Narrow vs. Wide pedals

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

I've got two steels: an LDG with smooth narrow pedals, and a '72 D-10 Emmons with wide pedals and about 2.25" between the pedal rods. I love the Emmons, and I do not want to modify a classic guitar, but I am still not used to the wide pedals. It seems like my shoe gets caught under the edge of the pedals, and often I end up pressing down on unintended adjacent pedals. I see that most new guitars have narrows pedals, so there must be a consensus that narrrow pedals are more practical in some ways. I am just curious if this is something that people get used to? Do many people instal narrow pedals on these older guitars? Is there an advantage to wide pedals that I have yet to discover? Should a buy a pair of cowboy boots and loose the Vans? I feel like the wide pedals are holding me back on the Emmons.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I acutually switched out the narrow pedals with wide ones on my '76 Pro 1, because I felt there was too much of a gap between the narrow ones. My foot was cramping up, when at home, from reaching with my toes to the A pedal from the B pedal. This was not as much of an issue gigging with boots on, but I still had problems depressing both pedals at once. The wide pedals are a little more stiff, for some reason, but I definitely like them better than the narrow ones.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I'll second that. I'll take the wide pedals over the narrow. I love the old Emmons and Sho-Bud pedals.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Well I'll be......maybe me feets are too big.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I have a problem with the wide pedals. When rocking off the A & B onto just B, it is hard to not slightly engage the A pedal if it is a wide one. I have a p/p Emmons where someone has narrowed up the original pedals. I have a couple of guitars where I took a hacksaw and cut a triangular chunk off the corner of the A pedal to make it work better.

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I also have a problem with wide pedals. I only have one guitar that has them, an early LDG, and I have the same problem mentioned by Erv. Namely trouble rocking off A & B to just B (Emmons setup). I have had to lengthen the A pedal rod so the A pedal hits bottom lower than the B pedal, which feels strange compared to all the other guitars I've ever used. (I can imagine catching unintended adjacent pedals could be a problem with wide pedals for a C6th neck.) I plan to somehow find some narrower pedals that fit the same pedal rack spacing (which is wider than later Sho-Buds), so as not to have to alter the original wide ones, which some future owner might prefer.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

I think part of the problem may be that some people try to hit the B pedal dead-on with the middle of their foot, instead of the inside part of their left foot. If I try to hit the B pedal dead-on like that I just can't help but brush the A & C pedals, no matter if they're wide or narrow, and no matter what kind of shoes I'm wearing.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

Actually, Mike, that is a good idea. And I would think the wide pedals would be more comfortable than narrow when playing in moccasins, or barefoot. But I have short legs, and having a shoe with no heel or sole thickness makes it less comfortable to hit the knee levers! Nobody said playing pedal steel was going to be easy!

[This message was edited by Brint Hannay on 18 December 2006 at 12:49 PM.]

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

I like wide pedals, but if you have a U112 or D10, you've got a lot of pedals. Narrow pedals cuts down on the use of space so you don't have so much distance to cover with your pedal foot. My opinion, of course.

Brian LeBlanc · From: Falls Church, Virginia, USA

If I can't wear pointed toe boots with my ShoBud
...whats the point?

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

quote:
If I can't wear pointed toe boots with my ShoBud
...whats the point?

Making music maybe?

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I'd get fired if I showed up to the gig in mocassins.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Is it okay to wear mocassins if I'm playing "new age" music?
Seriously, mocassins are nice...don't mock them!

Marc Weller · From: Upland, Ca. 91784

I wear penny loafers. Once our band leader was asked if I was a lawyer!! My Sho Bud fingertip came with the A pedal slightly narrower on the side adjacent to the B pedal. I believe other Fingertips were delivered with this feature.

John Coffman · From: Wharton,Texas USA

Wide pedals for me. I feel I have more control. Might be the stuff between the ears. HE HE! I have both type and I'd rather they all have wide pedals.

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Thomas SD10 3/4,Thomas D10 8/5 and Desert Rose S10 3/4. Beginner Just Steelin on the Brazos river.

mike nolan · From: Forest Hills, NY USA

I like the old Sho~Bud and wide Emmons pedals... I had my Williams made with wider than stock pedals and narrower spacing.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I play in bare feet or socks at gigs; no one seems to mind (or notice for that matter). I'm always sure to put on shoes when I go to the men's room though!

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Big Red
Blue TrainDurham, NH

David Doggett · Posted 18 Dec 2006 9:27 pm

Well obviously from the above it matters what you wear on your feet. I think most people are not going to play barefoot or with special footwear. For regular shoes and boots, there is a theoretical advantage for narrow pedals for rocking the A and B pedals. The rocking angle doesn't have to be as great. Many older steels with wide pedals had narrow pedals just for A and B for this reason. For the rest of the pedals, if you are trying to hit only one pedal dead on, that is easier with narrow pedals, because you don't have to be so accurate. With wide pedals, it is too easy to inadvertently catch the edge of an adjacent pedal. My impression is that is the reason most modern steels went to narrow pedals. This is also the reason organs have narrow rounded pedals.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Sounds like possible T-P syndrom(technique problem) I love my wide pedals on my shobud. I practice in work boots, barefoot, slippers, and gig in cowboy boots. If you straddle two pedals at a time so you can rock left or right, you shouldn't have any trouble at all. MHO

Don McClellan · From: California/Thailand

I recently bought a new Williams and had to cut the pedals so they weren't so close together. I was having trouble pressing just one pedal without hitting another one unintentionally. I also had to cut the pedals on both of my Klines for the same reason years ago. Why? Why are steel builders oblivious to this problem? And why do so many new PSGs have square pedals with very sharp corners? I can't make any sense out of that at all. I think they should ask you when you place your order what pedal shape you prefer. Why not?

John Coffman · From: Wharton,Texas USA

Don M. Well stated. I have two steels with the square narrow pedal and I had to place plastic tubing over then to play them barefooted (Very sharp pointed edges). I do see why rounding these off would take extra time on ones that are made by hand. I prefer the die casted wide. I do see the problems spacing the pedals would cause but feel this too can be overcome.

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Thomas SD10 3/4,Thomas D10 8/5 and Desert Rose S10 3/4. Beginner Just Steelin on the Brazos river.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Plastic tubing! Why didn't I think of that?

Oddly enough, those weird, bumpy, "d" shaped pedals on my Dekley were more comfortable barefoot than the smooth narrow ones on my new Fessenden.

For you guys who play in boots: how the heck do you keep the pointy toes from getting caught between the pedal rods???

Dan

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Don,
On my Williams, I alo kept hanging up on the A pedal when rocking to the B.

I took a triangular piece off the right corner of the A pedal. That helped.

I believe some of the early Sho~Buds came from the factory that way.

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