Tall steel players ,how do you fit ?

Wade Branch · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Iam nearly 6' tall and I have had a hard time fitting under my steel.I have to place the volume pedal more towards the back of the guitar instead of up by the pedal bar like most steel players,so I can get the full range of the pedal without my knee trying to bump the bottom side of the guitar.If I raise the guitar up by adjusting the legs to where I fit comfortably ,then the pedals are about 4" off the floor.Can I buy longer pedal rods or what ?

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Wade, I just raise the back legs (and leave the front legs alone). You can get a decent amount of clearance doing that.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Wade, you can buy longer rods or get rod extensions. Its common for the big guys.

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i'm 5'11 and i had to other problem.
when i had a carter starter my knee would slide under the lever
never did get that guitar to fit

calvin

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I'm 6'4-1/2" with longer than proportional legs. You can imagine the time I initially had getting under the steel. For me, a 2" liftkit from Bobbe Seymour, http://www.steelguitar.net , is mandatory. He has one version for LeGrands and one for others. At 6', you may be fine with a 1" liftkit, he sells those also. One can get longer pedal rods made, but the liftkit works fine for me, and if I sell the steel, I just put the guitar back to stock and use the kit on the new steel.

Even with the 2" liftkit, I generally do raise the back legs a bit more than the front, but there's a limit - even if the steel doesn't fall over, too much angle is uncomfortable, for me anyway.

Steve Hackney · From: Milton, Kentucky USA

I agree with Dave. I'm 6'4" and I have to raise my steel. I've used the rod extenders and they work fine. I went ahead and ordered longer pedal rods for the steel I have now just because they look a little better and I plan on keeping it for awhile.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

Ditto on the extensions. I'm 6'2, and the 1" work just fine. For years I did the raise the back legs routine, but in order to do that the pedals have to come up off the floor a little higher than I was ever comfortable with. Try em', you'll love em.' Don't forget to add 1" spacers to your front legs. The kits usually come with them, but I just used wooden dowel pieces.

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Marrs D-10, Webb 6-14E

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

WOW!! Another reason to appreciate being vertically challenged..

Lessee now, not only do I live in a world of belt buckles and boobs,,,uhh,, I also fit under my steel!!

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

Jack that is FUNNY!!! I am around 6'-2" and I have to raise all my steels up 2" from standard. That's tall enough for me to use a standard volume pedal (Goodrich H10K) and play in cowboy boots if I want.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Yeah, for the first few year or two I played, I thought to myself "Geez, are all pedal steel players short?" For a long time, I couldn't fit under any steel I tried. Literally, the only lever I could get to was LKR. I bought a Sierra S-10 because the levers swung out, so I could sit back from the guitar and work the levers from outside. My legs are long enough to still reach the pedals. But the lift kit is the way to go. Thank you, Bobbe.

Jeff Colson · From: Rockford Illinois, USA

Extension kit is the way to go I'm 6'3" and
have raised every guitar I've owned up 2".
When I got my first volume pedal to go with my Maverick I started lifting the right side of the guitar off the ground with my leg. Even back then I knew "Aint no good gonna come of this"

Jeff

Gary Carriger · From: Victoria, Texas

Wade,
I am 6'2" and have raised both of the last two steels I've had....via longer pedal rod extensions and by extending the front legs (added wooden dowels inside the legs to keep them from collapsing). I prefer to have the fretboards slanted towards me.
Gary

Wade Branch · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Thanks to all the "Golly Green Giants" that replied here,HAHA

I have a couple of questions:

Where can I buy new longer pedal rods at ?

What exactly is a lift kit (what does it look like)?

I want the steel to look as stock as possible.

Jeff Colson · From: Rockford Illinois, USA

Wade,
My Sho-Bud and my MSA I made my own parts to lengthen them. My new carter I ordered it 2" long and it looks like the pedal rods are longer and the legs. On my older steels I made adapters to lengthen the pedal rods I think the thread was 10-32 so I drilled and tapped one end and threaded the other to extend each pedal rod where they connect up to the pedal. Then I made 2 Aluminum sleeves 2" long for the front legs that went up against the lock for the leg height adjustmet so the pedals would be in the same relation to the floor as they were before.

Jeff

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Well, you all surely know what they've always said about those long legged pedal steel guitar players, don't you?

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Ray, I'm 6'5", have a 2" lift kit on my Mullen, and I've got big feet---And you know what??? IT'S TRUE!!!(hee hee)

Wade Branch · From: Weatherford, Texas, USA

Is there any company that custom makes pedal rods to the length that you need ?

I can adjust the legs high enough to get where I will fit under the guitar comfortably,but the pedal bar is about 4" off the floor.I feel like if I could get longer pedal rods to bring the pedal bar back down to its original position I would be OK.

[This message was edited by Wade Branch on 07 February 2006 at 01:40 PM.]

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

Wade, it depends on your budget. The lift kits just screw onto the ends of your rods, and would be way, way cheaper than getting longer rods. Mine work great, and you really have to be nitpicky to notice the looks. However, I believe any quality steel maker could make pedal rods to order.

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Marrs D-10, Webb 6-14E

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

Wade,
I'm 6'-1" tall, I play an S/D 10 and have no trouble sitting under it, on the other hand I can't get under a single 10 comfortably.
I use a low profile volume pedal, and raise the back of my steel just a little. Some one has allready stated earlier that if you raise the back to much it's uncomfortable, my experience if I raise it to much it really messes my playing up,[and I need all the help I can get]! lol..

I tried the 1" lift kit, it worked fine, but I eventually went back to the original highth on my Emmons, it was more comfortable, guess it's all in what you're used to, and what works best for "you".

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Bill Bosler · From: Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, USA

Wade,
You didn't say what brand of guitar you're dealing with. Some makes don't have adjustable front legs (GFI for one) and you have get longer legs for them.

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

So Steve you're 6'3 without the lift kit?

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

You can get everything you need to raise up your steel at a decent hardware store. I have raised a lot of them up. Now with the GFI Steel I can get in under those just fine without raising them up. I am 6'1.

Ernie

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Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

I'm 6'7" and my rods which were made for me by Tom Bradshaw are close to 3" over normal in length. Adding that the guitar is D12 it appears to be a damn big steel guitar. I look at other steels and they look like toys!! Hey, the only exersize I get is hauling that thing around.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

With my MSA I needed a 2" lift kit (I'm 6'4") - otherwise it was simply unplayable.

Interestingly, my old Fender are just fine with the stock legs and rods. Don't know why other steels are shorter - or the Fender taller, whichever it is.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I found that one thing that brings back the comfort after raising the guitar is the raise your Pac-a-Seat the same amount. I raised the height of my original Sho-Bud seat by using plastic conduit joints and re-inserting the little chrome leg~tip into the bottom again. The conduit~joint will raise your seat 1½”. To do the job, insert a length of plastic pipe inside-diameter into the existing legs and cut them off long enough to fit fully into the joint. Then slip the joint over the tubing and cement or glue in place and reinsert the chrome tip into the joint. I try to have my seat at a height that allows my right upper leg to be parallel to the floor when my foot is on the volume~pedal. I noticed years ago that guys with very long legs usually looked like they were sitting on the floor behind their steels with their knees way up in the air! That was before the introduction of the Pac-a-Seat!

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

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