Is this a short-guy problem?

Glen Derksen · From: Alberta, Canada

I only stand at 5 feet and four and a half inches. The problem when I sit at my steel is that when I sit at the proper level, I'm operating the pedals with the balls of my feet, and my thighs aren't long enough to comfortably operate the knee levers. The legs on the guitar are down as far as they'll go. should I get the legs shortened? Are there levers specially made that will accommodate my leg size? How do you short players deal with this? Thanks.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

I think there are players that are short, that adapt to play a standard height steel. I could not, I'm 5'2 ish... My seat height is 18.5 to 19 inches and I just measured my string height to be about 28 inches from the floor. That works for me. My fore arms are parallel to the floor. But... the best thing I did was to install flags on "every" lever. That made it possible to easily engage every lever.

Flags: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=594320d13092d8fb#cid=594320D13092D8FB&id=594320D13092D8FB%21404

Home made, mine install with Velcro...

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

It was for me. I had Bud Carter build my guitar the same heigth as his.........strings are 29" from floor on C6 neck.

David Anderson · From: St. Louis, MO, USA

I'm 5'2" and have shorter legs and a more normal torso. Every steel I have had has been cut down an inch and everyone is different. I can't reach the vertical on my BMI as well as I could on the Derby. Flags definitely help. If the AB and C pedal are closer to the changer it makes it much easier for me to keep my body in a proper playing position. Like about anything else, if you are really short or really tall, it can be a problem.

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I'm 5'7" and my ShoBud D-10 feels a tad big at times. Flags help a lot. It also helps to move the levers rearward if possible. My Williams is 1" shorter than standard and fits like a glove.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

For a quick fix, you can slide plastic tubing over your knee levers to extend the knee levers.
The local hardware store should have some PVC pipe that you could use.
I found some nice looking black plastic tubing at Target and cut it to the right length. The inner diameter of the tube was the same size as the knee lever.
You slide it over the knee lever and you're good to go. I used a little foam inside the tube to help hold it in place (you may need to remove the tubes to put the steel in the case).
Take care not to scratch up your knee levers.
I have also used hose-clamps to attach a wood dowell to a knee lever in order to make it a few inches lower.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I think I'd spring for shorter legs and pedal rods, keeping the original ones in case you wanted to sell (and there's a good chance that they'd work on another guitar).
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

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