Question on lowering the 6th string

Dave Wright · From: Lathrop, Mo

I bought Steve Gambrell's Carter SD-10. And, im wondering about the 6th string(G#). Now, lets say i play strings 4,5 & 6 lowering the 6th a half. What note/chord would I get?? Also, what would it be lowered a full step?? Anything else you all could add about this would be extremely helpful. Im used to play my Carter Starter, and it doesnt have this feature. So, im kinda lost, it does however sound cool...Thanks
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SD-10 Carter 4&5, Fender Steel King

Jim Hoke · From: Tennessee, USA

You want to lower that G# all the way to F# if you can. This changes the 3rd of the chord to the 2nd tone of the scale (mi to re, in do-re-mi lingo). This you'll find very usefull, probably moreso than lowering it a half-tone. What you really want to do is then get somebody to adjust it so you can use pedal B to raise the pitch back up a half step, once it's lowered, and be in tune. This is called "tuning the split".

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Lowering a half give you the minor of the chord in the no pedals position.

Lowering a full (to F#) gives you same moving sound as letting off your A pedal with the A & B pedals engaged. But the best part of the full tone lower is that, say you are playing a D chord at fret 5 with A & B pedals down. Back up to the third fret and release the pedals and engage the G# to F# lower and the lever that lowers your E's to D#. This gives you a D chord at the third fret. There is a lot of melody possibilities using and moving between those two frets. At the third fret with the 6th lowered and the E's lowered, if you let off the lever that lowers 6 and let it pass through the open note and the hit the B pedal, you get a great lick moving the from 5th of the chord up to the flatted 7th (moving through the 6th tone). Other than my levers that lower and raise the E's, the 6th string lower to F# is my 3rd most used knee lever.

Joseph Barcus · From: Volga West Virginia

if its working right and you are closed A&B pedals and you use that knee thats a 7th chord. you would get the same 7th chord if you raised your 7th string F# 1/2 to a G thats also a 7th chord. thats how I use it
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Jim Hoke · From: Tennessee, USA

Another of the many possibilities is the augmented chord you get, say, in the key of G at the 3rd fret, (to get an aug. five chord) you lower the E's w/ the usual knee, and raise 6 w/ the B pedal for D7. Well, then you lower 6 w/ the whole step lower, and you get a nice augmented D, which also works great w/ the A pedal giving you the 9th on it as well. Some guys would rather raise 7 a whole step to get some of these same sounds, but IMHO, the 6 lower allows more movements w/out changing strings and having to block and re-attack.

Dave Wright · From: Lathrop, Mo

I just realized, with the 6th lowered a full step. Its the same as the 7th string.. Embarassed

DUH....I still consider myself a newbie. As if you cant tell already. Thanks for the comments so far. It is helping alot..
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SD-10 Carter 4&5, Fender Steel King

Mike Baldwin · From: Watsonville, Ca. USA

If you follow Mr Sinklers advice you will have some extremely useful options for voicings that "flow into" each other really nicely

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

When playing pedals-down, I'll move two frets to the left, flat my E's, and drop the 6th string to F#. Nice inversion!!!
PRR

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

I like that lower so much that I have it on P1; used with E lower on LKL, it gets the V chord.
Used with P2, I have the I minor.
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Jim Hoke · From: Tennessee, USA

Ah, so you have your A&B pedals set up like Day and John Hughey. That's neat. So how do you do all the pedal B&C moves? (or in your case that would be A&B). Do you raise just 4 a whole step on a knee?

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Yes, Jim, with B->C# on P3, my E->f->F# is on LKR so it's an easy move inward. It seems I mostly use them separately. The F stop is controlled by a full step pull on str. 8.

I searched for John Hughey's setup but couldn't find it. Could you send me to it, Jim?
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Hughey's setup as displayed in his instructional material:

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Man, is that a model of economy, as much as Lloyd Green's, with the G on the D lever, leaving RKR for Hueyland (and the extra levers for other necessary things, like a powerful relative minor just by rocking left), so yeah, mine is more like his, and after looking at his a little longer, it may be more like his later.
Thanks, Richard.
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

They say the half pedal 6th is a waisted pedal, but i actually like the half pedal 6th drop, however i did convert to full lower, with no spit, miss than immediate minor chord without having to move, i am considering a half stop on that lever, but it makes an awfully stiff lever.
I dont like the split, where you push down on the pedal and raise your knee at the same time, it makes sense for sure, but it seems like the lever has to be set very low and then gets rubbed on other moves, or the knee has to stretch whilst going in the opposite direction, maybe i am doing it wrong, but it seems like i have always had my vertical set up to when my left foot has to come up off the floor!
I have the rods set up with the smallest distance pulls.
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A.K.A Chappy.

Dave Wright · From: Lathrop, Mo

My setup for the lowering of the 6th is RKL. And, i too have been debating weather to remove the split on it. I seem to like a slow release on it, and you (I) can hear were the split is. My vertical does 5 & 10 1/2 steps.
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SD-10 Carter 4&5, Fender Steel King

Jim Hoke · From: Tennessee, USA

I like having the 6 whole step drop on RKL. This way there seems to be more available combinations. Doing the half-step drop by adding the B pedal seemed complicated at first, but, like anything else, eventually it gets to be second nature. Hey I like Charlie's thing of having the E to F raise and E to F# raise on the same knee. Never thought of that, but it makes alot of sense... Hello Bobbe....?

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Dave Wright · From: Lathrop, Mo

Yes, Richard, That is what i meant. My RKL also raises the 2nd string a whole w/ a 1/2 stop and raises the 1st string a 1/2. But, thats the next subject after i figure out the 6th string thing.LOL
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SD-10 Carter 4&5, Fender Steel King

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I guess I have the best of both worlds, since I have a LKL1 and a LKL2. One of those is the Standard Raise of #4 & #8 (½-tone) ea., from E to F and the other one Raises #1 & #7 (½-tone) ea. from F# to G and my RKL Raises #1 (1-tone) from F# to G#, #2 (½-tone) from D# to E and Lowers #6 (1-tone) from G# to F#.
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Hey Dave, see those two nylon nut tuners closest to you on the endplate? Those are the halfstep tuners. One is for the second string, and the other was for the first string (I believe). Anyway, when I pushed that loaded down RKL lever, the guitar about fell over. I backed the nylon nut back, until it was basically doing nothing. You may want to back it off a little more. I wanted to get the half-step on the 1st string, for some Mooney licks, but I found out I could hear 'em well enough without that 1/2 step.
How are you liking the guitar?

Dave Wright · From: Lathrop, Mo

I love Lovin it.. The only thing is how tall it is. I cant use my new Hilton lo-pro with it. Ive been using the Goodrich that you sent w/ it.. Other than that, it plays wonderfully, sound incredible, and the Steel King is fantastic.. I cant thank you enough Steve.. Very Happy

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SD-10 Carter 4&5, Fender Steel King

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