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Topic: Steel guitar is to high - how to lower it? |
Anders Eriksson
From:
Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden
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Posted 5 May 2010 7:02 am |
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Hello,
I have a Fessenden D-10 (Black of cause) and I have a small problem. It's a bit to high. I can't use any vertical levers since I can't push them high enough.
I don't get how to lower the guitar and still be able to fasten the "pedal rack".
Here are some picture of the legs and the "pedal rack".
Please advice how I should do to lower the guitar.
// Anders
_________________
Fessenden D-10, Stage One S-10, Peavey Nashville 112, Boss LMB-3, Goodrich 120; Regal RD-38VS Resonator |
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Jonathan Lam
From:
Brooklyn, NY
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Posted 5 May 2010 7:11 am
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| Raise the seat? |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 5 May 2010 7:17 am
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Anders,
Have you tried adjusting the tilt of the vertical lever? That's the easiest solution if it works. There is a small setscrew that sets the angle of the tilt on each lever.
The alternate solution involves cutting both the front legs and pedal rods. Or have Jerry send you ones that are the proper length.
Hope this helps.
_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12 |
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Dave O'Brien
From:
Florida and New Jersey
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Posted 5 May 2010 7:43 am too high
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wear cowboy boots  |
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Anders Eriksson
From:
Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden
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Posted 5 May 2010 9:03 am
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Sorry but boots are not my thing 
Raising the chair, hadn't thought about that! Unfortunately my chair is fixed, maybe I should buy a drum chair...
I also will look into changing the tilt of the lever.
Being a newbie I feel that the legs are a bit stupid made. If the thinner legs where longer and the thing you fasten them with higher up then it would be easy to change the height to a lower level. As it is it only possibly to change it to a higher level...
Well, maybe I will have to build my own Steel
NB! This is a joke since I can't hammer in a nail without getting the nail crooked...
Thanks for the help!
// Anders
_________________
Fessenden D-10, Stage One S-10, Peavey Nashville 112, Boss LMB-3, Goodrich 120; Regal RD-38VS Resonator |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 5 May 2010 9:24 am
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Lower the Floor.
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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
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Andy Zahnd
From:
Switzerland
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Posted 5 May 2010 10:31 am
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Just try to crow up..... 
Ask Jerry Fessenden, he may have shorter Legs and pedalrods.... |
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Anders Eriksson
From:
Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden
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Posted 5 May 2010 10:38 am
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| Dick Wood wrote: |
| Lower the Floor. |
Hmmm.. didn't think about that!
Wonder what the landlord will say...
// Anders
_________________
Fessenden D-10, Stage One S-10, Peavey Nashville 112, Boss LMB-3, Goodrich 120; Regal RD-38VS Resonator |
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Anders Eriksson
From:
Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden
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Posted 5 May 2010 10:40 am
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| Andy Zahnd wrote: |
| Just try to crow up..... |
It seems like all my growing is in another direction these days
| Andy Zahnd wrote: |
| Ask Jerry Fessenden, he may have shorter Legs and pedalrods.... |
That's a good idea! I will mail Jerry and ask.
// Anders
_________________
Fessenden D-10, Stage One S-10, Peavey Nashville 112, Boss LMB-3, Goodrich 120; Regal RD-38VS Resonator |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 May 2010 10:48 am
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Good suggestions here.
I'll just add that most seats designed for steel players are around 19 inches tall. If your seat is a lot lower than that, it might be hard to reach the vertical lever.
Also, I think most people have to lift their foot off the floor -- or at least lift their heel off the floor - to engage a vertical lever. That's normal.
I have my vertical lever adjusted so that it is about 1 inch above my leg when I'm not using it. |
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Ulric Utsi-Åhlin
From:
Sweden
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Posted 5 May 2010 12:23 pm
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The D.I.Y. method involves quite a bit of work,
including cutting,shaping and,usually,heating of
metal parts.McUtsi |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 5 May 2010 1:01 pm
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If you take the rubber tips off the front legs, you can probably lower it by 3/4".
You will probably have to screw the pedal rod connectors up a bit, if there's enough thread. |
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Ned McIntosh
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 5 May 2010 2:30 pm
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Send the legs and pedal-rods back to Jerry and get him to re-work then so they are the correct height for you. That way it'll be done right first time!
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 5 May 2010 8:53 pm
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About a year ago I traded for a MSA s-10 classic,WAY to tall for me.Took it to a friends shop,cut about two and a half inches off the legs and rods,took about an hour, now it fits perfect.  YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 5 May 2010 9:38 pm
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| Anders Eriksson wrote: |
| ...it would be easy to change the height to a lower level... |
Anders,
It's not just the legs that need to be adjusted when raising or lowering a steel a significant amount (more than 1/2"). The rods also need to be lengthened or shortened, so it's not easy either way.
Besides the previous suggestions of lowering the lever by the set screw, and getting a higher seat, another option to try is lowering only the rear legs a little, so that the guitar tilts towards you. This will also lower the knee levers.
Clete |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 6 May 2010 1:25 am Re: Steel guitar is to high - how to lower it?
