probably sourced from some manufacturer of industrial machinery), ultra comfortable to play in socks or barefoot. Wish I'd never sold it...

My Ritt has ribbed pedals and my Rains has smooth pedals but i play in socks every day at home with no problems, if it bothered me i would put a shoe on that foot, so i guess 10/10.

I play only in socks, even on 4 hour gigs, but I have removed the sharp edges from my pedals.

It is very easy to round the pedal edges with a file for better comfort, a 1/16 or 3/32 radius is plenty.

I have done this on my Williams (it has the extruded style pedals), and here is a pic of my Fender 400 showing the concept.




Note the pedal corners are both rounded and the top to sides are radiused, so you end up with a spherical surface on the corners of the pedal.

I play mine in socked feet because my legs are too darn long to wear shoes. I do notice MUCH more control when playing in socks than with shoes or boots.

I always play in socks (or barefoot in the summer). I can't feel the pedals when I'm wearing shoes. I've been playing a Carter D10 for the past few years and have no complaints.

Hank Ruf plays his Derby in stocking feet.

My '74 PP has wide, smooth, close-spaced pedals, the most comfortable of the many guitars I've played for the unshod foot

I guess my mind works differently to most members. When I read the title my mind immediately raced ahead to what type of socks would fit over pedals. They would have to be small ones. Maybe some of those baby socks that we get left with after the baby grows out of them. It would certainly prevent the guitar from suffering from cold pedals.