Pedal action

Gil Berry · From: Westminster, CA, USA

I know it's all about "tone" but I am really more in to mechanical excellence and ease of playing. For you guys lucky enough to have played most, if not all the pre-eminent brands of psg's around today - Emmons, Sho-Buds, Mullen, Zums, Excels, Anapeg, Marlens, old or new MSAs, etc. etc....Which guitar has the easiest pedal action? Can you pull 4 strings with one pedal without having to add lead to your cowboy boots? Just curious.....And does your axe of choice for pedal feel also qualify as a mechanical work of art? I'm counting responses...hehe...

[This message was edited by Gil Berry on 15 December 2003 at 11:32 PM.]

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Although I haven't played one in some time, the guitar with the easiest pedal action I've ever played was a Franklin. Look at Paul's tunings if you want to see how many pulls can be attached to a single pedal and have the guitar still be playable.

Next easiest (believe it or not) in my experience is my S-12 Emmons push-pull. I will not own a guitar I can't play in stocking feet. All guitars have adjustments for length of throw and ease or stiffness of pedal action. Usually, the longer throw the easier action. My Fessy also has very easy pedal action.

Most modern guitars can be adjusted or modified to improve the leverage and attain relatively easy action. I won't go into the mechanical details. Ask if you want to know more.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Bob Snelgrove · From: san jose, ca

My Franklin defies the laws of physics

bob

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Larry says : " I will not own a guitar I can't play in stocking feet. "

I had to laugh to myself when I saw this comment. When I first got my old Sho-Bud I used to always play in stocking feet..mostly because the guitar never left the house and there's carpet on the floor where the guitar was etc. But little did I suspect I was laying a trap for myself. Later on I decided to use the steel for some songs in the band we had at the time and I quickly found I couldn't play with anything but a sock on my left foot. So when we performed I'd always wear zippered boots and when I'd switch from 6 string electric to steel I'd whip off my left boot. Except for the band few people ever noticed because I had a Harley Davidson flag hung on the front of my Sho-Bud that covered everything below the front apron. But I spent a lot of time getting in and out of my footwear.
That band broke up eventually and I didn't touch my steel for a couple of years. When I started back I forced myself to learn to play with shoes on. But I'm still really particular about what kind of shoe I can wear. Cowboy boots are out...the toes hook in the pedal rods.

Peter · Posted 16 Dec 2003 9:03 am

Bill, I had shoes with the same problem. So I took the caps off big Magic Marker Pens and slid them over the connection mechanism. No more problem!

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Peter den Hartogh-Emmons 1978 S10 - Fender Artist S10-Remington U12-Hilton Volume Pedal-Gibson BR4 lapsteel-Guya "Stringmaster" Copy-MusicMan112RP-Peavy Rage158- - My Animation College in South Africa

David Doggett · Posted 16 Dec 2003 10:09 am

If you really want to feel the difference in pedal action between pedal steels, use you hand to press the pedals. Your hand is much more sensitive to hard and unsmooth action. Of course, since you are not going to play the pedal with your hands, some might question the point of this test. Nevertheless, your hand can feel the differences better.

Tommy Minniear · From: Logansport, Indiana

After thinking about the question asked in this thread, it occured to me that the comparison test would only be valid on "new" or "recently tweeked by a pro" guitars. Anything mechanical can be altered after it is manufactured. That in itself would eliminate a fair testing on guitars that are "pre-owned" or haven't been manufactured for nearly twenty years. I see this as another: "In My Opinion" topic. No offense or sarcasim intended.

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Tommy Minniear
www.ntsga.com

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

After playing several steels and test driving many, my vote would go to the Kline. Butter smooth, responsive immediately, easy to half pedal. Too bad Joe quit making them.

Jim Ives · From: Los Angeles, California, USA

My Mullen beats any guitar I've owned or tried, including my Sho-Bud for ease of pedaling, but the Sho-Bud has the best tone.
-Jim

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Mullen D-10
Boss RV3
Fulltone Full-Drive II
Evans FET 500
Sho-Bud Pro II D10
Fender Stratocaster

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

You can make any Pedal steel play soft action long or short throw or harder action, long or short throw...It's all in the adjustment.
When Ordering a guitar to be built...make sure you specify what you would like the guitar to feel like.
Ricky

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

I have 4 pulls on the low C6 strings on my 2001 Carter and can still play it barefoot, but there's a bit more resistance than on the other pedals, no biggie. Plus, I was able to switch the changes on there myself, not rocket surgery at all. Considering adding the Franklin p4 to it as well!

