Note: Some guitars may use both systems, one for knee levers that move to the left and the other for knee levers that move to the right. Most pedal steel guitars use 1 of 2 different systems to adjust the knee lever slack. The slack can be observed as a small amount of movement of the pull rod or rotation of the cross shaft and pull bar when moving it (as shown above). Make sure your knee levers have a small amount of slack in the travel before they cause the tuning nuts to engage, the fingers which raise and lower the strings.
Travel - necessary to maintain the correct amount of slack and travel for trouble free operation (large screw shown) Tilt - useful only for comfort and alignment. Recheck the pedal for the correct amount of slack in its travel. The pedal bell crank is attached to the cross shaft and is the part into which the pedal rod hooks.Ħ. Adjust the slack adjustment screw on the pedal bell crank to allow more travel to the pedal. Type 2 pedal stops feature fixed, nonadjustable stops which the pedals engage at the end of their travel (Zum, Emmons, Derby).ĥ. Re-check the pedal for the correct amount of slack in its travel.
Adjust the pedal stop (usually a screw of some type) to allow more travel to the pedal bell crank before it engages the stop screw.Ħ. If the string comes back sharp, it is an indication that you don't have enough travel.ĥ. If the string returns to proper pitch, you have enough travel. Release the pedal and check the open tuning. The smaller the gauge, the greater the travel.Ĥ. Plain strings require more travel than wound ones. Tune the raise (or lower) on the string that travels the farthest. Type 1 pedal stops feature adjustable stops which the pedals engage at the end of their travel (MSA, MCI, Sho-Bud, Carter, Mullen).ģ. To adjust the different types of pedals follow these steps:
Whichever system the pedals use, they should still demonstrate a slight amount of slack in the travel before engaging the changer fingers. Most pedal steel guitars use 1 of 2 different systems to adjust the pedal slack. The slack can be observed as a small gap which appears between the pedal and the guitar body when moving it (as shown above). Make sure your pedals have a small amount of slack in the travel before they cause the tuning nuts to engage, the fingers which raise and lower the strings.