The Steel Guitar Forum

I am setting up a new guitar, and have thought about putting G#(6) to F# lower with F#(1) to G# raise on a pedal instead of a lever. Anyone do this? On the zero pedal or elsewhere?

Also considering a G# to A# raise on my zero pedal instead of the G# lower. Wondering what folks might prefer given a choice between these two options.

A shout out to Larry Bell for already providing some very helpful feedback on this. Curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

On my S12U I have the string-6 full tone lower and high F# and D# raises on the 0-pedal (I also lower string-10-G# a full step on P0).
Works really good! I like it very much.
I've never had it on a lever, but I have heard it called the Franklin Lever.
A friend who has it on a lever on an S12U said that my pedal allows you to engage/release it faster than the lever method.
I use it quite a bit by itself or with the A-pedal and E-to-Eb lever.
I have a separate lever for the G# to G lowers, so I don't need to split P0 with the B pedal.

Having string-6-G# (and string-10-G#) raise to A# on P0 is a Cowboy Eddie Long change.
It basically puts the C6th P4 change on P0, and when combined with the A Pedal it is P7.

From a decision making standpoint, unless you are going with the Cowboy Eddie Long Universal Copedant, I would go with the string-6 full tone lower and high F# and D# raises.
Fwiw, Most folks with a P4 tell me it is their least used pedal.
Most people with the string-6 full tone lower and high F# and D# raises tell me they love it.

Once you have the P0 linkage in place, it is easy to switch string-6 from full tone lower to full tone raise, so maybe mess around with those two and see what you like better. You could even install rods for both changes, and ony use one or the other as needed.

I have the sixth string whole tone lower on the zero pedal. It works well and I do use it, but it's probably the least important of all the E9 changes in my opinion. I've never tried a whole tone raise on that string.

As long as you don't plan to split it with the B pedal, you should be OK.

You would need to use two feet to split P0 with B-pedal.

yeah, the b pedal split was the only thing I was sort of worried about with the idea of putting the change on a pedal. Seems like it has a lot of utility separate from the b pedal split, but I just wasn't sure how other people have used it.

Yes for well over 40 years on a 4th or 5th pedal.. At times I have had a B lower a full tone next to it.. Basically it the Franklin pedal split to 2 pedals.. I could never play steel without that 6th string full tone lower.. i use it constantly, more than I use my 3rd pedal.. Yes i know a lot of guys use the change on a knee, but I found it a lot slower and less useful there.
i would try it out for a while, and see how it works.. personally i could not live without it... bob

There are some good posts about how to use this lever in the Pedal Steel section.
I would say you could can work it in on any E9th song.
If you add a separate G#-to-G on a lever to all G"s, you don't need the split.