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Topic: pedal/lever travel? |
Colin Mclean
From:
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 12:29 am |
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Is less pedal travel more desirable? Seems like it would be to this newbie.
I've been trying to play some Lloyd tunes off his album, "Master of the Steel Strings", and on a couple of songs he does some really fast toggling or whatever you want to call it with the B pedal. I just can't get that thing to move fast enough. Maybe it's just beyond my skill level(it is  ) but still it seems that if the pedal had less physical travel, I could be up to speed.
On my guitar, a Carter-starter, there is a block of wood stopping the pedals, and the levers are stopped by various screws. None of this is adjustable, but I'm thinking of modifying it so that it is, or at least so that there is less travel on both the pedals and knee levers.
Has anyone ever modified their guitar to acheive the same note change with less pedal travel? Is this even an issue for some you? Just curious. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 5:49 am
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I recall having a Starter that had worn a groove into the wood rail at the B pedal. A strip of metal placed over that spot made the stop more positive, and did decrease the pedal travel, which I thought was an improvement.
There was a bracket screw that I could also back out to slightly reduce the travel on a lever. I think some experimentation might give you the results you want.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 6:10 am
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Colin---there is no 'correct' answer to the question of whether a short or long throw is more desirable. The C~S is definitely not intended to be adjustable---that's one of the aspects of its affordability. My Carter pro model, on the other hand, is extremely adjustable. Moreso than, for instance, my Fessenden (or Emmons or BMI). And I've taken advantage of this, adjusting things so that they were very short, very long, and somewhere in between. I definitely like the travel to be long enough that you can do a s-l-o-w pedal 'squeeze' without getting foot cramps. But I discovered that extra long throws were at the expense of stuff like your LG B-pedal-play. So, boringly, I ended up somewhere in between.
I don't recall the relative properties of the CS length-of-travel--it's been a few years since I sat at one. I can't advise you one way or another re: modding your guitar---it was engineered to be what it is so you could be getting yourself into trouble. Or not.
Obviously, an upgrade, when the time is right, is the best idea (that's what the Carter people intended)---the day that a person tries to cop Lloyd Green licks is the day that he has accepted that he is serious about steel guitar-- but I'm not going to insult you by telling you how to prioritize your budget. |
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Colin Mclean
From:
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 8:28 am
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Thanks guys.
I thought about putting the strip of metal across the wood block for the pedals. Funny, when I looked under there yesterday and saw that piece of wood, the first thing I thought of was that it was going to get worn down, and thus exacerbate the problem over time.
The levers are going to require a little more engingeering, though. I have experimented with backing out the screw, and determined that the problem is not where the head of the screw is, it's that the head of a screw is not a solid enough stopping point. Depending on how much I lean into it, the F lever can end up flat or sharp, and I can't be having that.
I have some ideas though. I'm going to make a little trip to the hardware store, and do some experimenting.
C-S owners stay posted.  |
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