1st and 2nd string raise on RKL

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

Hey guys,

Although this is a very popular change, I never had it on a guitar, until now. Does anyone have examples of licks or recordings using the 1st and 2nd string raise?

Also, I usually like to have the 6th string lower to F# with a tunable split. Seems like too much for a single lever. I think many people use a raise on the 7th string instead in conjunction with the 1st and 2nd string raise. I would certainly like to hear your thoughts on that.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The most prominent use of that change (since it's nearly the only thing in your ears) is the intro to Paisley's" He Didn't Have to Be." I have it on P0, RKL raises 1to G and lowers 6 to F#.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
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Hans Holzherr · From: Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland

mike nolan · From: Forest Hills, NY USA

I do the 1 and 2 raise with 6 lower. I have the tunable split on 6 (with B pedal). It all works on any all pull guitar. There is a slight hiccup in the pull on my Sho~Bud with two hole pullers, but it is not bad. Sometimes, I wish that I could have the 1&2 raise and still have the G# on 6... but I live with it.

Hans Holzherr · From: Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

No, not too much for a single lever. Certainly for modern all pull changers. Very many players have that change. I use it myself. 1,2 raise and 6 lower with a split on RKL. They can clash of course, but you don't use them together and after a little practice, you learn what to avoid.

The 1 & 2 raises together give you the same notes as strings 3 and 4 open, but you get movement raising and lowering with continuation toward other things.

If you are of intermediate player ability just noodling with raising those strings from the chromatic positions while playing, you'll find lots of uses both for chords and scale runs, licks.

Try it on the chorus of David Houston's Almost Persuaded along with lowering 2 C# back and forth and Jones' He Stopped Loving Her.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Here's 19 good examples of using them, a few in a song context:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Tab/E9%201st%202nd%20%207th%20String%20Raise%20Tab.html

Greg

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Also, if you have splits, it can be cool and bluesy to raise 2 to E, and drop to D with the C# lever.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

I' m used to having the 6th sring lower with a tunable split, but I already have a guitar with that. I'm curious about the 7th string raise though... Is there a reason why Franklin, Johnson and co. have string 1,2 and 7 raise on the same lever? Someone mentioned strumming, but I've yet to hear something like that. I guess the string 1 and 2 raises are for one set of licks, and the string 7 raise is for something else, and they just happened to be on the same lever,

The way my guitar is setup now, I don't have splits, but there is a half-step feel stop so I get a semitone raise on 1. Is that typical? Those who have a string 7 raise instaed of string 6 lower, do you have that G/G# thingon string 1? I haven't seen it on the copedent of Franklin or Johnson, but it is on Buck Reid's.

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

Hey Greg, I found your page late last night, I'm going to be all over it today. Thanks!

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I have found that the 7th string whole tone raise provides most of the 6th sting whole tone lower sounds and adds a more chords and movements. The same tab pge referenced above covers the 7th string whole tone raise.

Greg

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

Thanks Greg. Do you have a feel stop on the 1st string to get that semi tone raise?

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

No feel stop. I just retune it to a half tone pull for fast songs at the changer end or wing it for the slow songs. A few years ago some dude that hadn't played pedal steel for 20 years sat down at my steel and was pulling the 1st string up 1/2 tone with his left pinky finger. He was super accurate and got a great in tune sound with and without other pedals engaged. A really slick sound with lots of bar slants and string bends. I showed him that I had a knee lever for that and he responded that there was no need to have a knee lever for something that easy! Definitely more showmanship with the bar slants and finger bends than with the knee levers.........

Greg

David Gertschen · From: Phoenix, Arizona

Would that be pulling on the string behind the bar?
Beginner here; trying to picture how you could manage to keep in tune while doing this?

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Yup, pulling the string behind the bar and doing so more in tune in some cases than a knee lever as you can, with practice, pull it to different pitches for different pedal combinations. Almost like having compensators. Another common pull was the 6th and 7th strings up a half tone with A,B pedals down to get a diminished chord. It's not my cup of tea but there's a lot of neat things that can be done even with pedals using finger bends and slants. He also did a forward slant with A,B pedals engaged that mimicked the A pedal F knee lever combo (as heard on ET's Half A Mind). Of course the 1/2 A pedal easily takes the place of split tuning if your guitar's pedal are smooth enough in actuation. Many of these had a sweeter tone than I was able to get with my knee levers.

Greg

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Also, unless you use odd gauges, pulling 1 to F# with a finger tends to pull 2 to E. But is a mite hard on the finger. I did that for a year.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

Aside from the Paisley song mentioned earlier, any other classic tracks feature those changes, mainly 1st and 2nd string raise?

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

Jason Lynch · From: Essex, United Kingdom

I have mine on a vertical lever along with string 6 lowering a whole step.
It's in the intro to Vince Gill's "Not Much Love Here Anymore" By the great, and sadly missed, John Hughey.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Stupid Autocorrect. F# was in my spellchecker but G# wasn't.
It's all over a lot of the records of the current crop of proper honky tonk artists, Justin Trevino, Amber Digby, Heather Myles.
It sounds a lot like A pedal, but you can hear that he's using a thinner string. I'll keep my ears open and post youtube lynx.
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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

Howard Steinberg · From: St. Petersburg, Florida , USA

The bridge of "Sleepwalk." Either the 1st string or
double stop. If you have to play it, might as well keep it interesting.
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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

These phrases are all over Alan Jackson records as well..

also..lowering 6 on the same lever is a conflict...you cannot sweep the chord across the fretboard..

Raising 7, as Greg mentions, is the golden ticket...
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Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

Sure, but how often do you hear a steeler sweeping all across the strings? I can't think of a single recording where I heard that. Just being the devil's advocate!

I'm still on the fence, because I really like to have the 6 string 1/2 step lower via a tunable split. And the 6th string full step lower also provides some nice movements on the traditional grips 10-8-6, 8-6-5, 6-5-4.

Which leads me to another question: how about having different set-ups on different guitars? Hum, sounds like a new thread...

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Hey, Alex, one of the earlier obvious uses I heard of the first string raise was in the Intro/turnaround to "That Summer" by Garth Brooks.
I have the 1st, 2nd and 6th lower on RKL, and wouldn't want to give them up. LOADS of great stuff there. Harmony resolution to the 3rd and 4th string, 2nd raise along with A pedal on 5th string over the pedals down 4 chord, on and on. I'm always finding new stuff.
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Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Hey, Alex, one of the earlier obvious uses I heard of the first string raise was in the Intro/turnaround to "That Summer" by Garth Brooks.
I have the 1st, 2nd and 6th lower on RKL, and wouldn't want to give them up. LOADS of great stuff there. Harmony resolution to the 3rd and 4th string, 2nd raise along with A pedal on 5th string over the pedals down 4 chord, on and on. I'm always finding new stuff.
_________________
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com

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