The Steel Guitar Forum

i have a sho bud sd12 with pretty wide pedals,2 3/4 pitch,i find playin bare foot helps me know where i am on pedalboard easier,is this common at all,or just me?
anyone else do this?

I prefer playing barefoot, even on my Dekley with the rather sharp-edged "d" pedals. Same here: I like feeling exactly where I am on the pedals. I also get much better ankle rotation with nothing on my feet; much better for controlling the rock on and off the A pedal without accidentally engaging LKL. Of course, going around barefoot on a bar gig is risky business!

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Big Red
Durham, NH

I've been playing barefoot for 33 years. It's how I learned, and it still suits me. I do put something on my feet between sets!

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Bernie Straub
Fessenden D-10
Peavy NV 1000

I wear Top-Siders (moccasins) which are soft and pliable, and I feel the pedals just fine. Mike Perlowin wears actual moccasins for the same reason.
I once wore cowboy boots to a gig, and that was a major mistake.
-Jim

What size are your feet? I am a size 7 and I can't hold down the two pedals at the same time without my foot falling between the pedals.
Great technique if you can make it work (even tried the soft soled sneaker approach).

IM SIZE 8 FEET,BUT I GOT THE WIDER SHOBUD PEDALS TOM,THIS HAS TO MAKE A DIFF I GUESS?

Tom, I'm with you - Got to have something on my feet, usually Lofers or Sheeks.

Jim, I'v tried Moccasins, In fact I have a pare on now, Tuning my insterment, but If I start playing I'll go get the Lovers. I just can't engage two pedals properly with Moccasins. Never tried bare feet.

MSA D10 8/2

Them,s LOFERS, Lovers now that is a different mater, Only got one, only need one, only won't one. I need to read my post before I sent it out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MSA D10 8/2

Ah yes,

I am a size 13: that probably makes a difference!

Dan

So far, i share the curse of needing to be shoeless to work the dang controls - no really, i think it feels rather good. I also like to elevate the heel with a piece of 1/2 or 3/4 inch wood. It feels like easier leverage. ' also liked the idea from a recent thread of having 'socks for all occaisions' - christmas, valentines, etc.

for the first couple of years i could not play in shoes of any kind just socks, now i am getting to the point that i like to play in the slip on deck shoes from wal-mart

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Mullen SD-10 3&5 / nashville 400

I'll have to try it. My problem is that I have wide feet, and the pedals always seem too close together, so I find myself pushing down the adjacent pedals by accident. Maybe taking my shoes off will work better.

Hold your breaths, folks !

I've played in my socks mostly. But now that I've been dealt a curse of numbness in the left foot due to nerve damage in the spine I'm forced to play in shoes. I found some mocassin type slippers that work pretty good. Now the other curse--size 13W; guess I'll just have to live with that too!!

james, Were talking money here, but if one is playing a 3p 4K is it possible to spread the width between pedals. I'am sure a PS builder could do that. There may be some one out there that has already made that adjustment. But than that may have been one of the ideas that went to the circular file, or todays shreader.

MSA D10 8/2

The prettiest and best sounding bare feet I ever heard were that of Dee Simmons of Elon, NC in the Emmons room in St. Louis a few years back.

I think I'd be concerned with fungi, yeasts, etc.----Sometimes they are very difficult to get rid of. ----j----

Yeah Wayne, money's an issue right now. Good idea though. I'd like to do that plus move the pedals to the left to line up better with the knees. The way it is now it's a hard stretch do the B pedal and the left knee at the same time.

Taking your shoes off takes all of the "sole" out of it...
But seriously, I have very wide feet too, 10EEE and I cannot play my GFI ULTRA with my work shoes on, so I have to take my playing shoes with me and change before I start. Bowling shoes and Wrestling shoes work well but their expensive. The only guitar I can play bare foot is a Sho~Bud "The Professional". My Zum and my GFI both require footwear.
Don

Adjustable pedal spacing was just ONE of the innovations designed by Gene Fields into the Fender PS-210
see note # 8 here :- PS-210 Brochure
Basil

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<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by basilh on 27 August 2006 at 12:15 AM.]</p></FONT>

Black and white "Converse All stars" oh yeah, they gotta be "hightops" too. I tried to play barefoot, in different shoes, boots, and what not but keep goin back to the "Chuck Taylors"

I practice at home socks mostly. I always gig with cowboy boots--never slowed me down. The tough part is I practice at home "very casual". Rough part is having to play in clothes at my gigs, tough to get used to.

I try and play barefoot now and then. Only when I get an urge to have a quick tinkle on the strings either befor I'm dressed in the morning or when I'm just about to go to bed.
It doesn't last long. I just can't play barefoot. I find it very uncomfortable. No doubt this is due to the shape and surface of my pedals.

Otherwise, I'm always playing in western boots. Size 10D and no problems feeling the pedals. I tried playing in plain old desert boots a while back. What a difference it made not having a stack heel! That extra height really notices.

The only issue I do have is that now and then my ankle get's a bit stiff and sore if I'm doing lots of rocking from B to AB and back.

I can't play bare foot even though my steel plays very easy. I have small tender footsies. I like a thin soul shoe,but I wear cowboy boots when I gig. I've done it that way about 40 years now.

<SMALL>i find playin bare foot helps me know where i am on pedalboard easier,is this common at all,or just me? anyone else do this?</SMALL>

Hard to say...I've seen a few amateurs do it, but I don't ever recall seeing a pro get quite that "Bohemian".

I used to think I must be the most amaaaaazzzzing steel player ever until one day I figured out people were just staring at the idiot up on the stage with his shoe off!I have put together a formula for success-Dim lights,Dark socks and a monitor carefully placed in front of my left foot.If oder is an issue,blame it on the cook.If no cook blame it on the drummer,They sweat more! But seriously I havn`t found a pair of shoes that allow me to feel the pedals like I need them to but I do wish I could wear one at least on my pedal foot.