stand up pedal steel

Andy Keen · From: Oregon, USA

Hey folks, I haven't posted much, but I do a lot of reading on here and enjoy the forum quite a bit. So thanks to everyone who participates!

I sit down all day at work and I can't really control that. So when I come home I don't really want to be sitting down for four hours while I'm practising pedal steel. I'm aware of lap steels on a console but that doesn't work for me, because I need the string bending. I don't want to start a fight or anything, but I'm pretty sure that standing up let's your blood circulate a little better (which is good for your brain). Google is full of a bunch of arguments for standing up while working (at a desk), so I'll stop there with the justification. Essentially, I'm in search of a stand-up pedal steel that's comfortable and functional. If you have any ideas of pre-existing all-in-one products or even modification kits, please chime in here and let's discuss.

I put my pedal steel up on two folding chairs and found it comfortable, then searched the forum for "standing pedal steel" and found a nice looking sho-bud for sale that was billed as a stand-up. Then I realized that I probably had enough play to just raise my legs on my 70's MSA (same color as the sho-bud!), and I did, so that problem is solved! Here's the stand-up sho-bud for sale:

Seems awkward to play with the pedal board in the same spot, I wonder how he does it?

Obviously I need some extensions for the pedal rods (like he has in that picture). I think about a foot long (I'm not exactly tall), but I'd like them adjustable so I can play with it. Does anyone know where to get some pedal rod extensions? Actually, any ideas here is good, so please let's hear your ideas. Then, I could probably make some extensions off of the pedals to reach back a foot or two to where your feet would be when you're standing comfortably. I'm sure you could bypass the pedal extensions if you moved the pedal bar to the back legs and played with angling the pedal rods, but then you're fixed in that standing position (which may not be ideal).

I envision the knee levers will function like a b-bender for a telecaster where you use your hips to engage it. For now I think I'm going to give up my right knee levers and just use my left hip for the LKL and my right hip for the LKR. If anyone has any alternate ideas for controling the knee levers, let me know (maybe brainwaves?). Possibly using a series of strong metal levers clamped onto the knee levers? There's a strong possibility of this being way too much like hula dancing, so this idea is a "work-in-progress".

I would like a volume pedal that you can control with only your right toe. I'm envisioning something that functions like a spring-loaded button (like on a game show), and you'd have to engage it to get any sound at all (if you didn't touch it that would be zero volume). but it would look more like a triangle from the side view. It'd be very sensitive, but we're steel players so I'd venture to say we have a knack for adjusting to sensitive mechanical controls (or we try to anyway). I think this type of volume control would help keep your body in a more balanced mode (centered). I think balance is key because if you want to really be able to maneuver the pedals, then you'd tend to want to put weight on your right foot to keep your left foot limbered up, leaving you hardly any play on your right(except with your toe).

Anyone have any other ideas about how to control volume so you can still get the swells?

Thanks for reading.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Stan Schober · From: Cahokia, Illinois, USA

CHeck out these threads for ideas:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=168874&highlight=

and

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=167286&highlight=

the 2nd one even has a video of WC in action...
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Emmons S-8 P/P,DeArmond 40. Slowly drifting back towards sanity.

Paul Crawford · From: Orlando, Fl

You can certainly do it, but it's a young man's game and has a couple of limitations. Obviously you're not going to hit two non-adjacent pedals at the same time, (something I occassionally do with P4 and a LOT with P5/P7. I suspect there will be a few knee/pedal combinations that will require some new balancing skills.

And I spent about 25 years doing some serious tournament fishing. Playing stork on one leg while bucking 2' waves and still trying to control a worm crawling across the bottom is a skill that takes time to learn. But all it takes is a little age and an increasingly bad back to loose that skill overnight. I strongly suspect standing all night on your right leg with your left leg extended forward and then leaning sideways will yield similar results.

I'd give some serious consideration to moving the pedals outboard so I could at least balance on my heel without putting my left foot in and shaking all about.

Brett Lanier · From: Hermitage, TN

You may want to consider heel pedals, forward knee levers, and wrist levers if you're looking to get all of the combinations of a typical E9 setup. But maybe it would easier to put a big fan on the floor instead of a seat. You could be in the sitting position, only hovering.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

What about a compromise?

Raise your steel as discussed, add some knee lever extensions and sit on a high stool (like those found at auto parts stores). You would be playing almost at standing level, but would avoid the single leg stance issues (pain, vol pedal, knee levers).

Pedal stool! Rolling Eyes

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

Bobbe has a stand-up Fessenden (S-10, I think) PSG in his showroom! 3-pedals, no kl's, but it's a start!
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

Andy - You may wish to contact Price Porter at (512)627 0446 about playing stand-up steel. I made a pedal arrangement for him way back in 1995 for his stand-up MSA which moved the pedals rearward, yet used mostly original MSA parts on the rack to do so. He pays E9/B6 and it worked for him. I don't know if he still uses it, but he sure did back then. He may be able to send you a few pics of the guitar. Sadly, I don't have any or I would send them your way. On his guitar, I just made long pedal rods of phosphor-bronze welding rod...looks like brass and polished up nicely. I think he still has the guitar.
PRR

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Bob White who played steel for Hank Thompson stood up. He stood on his volume pedal and used his left foot for power chords. He showed me how he did the big production ending on tears are only rain to make love grow.

I was going to ask him If bigsby made him an especially strong pedal so he could stand on it but was too busy trying to not forget what he had showed me. Very Happy

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Reece if you read this maybe you will answer my question about Bob Wills as you played for him. I had heard some where that Bob didn't like pedal steel.Maybe it was the country style. As i recall Gene Crownover told me this.
But like everything else my memory is shot. Smile

Tracy

Marvin Born · From: Ohio, USA

The Telonics pedal has a sensor inside the pedal that tilts to adjusts the volume. It is a single chip. There is a "sensor" jack on the side of the pedal that allows you to remote the sensor. Telonics sells a ball cap with a piece of Velcro on top and a sensor with Velcro to stick on the hat. It works very well. It was used at the St. Louis Steel Convention during the gospel show. Try this link and scroll down to the pictures.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=191114

Marvin Born

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