Sixth String G# to F#, Is It Really Needed?

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Some guys get by by raising the 7th string F# to G# and doing a reverse release to get what they want.
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Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I have the F# (7) raise to G# on the same knee as the string 1&2 raises... and the PF pedal which lowers the 6 string
I made a switch to try out the 6 string lower with the 1&2 raise and liked it a lot.. but changed it back because it was redundant with the PF pedal..
That said I would still like to have it both ways.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I posted this video to youtube a few months ago in response to another thread on this topic. Excuse the sound quality and the "um's and ah's".....I did it quickly to post it on the thread in a timely manner. I have also put in some speech balloons for attempts at humour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzJFieuk1k

I know I could never live without this change.
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Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Ransom Beers · Posted 20 Feb 2012 10:22 am

Billy Cooper uses the G# lower on "These Healing Hands Of Time",sounds really cool.I couldn't find a you tube of it but he does it on his website.I have mine set up on my RKL as Emmons does & sometimes I'll use the RKL LKR together for a cool ending on some stuff.

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

Chris, not only does the double leg squeeze look bad, I find it very uncomfortable.. Smile

Your video shows the change and the reason I added it as another change to my set up.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Ransom Beers · Posted 20 Feb 2012 10:29 am

Looks like he really has to go,hee,hee.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Chris, excellent video. Bravo on the explanation. I couldn't live without that change.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I love it. It's played a part of my repertoire since 1981, and, like Chris, I have to have it. It's been absent on two guitars I've bought, and that deficiency got corrected before the guitar got played
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
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Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

since i don't have an extra lever to put that change on, i compromise using my PF pedal to lowers string 6 a whole tone
(yeah, i know string 5 lowers too ! but i cope )
the change that i use more often on a lever :
raise string 7 a half tone (F# to G)
raise string 1 a whole tone ( F# to G#)
raise string 2 a half tone ( Eb to E)
i use that a whole lot more than the G# to F# on string 6
YMWV

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Crowbear, I usually trade that 7th string ½step raise for the 6th lower. I've never felt the need to hit the G and A separately, so if I need to go from F#-G, that's what the B pedal does...
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I like having a whole tone sweep on each of the 4,5,6 and 8th strings. With my E raises on a different leg than my E lowers, I can get a full swing on the 4-8 strings (Eb-F) which gives me that "traditional A-B mashing lick" on the levers.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

i read ya' Lane
i prefer that half tone raise fer da blues & stuff that smells funny

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

I don't have this change. I tried it for awhile and I did use it. There are definitely some nice moves that the change makes possible. But I found that it made tuning the sixth string more difficult. My steel seems to work better without this change.

But the bigger factor for taking it off was that I wanted to do something else with the knee lever. There are only so many knee levers one can actually operate, so it is simply not possible to have everything on any given steel. One must compromise. I elected to make do without this change.

I don't miss the change.

PS: I also don't have the Franklin pedal change (split or consolidated), so I suppose I'm a bit of a dinosaur.

Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

I have this change on my RKL along with string 2 up a half and string 1 up a whole on my new GFI which comes as a standard setup at GFI. Right now I am RKL deprived, not hooked up to anything. Can't wait to experiment with it, Paul do you have anything up on youtube for this change?
Quentin

Keith Currie · From: Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada

I have both the fourth pedal and I lower my G#s on my verticial and have a split tuning on it so I get the G in tune also.
Quentin did you get the e-mail with the pix I sent you?
Keith

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

No Quentin. I can't help you with this one. But Chris' video is very good. Record some more Chris!!

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

"It's played a part of my repertoire since 1981"

Me? Since '72. I really like the movement between the Major 3rd, and the "suspended" chords. Sus 4 with the B pedal, and Sus 2 with the lower lever. There's so much there!
Here's what they do on my 74 Shobud.

Nickle E9th-----P 1----P 2----P 3----LKL1----LKL2----LKV----LKR----RKL----RKR
.013p-F#-------------------------------------------------------G/G#
.015p-D#--------------------------------------------------------E-------D
.012p-G#---------------A
.014p-E-----------------------F#-------F----------------------------------------Eb
.018p-B-------C#-------------C#-----------------------Bb/A
.022p-G#---------------A----------------------F#
.026w-F#-------------------------------------------------------G/G#
.030w-E---------------------------------F---------------------------------------Eb
.034w-D----------------------------------------------------------------C#
.038w-B------C#----------------------------------------Bb/A

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

I started using it only recently and I love it. It allows you to have the V chord right there in your I position. Also makes for a very nice minor chord with the B pedal. Check out Mickey Adams video on the intro to "Your Man", it demonstrate how you can do a nice IV-I cadence using this change. You play the IV chord in the open position and the I using the E and G lever. I personally enjoy it although I have to teach myself not to close the volume pedal when I'm activating that RKL lever!

Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Bent Romnes · From: London,Ontario, Canada

I have the 6th and 3rd lower to F# on the RKL.
I have found little value in lowering the 3rd but I sure love having the 6th there. I believe this lower is more than just a "lick pedal". It is useful so I can get my C chord on the 1st fret together with the double leg squeeze(cool name) LKR lower E to Eb. This makes for a beautiful low C chord. Very cool sounding chord.. it goes down so low and is nice and clear.

I can however understand when players like Paul S says that he'd rather have other changes that are more important to him and his playing. Paul, you certainly get all the cool nice changes with the setup you use.

Look at Lloyd Green getting by just fine with his 3 and 4. But then Lloyd is something else, cause he can bend that bar Smile

I will likely eliminate that 3rd string lower. Can anybody suggest other changes I might use instead...on that same lever... and still keep the 6th lower?
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Bill Kellum · From: Water Valley, MS

kinda on the same subject...i just started using the lloyd green strings from jagwire and im having trouble getting the G# all the way down to F#, i assume its because it is a wound G#. anyone know how i can fix that?

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

I just hooked it up to play with to see if I would like it, but couldn't get it to lower all the way to F#. What size string are you guys using on the 6th. A plain .020 on my Derby won't quite make it.

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