Discomfort from placement of pedals

Duane Keiper · From: Niagara Falls, New York

I'd like to start off by saying that I love the pedal steel guitar. I love my guitar. I love the way it looks and sounds. I've had a love hate relationship with this guitar. I set down to play but I can only set at it for about 5 minutes. Today I just realized the problem. The left pedals are to far away for my short legs. I have been looking at pictures and videos of PSG's and some pedals have the same placement as mine and some are placed where I wish mine were. I have a (SD ZB Retro)single neck E9 and the rod for the A pedal starts right under the middle key in the key head (G#). I can now see why some would prefer a day setup. I have neuropathy in both legs, so I am already dealing with alot of pain and I know if I didn't have this added discomfort it would make a hugh difference. Being a newbee, who would of ever thought that there would have been more to picking out a PSG than finding a guitar that looked good, sounded good and at the right price. Although I don't look forward to finding a way to box it up and ship it out, I think I'm going to need to change guitars or at least buy another. I love the way she looks and sounds, I feel like I will be trading down no matter what guitar I go to. I just felt like I needed to post this. Thanks, Duane

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Kevin Hatton is close to you. Have you talked to him about the possibility of relocating the pedals?

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I agree with Jack, Kevin can make it as you'd like it to be. As far as... " who would of ever thought that there would have been more to picking out a PSG than finding a guitar that looked good, sounded good and at the right price, the only analogy I can give is that no matter how appealing or inexpensive a pair of shoes is, if they don't "fit", you probably won't enjoy them very much.

I'll take comfort and good mechanics over looks and a bargain price any day! Winking

Paul Foster · From: Arizona, USA

I had a new pedal steel built a couple of months back, no one even ask me about where I wanted the knee levers or where to place the pedals, when I went to pick it up the builder just said "Here is your new guitar, aint she purdy" no explanation, didnt even see if I could reach the pedals or the knee levers, I kept the "NEW" guitar and sold it one week later,
It was a nice guitar that I paid a LOT of money for and It didnt fit me at all. A new guitar should be built to fit the person that ordered it, Like the comment
you wouldnt a pair of shoes that didnt fit!!

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Paul, did you try working with the builder first? I'd think many would happily modify to fit.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

When Mike Weenick built my guitar for me I had the pedals placed where there were on my Emmons.
He has since moved them over to the center one pedal distance. It has made a big difference and I can reach the pedals with less stress on my back.
Don
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Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Dave Bertoncini · From: Sun City West, Arizona USA

You might like a keyless..the shorter body length puts the pedals closer. I played a Kline Keyless many years ago and recently started playing again...i could not adapt to the pedals on a long body guitar...so I now have a Williams Keyless. Problem solved

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I also think the "rather standard" Emmons setup makes a lot of guitars uncomfortable...for me, anyway. There's just something strange about sticking the two most used (A&B) pedals way out at the end of the guitar, especially with some stock lever locations used by many builders. I really prefer the (less popular) Day setup for this reason. I'm so anal about comfort that I have seperate left knee levers for each neck on my D10s. I'm more than willing to lose a couple of knee lever changes to make my guitars feel right. Cool

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Heck, Donny, most of us with doubleneck guitars have two groups of left knees.
But I see a simple solution for it.
Most of us use 8 pedals, but the cabinets are drilled for ten. Instead of starting with the first hole, you could start with hole 2 or 3. Even more important on an MSA Classic, with its fixed LKR placement so far to the (player's) right.
When I converted my Classic to SD-10 5&5, I used 3-7. I felt, after some experimenting, that was the best location for comfort.
I've rarely paid much attention to S-10 cabinets, but it wouldn't surprise me if they got drilled for many more pedals than they got.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Mike Wheeler · From: Delaware, Ohio, USA

I've also always moved floor pedals one position to the right. Much more comfortable for a U-12 guitar. It makes reaching the 6th pedals with the left foot much easier, while still keeping the left knee between the left knee levers.

Moving pedals can be more challenging on some steels, but it's very well worth the effort.

I also agree that our current day builders are good folks. I can't see any of them having an issue with adjusting the setup of a new guitar for a buyer.
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Best regards,
Mike

CB Blackwell · From: South Carolina, USA

When I ask Jimmy Day some years ago in Florida about this he said,"A&B pedals are closer to me". If you haven't been playing very long you might want to give the DAY set-up a try. I find it helped me and solved that problem and would never think about playing any other way.
CB

Duane Keiper · From: Niagara Falls, New York

Update: Well I decided to buy another guitar. I still have my ZB Retro. I purchased a used Mullen
S-10 with foot pedals where they would help me alot. I wanted to try another guitar any how. Well I have good things and not so good things to say about my new guitar. The pedals on the Mullens are closer to me, that helps alot and the Mullens is lighter, also good in a way. The thing is I am spoiled by the ZB Retro. The Retro is a real master piece. Kevin took a peice of wood put in a lot of time, know how, and love and made some real art and a real looker. Now I know that I could never be happy with a mica guitar after owning the ZB Retro. I am also spoiled by the sound of the Retro, it wails and crys with the best and may not be any better out there, but this Mullens can't even come close to the great pedal steel sound that this Retro puts out. I know Mullen has alot of models and all different, I am not trying to put the Mullen down. I am putting the ZB Retro up. So now I know that I can never replace the ZB Retro so I'll have to go with the ideas that the members here have come up with. I play for myself and I don't play very well and I haven't been at it so long that I would have a very hard time learning to play with the Day setup and looking under the guitar, it dosen't look to hard to change the A with the C pedal. If that dosen't work, I will call Kevin but it looks like a much bigger job moving pedals and making a new pedal board with out all the extra holes that would be there after the move.
This thread has done really well, it's getting alot of post.It's good to see this site has so many active caring members. Later, Duane

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

I have moved the right-knee levers to the left on most of my steels, about the same distance as between pedals. Moving the two right-knee levers is pretty easy on most PSGs - don't know about yours.

Means I sit pretty much centered behind the steel, which also suits my "picking up and down the neck for tone" style of playing.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I have the same problem with knee levers. I can play non-pedal all day, and I can play with the pedals all day, (albeit having moved them), but the position required to operate knee levers leaves me in pain after just a few minutes. Confused

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