Gil Berry · From: Westminster, CA, USA

I know, guys, that pedal action can be adjusted by the linkage. A lot of guitars, like my old MSA, even had multiple "attachment points" on the pedals themselves to choose between a quick throw (at more effort), or a longer throw (but easier). But that is not what I'm talking about: The better the mecanics in a guitar (IMHO anway) the less FRICTION wasted in the linkages. This would include use of ball bearings, bronze/brass/nylon bushings, and anything else to make the linkages and pulls "smooth as butter" like Richard mentioned about his Kline above - and at the same time have the shortest, quickest throw. I'm not talking about mechanical advantage as in distance vs. force, but in reduction in wasted effort....

[This message was edited by Gil Berry on 18 December 2003 at 01:51 AM.]

Bob Snelgrove · From: san jose, ca

Where do "helper springs" come into play?

bob

David Higginbotham · From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

For smoothest pedal action, I would have to say BMI guitars have the smoothest of any I have played. As for pulling 4 strings, the determinaing factors would be whether the pull is raising or lowering and the size of the stings involved. Experimenting has always been my tool of reason and as such, I have managed to obtain some unusual pulls.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Dave

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MSA Classic D-10 8/5, Carter S-10 3/5, Profex II, Nashville 400

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Bob,

Helper springs come into play on raises only. But to this day I am not sure how to adjust them. I have them on all raise fingers on my U-12 Excel, but again not sure how to adjust them.

carl

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

The easiest working pedals I ever played bar none(no pun intended)is my Excel Superb keyless U-12 w/8+9. One reason for that is it has raise assist springs permanently hooked up to the uppermost of the 6 raise holes with an adjustable screw. And just like lower return springs,you can change the tension. I tighten mine so they start raising the string by themselves - then slack off some and then let the pedal do the rest.It's quite possible to adjust most of the pedals so light as to feel like they're not even hooked up.Of course that's too light because you want some degree of resistance for half pedaling etc.It's still a trade off tho because some pedals pull 2 strings,some 3,and one or two pull 4 strings but even when the various pedals are averaged out to the same tension,it still pulls easier than any other guitar except maybe a Franklin which is equally easy. I also take almost all the slack out of the pulling train and then of course,there ain't no "resting your foot on the pedals" cause they're hair trigger - they'll push if you just look at 'em - but what you do have is a sports car w/power steering.Then with the right kind of shoes,coffee and vitamins,you can easily do fast trills with your pedals.It makes playing most other supposedly easy playing guitars feel like wading through mud.

Of the older guitars I've owned/played,my D-10 ZB w/8+4 was real stiff,my D-10 Emmons push-pull w/8+4 easy but sloppy,my D-10 Sho-Bud Professional w/8+5 easy but clanky and sloppy,my early 90s Sierra U-12 w/8+8 very tight and smooth but stiffer than it should be - certainly playable though; my heavily customized S-10 Fender 800 w/6+6 is about like my Sierra except for extra long strokes on the lowers and no way to do much about that.My 1980 MSA D-10 SS was real easy,pedalwise and had all the changes I could cram on there w/8+8.

I'd be interested to know which current manufacturers use raise assist springs. -MJ-

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I've played at least 8 different brands of guitars and usually play around the house barefoot and have to say that the action on the Anapeg is bay far the smoothest I have ever felt.

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

Jim says the Anapeg is the smoothest...
I'd have to agree. And it will get bbetter because Noel is starting to use helper springs for the raises...
The BMI's that had a changer on each end also had wonderful action-- a feel that is very direct-- you were pulling or pushing right on the finger with no changer pieces in the way.
I'm pretty happy with my Kline. But the lightest knee-levers I've ever felt were on the guitar I built-- which was a push/pull.

JW

Gil Berry · From: Westminster, CA, USA

Alright, guys. Now I'm learning something. Most guys have only owned two or three (or maybe only 1) brand of psg. For you guys with many years of professional playing on several different axes, your experience is invaluable to us less knowledgeable players. Winnie, do you still have that steel you built? And Jim, one of these days I'll make it down to oceanside to see your Anapeg (I hope). BTW, is Noel still 5 years behind in deliveries?

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

A good steel guitar doctor such as Dr. Bobby Bowman can "butter smooth" most any guitar. Jody.

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