I already want another changer.

[Tim Fortin]

So I’m only a few months in to playing the pedal steel. I’ve been doing a private lesson (with more booked) and some of the play pedal steel books and YouTube videos.

I was really intimidated for like 3 months with this thing, then just this week I think I had a comfort level breakthrough. Now I am starting to see why the Emmons setup is how it is. But I already am finding I want another lever or pedal!

So for the veteran players, I have a 3x4 Zum Stage One. It’s a fine instrument to learn on, but I wish it had a lever to drop the nine string a half step. How do you workaround that lack of a lever? Bar slants?

[Ron Pruter]

You may already know this. It is customary to have that change on the r/k/r lever. The lever usually drops the 2nd string 1/2 then hits a feel stop. You then push the lever further to the right to get the 9th string to go down 1/2. while the 2nd string continues down another 1/2 step. I think Stage Ones have that? Let other S/O owners chime in. Of course at that final stage, the 2 and the 9 are enemies to your ear Ron

[Tim Fortin]

You may already know this. It is customary to have that change on the r/k/r lever. The lever usually drops the 2nd string 1/2 then hits a feel stop. You then push the lever further to the right to get the 9th string to go down 1/2. while the 2nd string continues down another 1/2 step. I think Stage Ones have that? Let other S/O owners chime in. Of course at that final stage, the 2 and the 9 are enemies to your ear Ron

I just checked and mine does not seem to have a second stop. I’ll have to flip it over in the light of day and see what I can see. I did have an issue with the knee levers being too close together and was advised by Doug to bent the lever itself. Maybe where I bent it is preventing that.

[John Talbott]

Hi Tim,

You may want to look at the Stage One Owner's manual.
It's available here: https://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/_f ... 61e25f.pdf

Hope this helps.

Keep on pickin'

John

[Tim Fortin]

Hi Tim,

You may want to look at the Stage One Owner's manual.
It's available here: https://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/_f ... 61e25f.pdf

Hope this helps.

Keep on pickin'

John

Yes, I have the manual. Like it shows, that’s not a lever function I have. I did email Doug to see if I can add that.

I was more lamenting the lack of that function, and also wondering if anyone has a play-around so to speak. I suppose a slant down to that half lower is the best I can do short of adding lever function.

[Ron Pruter]

You may already know this. It is customary to have that change on the r/k/r lever. The lever usually drops the 2nd string 1/2 then hits a feel stop. You then push the lever further to the right to get the 9th string to go down 1/2. while the 2nd string continues down another 1/2 step. I think Stage Ones have that? Let other S/O owners chime in. Of course at that final stage, the 2 and the 9 are both C#s. Ron

I just checked and mine does not seem to have a second stop. I’ll have to flip it over in the light of day and see what I can see. I did have an issue with the knee levers being too close together and was advised by Doug to bent the lever itself. Maybe where I bent it is preventing that.

[J D Sauser]

So I’m only a few months in to playing the pedal steel. I’ve been doing a private lesson (with more booked) and some of the play pedal steel books and YouTube videos.

I was really intimidated for like 3 months with this thing, then just this week I think I had a comfort level breakthrough. Now I am starting to see why the Emmons setup is how it is. But I already am finding I want another lever or pedal!

So for the veteran players, I have a 3x4 Zum Stage One. It’s a fine instrument to learn on, but I wish it had a lever to drop the nine string a half step. How do you workaround that lack of a lever? Bar slants?

I was like that too when I started out. I had barely laid out the most common grips and already I was found laying under my Pro-II wondering what I could do to it. Now, I am a precision machine engineer... but nevertheless, my advice when it comes to E9th (assuming you are on E9th) is, to think "Lloyd Green". I am not saying you need to play as well as him before thinking about adding changes... but give it a year or two and milk the living daylights out what you have. In other words, give yourself 1 or 2 years.

But I do understand the urge... J-D.