Adding a knee lever to a 6-shooter

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

I know there are a few Fessenden 6-Shooter owners out there and wondered if anyone has added a knee lever to theirs?

I've got mine set up tuned as strings 3-8 of E9 with the pedals set up as A&B.

The mechanism is very simple (single raise) but is great for those situations where you want a pedal steel flavour but using a full size one just isn't practical.

It would be great to be able to raise my Es to Fs.

Alternatively, I wondered if I could somehow do a fake lower instead with a spring holding the Es in the default engaged position and then using a lever working against the spring to push them back down?

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

That's exactly how pull-release works.
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I don't think that the legs are sturdy enough to hold the guitar stable when you push a knee lever.
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Jeff Mead · From: London, England

Dave Dube · Posted 11 Aug 2015 3:36 pm **adding a knee leer to a 6-shooter**

Yes. I have a six shooter that I've been having a lot of fun with. I got parts from Jerry and have a 3x1 right now and I am going to be adding one more lever in a few weeks.
I would say that the price compares favorably with parts I have used from other brands in the past.

I play an E9th tuning with E-F#-G#-B-E-G#. I've been looking at a c6th tuning that seems to have everything needed. When I add one more lever, I will be able to switch off to it if I desire.

I thought I was done playing when I hurt my back. So I sold my D-10 and moved on. When I saw the 6-shooter I had to give it a try. It is a joy to carry and a lot of fun to play. I was surprised at how much playing I could do with only two pedals, but of course eventually I wanted a bit more.

First off, I would say that instruments typically need setup. 6-shooters benefit from a dealer setup before sale, too.

I don't think a 6-shooter is too flimsy. Just grab a socket wrench. I modified the legs slightly by adding a fender washer between each leg and the cabinet so the legs clear the wood when moving. I tighten them down good and tight. Not flimsy at all.

I further benefit because I used a couple of "string swing" clamps to mount a shelf for my genesis 3. This also helps to provide extra stability, though not needed.

I also added a 75 cent 1/2 inch rubber foot to each leg so it doesn't "walk." A modified t-nut and bolt added to the back leg makes it adjustable.

The changer is similar to a GFI student model with one major exception. The fingers are short. You can drill an extra hole and use it but you will need a longer finger or an extension of some kind if you want to do pull/release to lower e's as well as raise them twice. If you don't use a c pedal you could probably do it by just drilling an extra hole in the finger.

I added a riser made from a piece of birdseye maple I've been hanging onto and some flame veneer. Then I had a fellow I know at Pristine Airbrush put a finish on it for me. (www.facebook.com/pristineairbrush)

For my money the 6-shooter is outstanding. It is affordable, simple mechanically, and flexible. (OH yeah, I forgot to say that the wider string spacing is great, too!) Kind of a kit guitar if you want it to be. Bottom line is for about the same as a standard tele someone can get into pedal steel. To my way of thinking, it is the ideal extensible student guitar.

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

Hi Dave,

That's a lovely paint job!

I use the same tuning as you with standard A and B changes (only one B string so the A pedal only raises one string). I've already added rubber feet!

Would you be able to let me have a list of the actual parts I'd need to order for a knee lever and a couple of shots of the underside of the guitar? Does your existing lever raise or lower? When I Emailed Jerry (soon after I got the guitar) about the possibility of adding a pedal or a lever, he just said he didn't do them.

I think I can live without a C pedal but an E raise would be great and an E lower in addition would be amazing.

Dave Dube · Posted 14 Aug 2015 10:12 am **adding knee levers to a 6-shooter**

It is an F lever. I am thinking of tuning E down to D again and using a half pedal to get the low e lowered and then put a lever to raise F# to G giving me another 7th and a Another minor.

Jerry was good about putting together the parts I needed. essentially it i s crossrod with bellcranks and rails pull rods and nuts, lever and lever stop.

There you are Jeff. Good luck.

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

So I got the parts I needed and went to visit a buddy of mine who fixes up cars and has a workshop.

Nothing complicated involved but it helps to have the right tools as I needed an extra hole drilled in the brackets and also the connecting rods cut to the correct length and bent at the end.

Very happy with the results and now I have the middle 6 strings from a 10 string E9 with A&B pedals and E raise lever.

BTW - Dave, did you get round to adding that 2nd knee lever yet?

Dave Dube · Posted 18 Dec 2015 8:40 am

No Jeff, not yet. Parts weren't available when I was, and I got into some other projects over the last few months. I'll probably look to see if I can get that done next month. I'm enjoying the guitar quite well as it is though.

Nice job on your guitar.

Bob Thomason · From: Georgia, USA

very nice Jeff will do this on my next build
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Richard Grasty · From: DEKALB Illinois, USA

I am trying to remember as there was a guitar company that
had a add a knee kit,that could be mounted in a number of different guitars...I will research it and if find it or if still around will contact you..Also would like to say you hav a great looking guitar and music setup Enjoy...
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