The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm a novice learning on a Mullen Discovery after playing (sort of) an early 70's Sho-Bud Maverick with 1 knee lever. I had no problems getting a good stomp on the 3 pedals since there was no left knee lever to get in the way. Now I am constantly hitting the LKL by accident. I tend to sit toward the middle of the guitar...perhaps I need to move further right? I'm just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue.

For reasons that I don't understand, pedal steel players have traditionally centered their seating position around, say, the 15th fret. Guitar makers therefore mount their knee levers assuming this. If you sit at the actual center of the guitar, the levers may seem like they are awkward to use.

Take a look at some videos of the greats. You'll often see that the right leg is shooting out pretty straight, perpendicular to the rear apron of the guitar. Meanwhile, the left leg goes under the guitar at an almost 45-degree angle. Sho-Bud guitars used to even go so far as to mount the left knee levers to move on a plane that was at an angle from the rear apron rather than parallel to it so as to match up with the angle the leg was coming under the guitar.

If you move your seat over to the right, you'll likely need to make some pedal and knee lever adjustments. You start with the seating position and then adjust the guitar around where your knees naturally are. Same with the pedals.

For example, you may find that the height of the A and B pedals relative to each other may need adjusting since your foot is coming in at a different angle and it's now easier to cock your foot over and hover over the A-pedal (assuming you play the Emmons set up). I don't know about the Discovery, but there are adjustment screws on some guitars to set how the knee levers hang from their brackets. You may need to touch those up. Make the guitar fit you, not the other way around.

Thanks Tucker! I live in Richmond, VA. Can you come over and help me with the adjustments!!!

Maybe you didn't get a manual: https://mullenguitars.com/owners-manual

Also Billy Cooper's not close but not that far away either

Fred..Reside in Goochland so not far from Richmond, would be pleased to help you in any way that I can. Send a P.M. and we can set up a time.

Changing your seating position, or increasing the lever spacing by changing the lever angles, will sometimes help.

Also, does your knee move sideways when you're working the pedals? Some players have a problem with "rocking" their knee from side to side when they're activating and de-activating pedals, or switching from A&B to B&C (not everyone has good flexibility of their ankle). Some guitars are more tolerant of this movement because of lever placement and spacing. But ideally, your knee should move very little unless you're activating a lever, or covering a large distance between two pedals, and moving your heel, e.g. from pedal 1-4, or pedal 5-8.

Danny...I tend to move my knee abit while working the A and B pedals. Like I said, I'm just learning so I will have to concentrate on that area while practicing. Thanks for the advice!

Fred Hedgecoth wrote:Danny...I tend to move my knee abit while working the A and B pedals. Like I said, I'm just learning so I will have to concentrate on that area while practicing. Thanks for the advice!

What I used to have students do was to have them grab their knee with both hands, and the bend their ankle to the right and left to train those muscles to be able to move without having to move their knee. In no time at all they were able to bend their ankle in both directions without their knee wagging left and right. You can even do this on the couch watching TV.

There isn't enough TV for all the things you can do on the couch. But I've done a lot of useful practice watching cricket or baseball

If your guitar is set up ABC pedals (Emmons set up) you may need to raise the A pedal a little higher than the B pedal. This way you will not need to roll your foot as far to the Left. Check the alignment of the Right Knee Levers and volume pedal. Most guitars are set up till your right leg is a near perfect right angle to the body of the steel, When your foot is on the volume pedal and right leg centered between the Right Knee Levers.
When you sit down at the steel you need to be comfortable or you will not want to stick with it and practice very long at a time.
Good Luck and Happy Steelin.

Ian Rae wrote:There isn't enough TV for all the things you can do on the couch. But I've done a lot of useful practice watching cricket or baseball

How do you watch cricket without falling asleep?