Adding to pedal #4....

Charles Curtis · Posted 10 Aug 2004 1:55 pm

I am considering adding the "Franklin Pull" to pedal No.# 4, which presently drops both "A"s to B on the C-6. Have any of you done this and what is your opinion; does it increase the torque too much or is it manageable? Thanks guys.

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

I think you meant to say your P4 raises both A's to B.

I recently added lowering both E9 B's to A on P4. The guitar already had a knee lever that lowered E9 6 G# to G/F#. The pedal feel wasn't too bad, about like the stock P5.

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

I originally put the Franklin pedal on my MCI about 4 years ago and found it a bit stiff in the action with the C6th pulls as well so I added an extra pedal and shifted the whole C6th setup over one pedal. This frees up the 4th pedal for E9th only and makes it much less stiff to use.

Charles Curtis · Posted 10 Aug 2004 3:04 pm

Thank you for the correction Jim, been painting all day. I was told that it would stiffen it a bit and would like to get some opinions from some of you that have done this. Thanks all.

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

I just added that change to P4 on my Mullen D-12, and I haven't seriously played it yet, but the pedal was a little stiffer, just no conclusions as to how tolerable that is yet.

The biggest trick was accurately finding pedal 4, I keep hitting pedal 3 by mistake! Gonna take some woodshedding to get that down, but it'll come, I know.

Like Jim Smith, I have LKR dropping string 6 G# > F#, and that position works well with pedal 4. But in the end, I'm tempted to do one of two things: move this change to my zero pedal, not as far to jump. Or drop it from P4, and on P0 add both E's to F#, so sliding down 2 frets with that pedal on, you have the same essential change, but also some other cool scale and lick possibilities. Anyone out there tried this yet? I think the real ideal spot for this change would be on a 2nd RKL, I'm just out of other places to put more changes (D-12 9+9). I raise and lower E's on the right knee, btw, everything else on the left knee tends to work nicely in combo with these.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Figure about twice as stiff as it is now! I have it now on one of my guitars, but it is stiffer than I prefer a pedal to be.

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I found it difficult to use. It's hard to miss the 3rd pedal in a hurry and it don't sound purdy.

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

If you own a Carter guitar you can add a pedal in the O position.On the left of the A pedal. I think Carter,MCI or the old MSA
are the only guitars you can add a O pedal without moving all the others.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

John - I have that change on my Mullen U-12. I have raised the pedal about 3 quarters of an inch higher than pedals 2 and 3. That makes it a much easier "target" for my left foot to find.

------------------
Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Charles Curtis · Posted 11 Aug 2004 4:59 am

Hi guys, This is the first time that I've heard about "adding a pedal in the "O" position. I have a Legrande 11 that is about 18 months old (give or take). Has anyone done this to this guitar?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Charles,
I thought about doing that to my D-10 Legrande II.
However, I changed my mind. There is not enough room to do it. You have to do quite a bit of modifying. In fact, I ordered another pedal kit from Ron but then decided against it and I am not predisposed to shift everything to the right one notch. I have a SD-10 Legrande II and I might add the fourth pedal to that one. A little easier to shift things to the right.
Erv

[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 11 August 2004 at 07:23 AM.]

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Remember, every pull you add to a pedal or knee lever, makes that pedal or knee lever harder to engage. The average string exerts approx 30 lbs of pull.

You can use leverage to reduce this amount of pull. What you can never do is get something for nothing. Inch/ounces of pull is the same regardless of the levers one uses on a given PSG. If you gain on inches you will have a harder pull. If you want a an easier pull, you must push further.

Admittedly thru careful (or accidental) engineering some PSG's are inherrently easier than other PSG's. IE, shorter scale, lighter gauges, reducing friction including using bearingss, etc.

But on the same guitar it alway makes the given amount of pull on a pedal (or knee lever) harder to engage for each pull you add. UNLESS, you add more travel.

The standard Pedal 4 on a D-10 raises 4 and 8 a whole tone on C6. The interesting thing about this pedal is, it is probably the least used of any pedal or knee lever ever put on a PSG. I have no clue who even came up with it.

Jeff Newman said in one of his classes, "it is THE most useless pedal ever put on a pedal steel!" Not all players agree with him. I for one love it. But I do agree it sits there unused most of the time when I have observed most players.

I said all the above to tell you that probably the best approach is to disconnect the pulls on C6 and put the PF changes on pedal 4. Because 5 whole tone changes on any pedal is a lotta foot (no pun intended) pounds to move

May Jesus bless you in your quests,

carl

Charles Curtis · Posted 11 Aug 2004 8:48 am

Hi Carl, That's a pretty good idea; I've never been much of a C-6 picker. However, I have an old C-6 course of Jeffs' and when I play "Shadow", pedal 4 is the first one I hit. Maybe there is a different way to get that opening. I'm getting into C-6 more but the old E-9 has always been my sweetie.

Tom Hodgin · From: greensboro, n.c. u.s.a.

Much to stiff to enjoy...not worth the trip for me...tom

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