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Topic: To pad or not to pad? |
Charley Paul
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Oct 2018 11:52 am |
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Hi all,
I’m wondering about people’s preference of having a steel with a pad or without? I’m about to buy my first steel and am wondering if I should get one with or without a pad? I like the idea of a pad, but am not sure if is actually something I want since I am a new steel player?
Thanks for you opinions! |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 20 Oct 2018 12:06 pm Re: To pad or not to pad?
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| Charley Paul wrote: |
| Thanks for you opinions! |
Okay. No pad. Just in the way and promote poor playing posture IMO. MOF, if I were just playing a single 10, I wouldn't want or need a double wide body, although some makers only build SD10's...no S10's. Derby guitars were that way. I built the last few dozen pads for Charlie.
Though I currently play D10's, all my single neck and Universal 12 and 14 guitars were all on a single frame.
Also, if I paid upwards of 3K for a new guitar, I sure wouldn't want to stick a vinyl pad on it, all due respect.
Here's an earlier thread on the subject. https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=282316&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=50
Ultimately, people are going to do what they want, so these discussions are generally without conclusions. |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 20 Oct 2018 12:28 pm
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I like a wrist pad only like this shelf slips on storage under neath shelf.
[img]https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1712/14199_30DF5A8F42FD41DBB7769BA1E2C0B5E1_1.jpg[/img
Last edited by Johnie King on 25 Oct 2018 4:35 pm; edited 5 times in total |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 20 Oct 2018 4:24 pm
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No pad for me. Watch the master. Lloyd Green on his LDG.  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Oct 2018 5:14 am
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| If you want the lightness and compactness of an S10, it's a non-issue. Therefore, I think the real choice is either an SD-10 (double-body) or an S-10 (single-body). The overwhelming majority of SD-10s have a pad, and I can't think of any pro player who plays an SD-10 with no pad. |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 23 Oct 2018 6:32 am
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Cowboys Plays S12 no pad. Zane plays s10 an s12 no pad. The sd10 has
The advantages of better knee leaver placement in my opinion.
Last edited by Johnie King on 25 Oct 2018 4:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Hugo Knef
From:
Vallejo , California
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Posted 23 Oct 2018 7:03 am
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Charley, my williams that you said you were interested in has the minipad on it. It can
Easily be removed with 3 screws. That’s how I was playing it. I found that
The pad affected my bar hand angle making it harder
To lift the bar. Maybe this is not so much a problem
With sd-10 as the deck is lower where the c6 neck would go.
_________________
Williams S10 moyo mini Quilter TT12 |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 23 Oct 2018 4:28 pm
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| My S10 is big, heavy and awkward enough for me already so I don't want to add anything else to it! |
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Charley Bond
From:
Inola, OK, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2018 5:16 pm Pad or No Pad
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The Chocolate & Vanilla syndrome is back. I like the pad, but getting old made me split my gear. The guitar is in one bag & the other stuff in another.
I bought another Sierra & then wanted a Pad, so I made one.
_________________
Steel Guitar players are members of a Special Family |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 24 Oct 2018 6:45 pm
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| No pad for me but if your in doubt affix the pad with Velcro or double sided tape for a trial run (unless it's a lacquer finish). |
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Norbert Dengler
From:
germany
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Posted 25 Oct 2018 11:43 am
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| if I want a pad I sit down on my sofa |
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W. C. Edgar
From:
Iowa City Iowa, Madison CT, Nashville, Austin, Phoenix
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Posted 25 Oct 2018 12:18 pm
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If you ever plan on graduating up to a D-10 go for the pad.
It will teach you to rest your arms on it like you will on a D-10.
Otherwise without one your elbows will drop and you'll be beginning with a bad habit.
Ask someone who plays for a living and not the guys who are bedroom players or seldom play out.
Good luck!
