First Post: Technical Question - Half Stop

Blake Surrell · From: Maysville Oklahoma, USA

Hello to everyone!!!

I am new to pedal steel guitar and to this forum so take it easy on me please Very Happy

I recently purchased a Derby Pedal Steel Guitar to learn on and I am having a lot of fun, along with the usual frustrations of learning a new instrument, especially as complex as this one. My Derby is a SD10 tuned to E9 3x4 with E's on left knee, pretty basic setup.

I am a 20 year guitar player so I am not new to music, just a baby when it comes to this instrument. My question is about my RKR lever that is a half stop lever that drops the 2nd string to D, (1st half) then to C# (fully engaged) and the 9th string to C# when it is all the way engaged. I can get the 2nd string spot on tuning wise by using the 9th string nylon tuner to adjust the D, and use the 2nd string nylon tuner to adjust the C#.

The problem is, the 2nd half of the half stop is not dropping my 9th string D to C#. It does not seem like the lever has enough travel to get down to C#. I have backed the split tuning allen head out so I know its not bottoming out on it. Is this a Tuning problem or a mechanical travel problem do you think? Looking at the end where the 9th string nylon tuning nut is, it only looks like its pulling in like an 1/8 of an inch when the RKR lever is fully engaged, just not enough to drop that D to C#.

I am happy with the half stop on the 2nd string, seems to have a good solid stop (at D) where I can feel the first half, and the 2nd half seems pretty smooth as well down to C#. I am assuming if I could lower the 9th down to C# or lower, I could set the allen head split screw back to be my end stop for 9th string c#...? Also the knee lever seems to have plenty of travel, it moves pretty far, the rod just doesn't seem to travel far enough to drop the note.

Thanks for any help/advice and I apologize if I did not explain my situation very well...

Blake Surrell

Brett Lanier · From: Madison, TN

Your thinking is correct. Also consider this fact... Placing the rod closer to the axle in the changer gives you more throw, and further away from the cross shaft on the bell crank = more throw. It's a lot like how the physics of the chain rings / sprockets on a bike work.

Having a nice solid stop or feel stop for that D note on the second string is by far the most important change on that knee lever. Lowering string two to C# or string 9 to C# is just gravy.

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Blake Surrell · From: Maysville Oklahoma, USA

Thanks so much for the responses. At least I am on the right track...

Jeff Harbour · From: Western Ohio, USA

Yeah, it's a tricky balancing act to fine-tune these steels (like mine) where the half-stops are strictly a result of another string beginning its pull. I remember several years ago making a chart of how many cents different the 2nd string 'D' was at every bellcrank position, with the 2nd & 9th strings and their full C# drops tuned properly. I eventually determined the best configuration. After that, I successfully used that method to create a couple more half-stops on the E9 and one on the back neck with no added hardware.

The good thing about the 2nd-string 'D', and in my case all of my other half-stops, is that the note almost always functions as a 7b if it is played in a chord. In my opinion (which may cause controversy), intonation of a 7b is far less critical that most other chordal degrees. Since the 7b is naturally a note of musical tension, if it is a few cents off it will be alot less noticeable than a 5, 3 or 3b.

If you have ANYTHING at all to tune the split independently, then you are in a better position than many...

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

You should be able to see how to increase the lever travel, after you do that tune and adjust the half stop.

The way to tune the 2nd string half-stop:

First tune both the 2nd and 9th strings to the correct open string notes, using the tuners at the keyhead.

Tune string 2 lower to C# using the nylon tuning nut.
For string 9, turn the Allen screw out a couple of turns. Then tune the C# using the nylon screw, but tune it about 1/4 tone flat.

Then lower string 2 so you feel the half stop, and use the tuning nut on string 9 to adjust the the D note on 2.
Go back to string 9, activate the lever, and use the Allen screw to tune the C# note on 9.

There is also a half tone tuner on the bottom side of the guitar, but you really don't need to use that.

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