E9th-who raises their 7th string?

Scott Schurhammer · From: Minnesota, USA

I recently picked up a p/p Emmons and the RKL raises the 7th string. I'm used to lowering the 6th string with this lever. The first and second strings are "normal" with this lever, so I'm curious as to what you folks are doing with raising the 7th string. Please share any knowledge! Thanks!

Dean Parks · From: Sherman Oaks, California, USA

I just changed to this and like it. You get a pedals-down maj 7 chord for one thing. I have a feel stop on 7 and 1 which is fun for that pedals-down 7th chord, and is at least half of why I like this setup. Can you do that with a P/P?

1 and 2 are "normal"? you mean up a whole, up a half? If so, if you can time 1 and 7 to half-stop at G together, the 1 with a B-pedalled 6 gives a great Mooney/Hamlett A7th chord with 1, 4, 5, and 6.

As much fun as it is to lower 6 a full step, the fact that 7 resonates with the lowered 6 presents another duty, which is, mute 7 when you release 6-lower, not as much fun.

Scott Schurhammer · From: Minnesota, USA

Thanks Dean! I'll give it a go and see what happens. As far as I can tell, this guitar doesn't have a half stop on the RKL. I'm not much of a tinkerer, so I'd have to send it out to have it added down the line. Thanks again!

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I raise the 7th string half step on a knee lever and a full step on a pedal. I've always used a wound 6th which makes lowering it a full step impractical. It's not a problem for me because I don't have to copy anyone's licks or style. I see how the 6th string lower could be fun, but I've never had it.
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Scott Shipley · From: The Ozark Mountains

I do, but my tuning is not standard E9.

G#
E
B
G#
F#
E
D
B
G#
E

I raise my 7th up a whole step. It's my "Rock and Roll pedal."
Smile

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Scott Schurhammer · From: Minnesota, USA

b0b,

Which pedal do you have the full step raise on? I like having a wound 6th string, but switched to .022 plain so I can drop it a whole step. It's been working out pretty good. When I first started playing psg, I was hooked after hearing Bruce Kaphan on a track where he was dropping the 6th. I'm not really into trying to copy anyone, but will happily "borrow" from different players. Assuming that I can figure out what they're doing...

Thanks for your insight!

Ryan Barwin · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I raise 1 and 7 a half step on LKV. I also lower 6 a whole step on RKL (as well as the standard string 1 whole step raise and string 2 half step raise).
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I have the 7th string half tone raise on the same knee lever that lowers the 2nd and 9th strings. Johnny Cox turned me on to this change years ago (probably 1972) and I've had it ever since.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

I raise mine a half.
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Robbie Daniels · From: Casper, Wyoming, USA

I raise string 1, 2 & with vertical lever. 1st string whole tone, 2nd string half tone and 7th string whole tone. If I want the seventh chord I raise the vertical partially to get the seventh sound.
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Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I have the 7th string 1/2 step raise on LKV, for the same reason as Mike. In my case the lever also lowers the 2nd string to C#. I prefer to leave the 1st string unchanged, for the dom13 chord with A+B+LKV. There are times I'd like to have the 1st string 1/2 step raise, but you can't have everything. (I already have seven E9th knee levers.)

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I raise my 7th a whole-step on my LKV. It's easy to 'half-pedal' it which gives me a 7th chord with pedals-down, and I love the dissonance of the major 7th with it fully-engaged if I pick both 7th and 6th strings within the chord.

I raise 1 and 2 with the same pull - it's becoming more and more useful to me!

I also raise the 6th a whole step rather than lowering it, as is more common. A wide variety of options are opened up with that one.
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Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Never leave home without it. 1,2 & 7 on my LKR. I lower my Es RKL. I like the 7th string raise a lot and have written several Beginners Notes reflecting that.

It is not for everyone though, some like lowering the 6th. I'd like to have that one and the 7th some day.

