How many strings is too many for one lever/pedal?

John Phinney · From: Long Beach California, USA

I have a D10 and have taken to using a couple of the C6 pedals for pulls on my E9 neck. I just setup my P5 to pull six strings and (of course) the pedal is really stiff and is causing some discomfort in my foot after use.

I'm wondering whether to keep the pull, with the expectation that my foot will strengthen and adjust, or divide the E9 pulls up between two pedals.

For anyone interested in what the pull does:
E9 - string 1 F# raises to G, string 6 G# lowers to F#, string 10 B lowers to A. (I'm tinkering with the idea of moving the string 1 raise and string 10 lower to P6.)

C6 (standard P5 minus the high G 1/2 step raise) - string 5 G lowers to F#, string 9 F raises to F#, string 10 C raises to D.
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GFI Ultra D-10 8x5/Sarno Freeloader/Telonics volume pedal/Fender Super Six Split Cab with a 1x15 BW

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Your dilemma is one of the reasons that I play a Williams crossover.

I don't like to have more than 3 pulls on a pedal or lever. Even if you have the muscle, it's hard to time them right. You get "notches" in the moving tone when you engage it slowly as the other strings kick in.

My new copedent has no more than two changes per pedal, for that very reason.
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David Doggett · Posted 7 Aug 2009 6:50 pm

On his C6 Paul Franklin has 5 pulls on LKL and 6 pulls on pedal 4. But his dad built the instrument and obviously knew how to set it up right.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I've heard of something called "helper springs".

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

Chuck McGill · From: An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.

Sounds like a thigh master. And one and two....

John Phinney · From: Long Beach California, USA

Thanks for the input everyone.

I live relatively close to Jim Palenscar's shop and this gives me a good excuse to visit.
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GFI Ultra D-10 8x5/Sarno Freeloader/Telonics volume pedal/Fender Super Six Split Cab with a 1x15 BW

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I believe a bigger problem is too many pulls on a knee lever.
I learned a trick by watching Herby Wallace.
When he would switch necks, he would reach up and pull down another right knee lever for the neck he was switching to.
I have a couple of pedal steels with separate right knee levers for the two necks.
However, the Fulawka has the best setup. Eddie Fulawka has a crossover system for the right knees.
He puts two knobs on the back side of his guitars that you can either push in or pull out for whichever neck you are playing.
You can see them on this picture.

Tom Campbell · From: Houston, Texas, USA

I have a keyless Sierra Session 12 stg. and a Sierra Crown 12 stg. with 4 pulls on two of the pedals. These pedals are not stiff and the pull is surprisingly smooth. I think this is partly because I'm pulling strings 11 and 12, which are heavy gauge strings and don't require much to bring them up to pitch. If I were pulling 4 lighter gauge strings I'm sure the stiffness would be much greater.
I agree that more than 2 pulls on a knee lever creates a challenge.
I've looked at other copedents for 12 string steels and it doesn't appear to be unusual to have 4 pulls on a pedal. I think this is because the 12 string is a single neck, therefore one is trying to maximize the available of pedals.

Hook Moore · From: South Charleston,West Virginia

I have had 6 pulls on pedal 4 on the Carter I had and 5 pulls on P4 on my other guitars.. Its no problem at all. With the 12 and 14 hole bellcranks and 3 and 4 hole raise & lower changers, you can get easy pedal action with fairly heavy setups.
Hook
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

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