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| Anders Eriksson wrote: |
Hello,
I have a Fessenden D-10 (Black of cause) and I have a small problem. It's a bit to high.
// Anders |
Tom Waits wrote a song "The Piano has been drinking" but I don`t believe there`s a song about a steel guitar that`s too high. Go for it Anders !
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Carl Kilmer
From:
East Central, Illinois
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Posted 6 May 2010 5:19 am
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I bought 1" shorter legs, and rethreaded and cut the rods on my 2 Emmons,
and I can actually play them now. I just bought a new Ritteberry 2 weeks ago,
and WOW! (WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STEEL) and Gary exchanged the legs and rods
for 1" shorter ones, and now everything feels comfortable and works perfect.
Carl "Lucky" Kilmer
_________________
aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 6 May 2010 5:36 am
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Friends,
Lets be sure we are attacking the problem.
1. Is it ONLY the vertical that can't be reached?
(silly to lower the guitar if everything else is fine)
How far is it from the top of your knees to the bottom of the back apron?
2. Have you tried the tilt adjustment? It can make a BIG difference.
As others have pointed out, you don't want your vertical so low that your knee hits it in normal playing conditions (with your foot flat on the floor). The vertical is actuated by pushing up on the ball of the foot, either with A and/or B pedals depressed or with the toe behind the pedals on the floor.
It is a BIG PAIN to lower a guitar. The front legs can be LENGTHENED with 'lift kits' to RAISE the guitar but to lower a guitar they and the pedal rods must be CUT and rethreaded.
Are you SURE that changing the tilt on the vertical lever won't solve your problem? How tall are you?
_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12 |
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Carson Leighton
From:
N.B. Canada
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Posted 6 May 2010 8:10 am
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The playing height of your steel has a lot to do with your leg length...If you find your leg is stretched out to reach the first pedal,,then your seat is either too high,,your guitar is too high (or both) or your pedals are set too far to the left...If you have a 28" to 30" leg (inseam),, your guitar should be about 28"(floor to top of guitar body,less the neck) high, and your seat about 17" to 18" high..Your first pedal should be about 4 1/2" from the end of the guitar...These measurements could vary a little,,depending on the person,,the way they sit etc..Hope this helps........regards,,,Carson
Last edited by Carson Leighton on 6 May 2010 12:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Larry Rafferty
From:
Ballston Spa, NY
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Posted 6 May 2010 8:51 am
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If the problem is only with the vertical lever, here is how I solved it. I needed to lower my vertical lever 3/4" so I cut a piece of wood 3/4" x 3/4" x 5" long. I bought a $2 roll of black 2 sided velcro. I cut velcro strips and glued them onto the wooden block. Put block against lever...and using 4" long velcro strips, attach to lever and pull snug. I also used a strip on the end to prevent any sliding.
The entire unit slips on or off in less than 10 seconds. It stays firmly in place, works perfect, and does no damage to the steel.
_________________
Mullen D-10 8x5; Sho-Bud Super Pro D10 8x6; PedalMaster 5 Star SD-10 3x5; Dekley D-10 8x4;
Sho-Bud S-10 3x1; Fender Lap/Floor Steel; Peavey Power Slide; Supro Lap Steel; Peavey Nashville 400;
pair of Peavey Vegas 400's; Peavey NV112; Webb 614E with matching extension cabinet; Fender Twin Reverb and 3 cats.
They laughed when I sat down to play, cause' somebody pulled my chair away... |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 6 May 2010 10:04 am
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Larry,
Thats more or less exactly what I did when I had an Emmons with a non-adjustable vertical.
Works great! Mine didn`t look as neat as yours....
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Will Jaffe
From:
California, USA
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Posted 6 May 2010 1:58 pm
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| Carson Leighton wrote: |
| The playing height of your steel has a lot to do with your leg length...If you find your leg is stretched out to reach the first pedal,,then your seat is either too high,,your guitar is too high (or both) or your pedals are set too far to the left...If you have a 28" to 30" leg (inseam),, your guitar should be about 28"(floor to top of guitar body,less the neck) high, and your seat about 17" to 18" high..Your first pedal should be about 4 1/2" from the end of the guitar...These measurements could vary a little,,depending on the person,,the way they sit etc..Hope this helps........regards,,,Carson |
Sure enough. My leg inseam is 30". My left knee did not reach both left knee levers. I had Jim P. lower all 4 legs and rods.
The top of my steel is now 28". My seat is 19" and I'm good.
It's a bit of work to lower, so if you can use some of the other suggestions to reach your vertical knee, by all means do that. |
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Carson Leighton
From:
N.B. Canada
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Posted 6 May 2010 2:24 pm
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I just went and checked my seat height. It is about 18 1/2" when the cushion is compressed. My leg inseam is about 29"..I can reach everything pretty good...In my previous post,,I said the seat height should be between 17" and 18" but after checking my own seat,,I think it should be between 18" and 19". Your mileage may vary..
The seat height and the height of your steel is very important to your playing,,as far as I'm concerned..These dimensions are based on an inseam leg length of 28" to 30" only. I tried lowering the rear legs one time and it affected my right hand technique. If anything, I like the rear legs of my steel raisied just a tad....Regards,,,Carson |
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