The Steel Guitar Forum

What do they put them on for? I thought maybe because it hurts your knee on certain ones because of the size of our knee levers. I would not mind doing it on a couple but I don't want something that has to screw into my old one and ruin it. I have the aluminum but hate to ruin my Knee lever with holes in it. Any idea's would help. Not sold on it yet.Ron

My Franklin had one on the RKR lever. Mr Franklin installed it and used two screws. Before the Franklin, I had a 71 Emmons PP and it too had one on the RkR lever attached with a screw.

GFI has add on "flags" that grip the lever with two Allen head screws but no drilling is required. The GFI won't fit on a Franklin knee lever but something similar could be made.

I'll try to find a picture of the GFI flag.

Here is the Flag on my Franklin

Following...

Here is a picture of the GFI "flag" that mounts with two Allen head set screws.

Jack the black one looked like an idea so as not to mess up my levers. Actually I was thinking more of the little Zum Encore with one on the left knee left.

The GFI site notes this particular design is only for right moving levers. I suppose it could be modified for left moving levers.

I never had a problem with the LKL on my Franklin (raised E's to F). I did with the RKR and the reason Mr Franklin added it when the guitar was built (late 82).

I tend to sit more right than in the middle of the guitar. Long time habit I guess and now I'm used to it. My Franklin has the letters 060 on the bottom and I got it about 1982 I think. My Zum is the one I'm thinking about. Lot younger then!

You need a flag when your knee won't reach a particular KL. Back in my pre-Internet days I couldn't reach the right KL's on my Super Pro; they were too far forward for my short legs, so I had an aircraft sheet-metal/ bass player bandmate cut me some aluminum pieces as pictured below. Bolted'em to the sides of the offending KL's and it's all good. No Sho-Bud parts were harmed in the making of this (IMO rather elegant) kludge!

Ron, One reason flags are used is fat people can't reach the levers

Ron Scott wrote:I tend to sit more right than in the middle of the guitar. Long time habit I guess and now I'm used to it. My Franklin has the letters 060 on the bottom and I got it about 1982 I think. My Zum is the one I'm thinking about. Lot younger then!

My Franklin was 065. Delivered late December 82.

I think I'll just do what I've done for all these years , just play it the way it is. Thanks for the info. I wondered why people put them on. Now I know. Ron

Like Jack said, I see them mostly for right moving levers maybe they are further from the back apron or because the reversing lever might need more travel?

The guitars I've had all had them only right moving levers. Some of those were ZumSteel [RKR], Mullen [ALL KR], Emmons[RKR] and Williams can't remeber except RKR for sure.

These were all square or rectangular levers app. 3/4 in. in size.

As I recall, guitars with wider levers that I've played like Sierra and Carter have more area for your knees to
find.

It might also depend on your particular guitar and the positioning of the levers. Another consideration for people adding flags is having space to avoid hubs, cranks etc. and the ability to fold them up neatly so they don't bang into each other. FWIW.

I was just wondering what the hype was for flags on the knee levers. My right does work for both necks and is harder to work but no problems here. Thanks for all the input.

If anyone needs the GFI flag send me a message and I will send it to you"My gift...Somehow I have one in my box of stuff,Make sure you send an address,Stu

I live in Florida, so I live in shorts.
When I got my first pedal steel,I found LKR to hit my knee bone at the right spot to make it irritating.
I went to a Dollar store and bought a 1 dollar spatula in the right color.
took it off the handle and slid it on my knee lever.
Perfect fit and comfy,too !!

I've been sketching ideas for months now of an adjustable knee lever flag, it would move left and right, and fore and aft. My staggered LKL on my S12 Zumsteel is so far away I can't easily reach it. It's too crowded under the hood there to easily relocate the lever. Thus the reason to brainstorm this.

How many of you might be interested in something like this? Ideally it would be designed to be secured to existing levers without drilling holes.

Guess this could be a group-think design project! We'd be looking for the simplest, most elegant solution to the problem of bad lever locations. Who's in with brilliant ideas?

If you come up with something John please share with us to see what might work.

Take a look at the Sierra Sessions and Crown series. The have their knee levers mounted to move fore/aft and left/right.

Tom Campbell wrote:Take a look at the Sierra Sessions and Crown series. The have their knee levers mounted to move fore/aft and left/right.

Anyone have closeup pix of those?

If you can’t move a lever to a better position, adjustable flags are the solution needed. And sought.

No need to drill holes in knee lever stem!!’

Here’s a simple do it yourself flag.
Fully adjustable Flag. :: Same flag works for LNR OR LKL
JUST SLIP IT ON KNEE STEM an snug tighten the Phillips head screw.
Things you need
Angle aluminum
A way too cut aluminum
Rivet gun an rivets
8/32 screw
8/32 Tap

Here's the neatest way too make a flag, but it takes a milling machine.


Another way too build a flag
Use 1/2 aluminum stock cut too the size you need.
Mill a 3/8 inch deep grove for a snug fit over knee stem.
Drill an tap a hole for a 8/32 hex set screw.
Buff

Ron Scott wrote:What do they put them on for? I thought maybe because it hurts your knee on certain ones because of the size of our knee levers. I would not mind doing it on a couple but I don't want something that has to screw into my old one and ruin it. I have the aluminum but hate to ruin my Knee lever with holes in it. Any idea's would help. Not sold on it yet.Ron

Ron,
I had two add two flags to my Carter SD-10, coudn't reach the levers, one on the LKL E to F, and another on the LKR 1st string raise, 6th string lower. I didn't want to do any drilling either, so I got some aluminum sheet stock cut out the flags and then super glued them on. To remove them all I need is a heat gun, and the glue will come off with some solvent. It was a half hour job, they have been on for several months now and are still staying put. I did it for less than 10 bucks, got the aluminum and glue at Lowes.

I have some they are 3/8 wide Levers.
The will fit Emmons PP & LeGrande's & Derby or any other brand that has 3/8 wide levers.
NO holes to be drilled in the levers See Below:

Larry Moore
lmoore40@bellsouth.net