open letter to Charlie McDonald & other newbies

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Charlie, on another thread you posted that you swapped your B to Bb change for one that lowers the 6th string from G# to F#.

I think that this is a mistake. It SEEMS like a logical change as it allows you to go to a major V chord from the pedals up position instead of a V7, and yields a rather common lick too. But I submit that there is little or nothing that you can do with this change that can’t also be accomplished by moving the bar and using some of the other pedals and knee levers.

At the same time, the B to Bb change has all sorts of uses, and allows you to do things that simple cannot be accomplished without it.

I suggest that you restore the B to Bb change, and anybody else reading this, keep that change on your guitar it you have it.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

The G#->F#, with the E->Eb lever, is the "Amen" change. B->Bb is the same as the 5 pedal in C6.

[This message was edited by chas smith on 17 January 2006 at 07:17 PM.]

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Actually, I retained the Bb lever.

It's at LKR, from Larry Bell's uni coped, and I kept it at your suggestion a while back, Mike. F is on LKL, D# on RKL, but I'd still prefer the D# as an LKL lower. I like the stock V--a 'reverse amen', maybe--more than I do the V7. (The Methodist 'amen' is IV/I.)

I researched 'standard' copeds and tried every location I could, settling on the above as it behooves the beginner to follow a known path--and I think Mike's post is appropriate in that regard. You don't know what you have until you explore it.

I still don't know what to do with it, as I don't use diminished chords much. It seems to me a lever/pedal with B->Bb and G#->G together would be more useful for that purpose--kind of a 'fake Franklin.' So I have that split up on pedals 5&6--which, unless I sell this guitar, will get the Packard PST pedals X & Y on p's 4&5.

The real reason I like the G#->F# at Pedal 0 is it puts A, B, & C at a more comfortable position for me, and for the corresponding levers as well. Short legs. So it's easy to see why I'd like the D# lever on LKL. But again, I have deferred to experience.

Or I just like to say amen (I, IV, & V at the same bar position--pedals up/down/up/down/up. So easy for a beginner.
Other newbies and experienced players:
discuss.

[This message was edited by Charlie McDonald on 18 January 2006 at 06:33 AM.]

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