Scott Schurhammer · From: Minnesota, USA

Thanks again, guys! I can see the usefulness of the change already. Now I'm wanting to put the change on my Williams, which would open up another set of issues... I want to keep lowering my 6th a whole step on RKL, so the logical step would be to put the 1,2 and 7 raise on my LKV lever. But... if I did that, I'd have to move the 5 and 10 lowers to a pedal. Lots to consider, it looks like.

Thanks again!

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I raise my 7th string from F# to G# on my "zero" pedal as b0b does. I started doing it when I saw a copy of Tom Brumley's copedant years ago and since he was a major influence on me I thought I'd try it. Think of it in the same way as when you have your B pedal depressed and you rock on/off your A pedal. This does the same thing in the open (no pedals) position.

Also when you're playing in the B6th mode with your E's lowered, this does the same function as your A pedal (raise the 5th a whole tone) so if you release your "E" knee lever at the same time, you have the same thing as using you A & B pedals.

Another way to think of it is if you play standard guitar, think of the opening lick in "Take It Easy" by the Eagles. The one where you fret the 2nd and 3rd strings in the third fret and bend the 3rd string up a whole tone below them, this pedal does that same thing.

Tom Brumley used this change a lot and if you listen closely to his recordings you'll be able to hear the it here and there.

A simple little lick for this pedal is to play strings 10 8 7 8 and then pick your 5th string along with the 7th as you step on that pedal (or lever)......

I also lower my 3rd string to G on the same pedal for some "Mooney" stuff with the A pedal and by itself..........JH in Va.
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Bill Howard · From: Indiana, USA

you can get some really nice chords with raising 7th,I used to lower 3&6 to get a minor,I discovered that raising 7th playing 7,8&5 in any fret will get a minor chord kind of hard to get used to,I also use the 1st string raise for several things,you get a nice 7th example play A&B pedal down raise 1st, keep it you can do a lot with it

Harry Dove · From: Michigan, USA

I raise 1 & 7 a whole step and use it quite a lot both as a whole step raise and a half step raise. In addition to its obvious use for the seventh chord, something I do with it is picking strings 5,7,& 8 with 7 raised a whole step, sliding down 2 frets then lowering string 5 a half step (which I have on LKV), and resolving it by releasing the string 5 lower and the string 7 raise while lowering string 8 a half step. Nice sounding progression to get from the V to the I. There are many other uses as well.

Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

1 and 7 both raise with my RKR. I've got the 1st string set up to raise a whole step and the 7th to raise 1/2. I COULD live without these changes.

Dennis Wallis · From: Arkansas

1st a whole ; 2nd a half ; an 7th a whole . Just play around with it and you will find lost os uses for it . Raising the 7th string can cover some mistakes too . Very Happy

Ryan Barwin · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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

Besides Raising #1 (1-tone), Raising #2 (½-tone) and Lowering #6 (1-tone) on my RKL, I also found a good use for my extra LKL. I Raise #1 & #7 (½-tone) [F#] to [G].
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Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

With the whole tone raise on string 7 you can do a very nice version of "Last Date" using only that pedal and your "E" lever which lowers 4 & 8 a half tone.

Start at the 13th fret with your E lever engaged and play strings 4 and 7 and then depress the pedal and release it... Drop to the 8th fret with the E lever disengaged and do the same thing. Then go to the 6th fret with the E lever engaged and do it again and finally to the 1st fret. This is just a gloss over of where the positions are, you'll have to experiment with the voicings but you'll be able to find them quickly.......JH in Va.
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

There is a question here, as to whether to raise the 7th, or F# string, to G# or G natural.

In my opinion, raising the 2 F# strings to G# provides licks, while raising them to G natural provides chords and possibilities for scales. It also seems to me that a lot of the things that can be done by raising the 1st string to G# can also be done by moving the bar up 2 frets and using the C pedal.

I must admit though, that I have never had the F# to G# raise, so there is probably a lot of stuff I'm missing.
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