_________________
First owner of Steelseat.com
1980 Sho-Bud Pro II & 1977 Sho-Bud Pro l
Lawrence 610 Pickups
1979 Peavey LTD
1980 Peavey Nashville 400
Goodrich L-120
Toured with Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Ty England & more |
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Steve Leal
From:
Orange CA, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2018 1:58 pm
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I find that single necks with pads typically weigh more and feel more solidly planted when playing. If guitar is too light weight, it can shift when using knee levers.
Also, the more weight and planted, the better the guitar will probably resonate.
With Pad vote for me. |
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Ed Boyd
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2018 2:04 pm
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The S10 I'm gigging with now has no pad. I thought I would want one after only playing D10s. But I'm fine with no pad. I like the S10 as is.
_________________
Laquered MSA Classic D10 8+5
Sho-Bud Pro 1
Various Dobro and Banjos
Fender Telecaster Guitars |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 26 Oct 2018 9:45 pm To pad or not to pad
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I have built pad for 2 of my steels. One for my MSA S10 with a like 3/4 body on it. And 1 for My GFI 12S U. I like a pad to anchor my wrist so I have better control of my fingers. That dead space along the key head is a good place to make a place to put bars and picks. With the 12 key head on this MSA S10 gave room for my steel bar and nylon (Do-Bro) bar a safe place to rest in easy access.
It is comfortable not having to hold my arm unsupported all the time while I play. Just an old mans way to save an arm cramp. |
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Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Posted 27 Oct 2018 9:50 am
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I don't need a pad, but I need a double body. Knee lever placement is much more flexible.
_________________
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
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Paul Pearson
From:
Alabama, USA
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Posted 28 Oct 2018 5:10 am Pad or no pad
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| I have sd 10 & a s10 I dont need a pad knee lever placement is better on the sd 10 but I find myself liking the s 10 more & more |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2019 6:24 am
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2019 12:10 pm
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The issue for me on a single-neck guitar isn't "pad or no pad"... it's a matter of wanting a double-width body no matter what.
* This means the knee levers can be mounted further back
* meaning you can position your seat further back
* meaning you can stretch your legs out a bit more
* meaning you can hold your feet in that cocked-back position for extended periods of time with less discomfort.
Try it where you are sitting now. Sit with your left foot just a bit forward of your knee. Now cock your foot back hovering in the air and hold it. That's your S-10 position, waiting to step on the pedals.
Now, slide your foot forward about 5 inches. Hold that for a minute. Notice that it is more comfortable to hold your foot in this position... the one you have with an SD-10 or D-10. A double-width body is more comfortable for me, so I'll accept the additional five pounds of weight as part of the trade-off.
As for the pad, the idea that it automatically leads to poor form is a false flag. If that's true, than having a C6 neck on the back leads to poor form, and for the same reason. Most of the world's great players lightly rest their arm on it when playing E9, at least some of the time.
I would go further and argue that having a light anchor for a forearm might improve picking accuracy for some. You just want to be sure and not get your arm into an immobile, locked-in position since you need to be deftly moving your hand up and back as you move to different string groupings. So briefly alighting on the pad for a short passage is better than digging in and permanently leaning on the pad, in my opinion. Locking the arm in position is the enemy. |
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Patrick Sullivan
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2019 2:41 pm
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So Charley Paul,
What did you decide? |
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Duane Reese
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Posted 17 Jan 2019 8:32 pm
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| How big is your vehicle's cargo space? Because if you don't have a whole lot of trunk space, you'll wish you had an S-10. S-10 is also lighter, but if you do a lot of gigging, you probably should be using a dolly. There are some dandy folding dollys on the market these days, but even those are going to take up some cargo space. |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 18 Jan 2019 9:41 pm
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| Keyless Excel mica single 12 w/8+9. No pad. No knee lever placement issues. No unnecessary lumber. No ballast needed for stability. Breaks down into what looks like a tenor sax case. If you're a size XXL body type, or just into the "steel guitar as fancy furniture" meme, I get it. But me - I'm traveling light. |
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Tim LeBlanc
From:
California, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2020 7:43 am Looks good Brooks
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I’m going to give that gel pad a try.
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