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Topic: Pedal Tension Question |
Aaron Gillespie
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 10:04 am |
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Hey y'all, I'm very new to playing pedal steel. I just got one this week. My question is about the tension of the pedals, specifically the A and B pedals. I feel like I'm having to stomp on them pretty hard to get my changes right on key. If I simply step on them, my chords don't shift all the way, if I stomp on them, I'm able to change. Is this normal, or are most people able to just step on them and bend into the change? Could it just be that there's not enough tension? Just wondering what's up, like I said, I'm very new! For reference it's a Lone Star E'lite Single Neck.
Thanks! |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 10:29 am
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No "stomping" or "stepping" should be required! You should be able to press them with the ball of your foot while your heel is resting on the floor. The action is similar to the technique of pushing down the accelerator pedal when you're driving a car.
I know nothing about the Lone Star brand, but if you can't get past this, I'd find another local player and have them check it out and give you some pointers.
Please don't try to learn on your own. Beginners need feedback and constructive criticism about what they're doing, right and wrong, and you can't get that from any other learning method. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 10:56 am
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I recall the Lone Star E'lite being a very 'outside-the-box' designed push-pull.
https://www.heydaymusic.net/instruments/lone-star-pedal-steel
So be very careful if you have someone look at it. I am a confident all-pull mechanic and I would NOT be comfortable doing tweaks on that.
That said, some steels require more pressure than others. However, a steel guitar that required extreme, uncomfortable pedal pressure would either be a failed building effort or one with a maintenance/set-up problem that needs to be addressed.
Have you tried to contact Jim Flynn, the builder? |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Aaron Gillespie
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 11:09 am
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| Jon, that's actually the exact guitar and shop that I bought from. Thanks for the heads up on contacting the builder, I'll get in touch! |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 11:13 am
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Ha.
I've always admired the thinking on these guitars but I know nothing about them. Good luck. |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 1:50 pm
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| Silly question: Is your steel set up on deep pile carpet? |
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Aaron Gillespie
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 25 Nov 2019 8:53 am
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Richard,
It's set up on carpet, but not deep pile. I'm a little wary of keeping it downstairs in the workshop where I have solid ground because of how cold it is. Could the carpeting be the issue? Like I said, very new to this! |
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Derek Puckett
From:
Cookeville Tn
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Posted 25 Nov 2019 9:05 am
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| The pedals hard to press or does the pedals just not travel enough and bottom out before it goes in tune? Try lifting the back legs if possible and see if that helps. If it does help and your pedal rods can be adjusted or the stops. Make them a little shorter or adjust the stops. Now If its just hard to press the pedals I would need to see the changer and rods to determine what a plan of action is. I |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2019 8:10 am
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| richard burton wrote: |
| Silly question: Is your steel set up on deep pile carpet? |
Not a silly question...I hate deep pile carpet. It makes it difficult to determine when your pedal is gonna bottom out.
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2019 8:13 am
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| Aaron Gillespie wrote: |
Richard,
It's set up on carpet, but not deep pile. I'm a little wary of keeping it downstairs in the workshop where I have solid ground because of how cold it is. Could the carpeting be the issue? Like I said, very new to this! |
Aaron,
Set it up on a hard floor and see if it makes a difference. The builder is located 20 minutes down the road from where I work on weekends. Jim Flynn is in Salado, TX I believe. If I can be of any help let me know.
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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Mike Mantey
From:
Eastern Colorado, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2019 11:59 am
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I would say it's the guitar. I can see where there are springs binding against the pedal linkage (where you hook up the rod). The blue arrow in the picture shows what I'm referring to. You can see the spring is stuck between the linkage and front flat bar. Not sure if these are a must for this guitar but I would remove them, that could help a lot. I would recommend trying to get into another guitar as soon as you know you're staying with it, or at least have that one gone through by a good mechanic. We found this in most Carter Starters back in the day. The guitar would not function properly so many beginners ended up giving up on the idea. They thought it was them, when it was more the guitar. So I don't want that to be the case here. Make sure you try another guitar and don't you give up. Welcome to the steel World. 
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 9 Dec 2019 12:25 pm
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Good call on that one, Mike! The picture you posted of it shows a guitar with a definite design/build problem. This is why I stress that beginning players should get at least one lesson (and some advice on their particular guitar) from an experienced player.  |
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Aaron Gillespie
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2019 8:28 am
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| Mike Mantey wrote: |
| I would say it's the guitar. I can see where there are springs binding against the pedal linkage (where you hook up the rod). The blue arrow in the picture shows what I'm referring to. You can see the spring is stuck between the linkage and front flat bar. Not sure if these are a must for this guitar but I would remove them, that could help a lot. |
Thank you for your reply Mike! I would say I'm firmly in the camp of wanting to continue playing, I have been playing guitar for about 13 years and wanted a steel for the last three so I'm excited to have this, but a little bummed at the fact that the one I chose to get has such different maintenance procedures.
It's also a push pull which, to be honest, I have no clue what that means, but apparently tuning the changes is different as well. So I'm going to call the shop I bought it from today and see if I can bring it in and get it all figured out. I would buy a new one if I could but I dropped some money on this and would rather see if I can get it figured out before shopping around again...but I'm not completely shut off to the idea. |
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Aaron Gillespie
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2019 8:31 am
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| Also, thank you to everyone for the replies. Being new I didn't realize playing on carpet as opposed to hard floor would make such a difference but it definitely did! Now I just need to get my changes tuned right and solve this spring issue and I should be back in action. If anyone has any videos or anything pertaining to tuning changes on a push pull steel please send them my way! |
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