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Topic: Adjusting rear leg height for one's own personal height |
Dick Chapple Sr
From:
Hardin Montana, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2016 7:15 am |
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The rear legs of my pedal steels are of course adjustable.
I am 5' 7" tall. For those of you that are at or near my height, to what height do you adjust your rear pedal steel legs? Measuring down from the lowest portion of the rear apron down to the floor sure would be helpful.
also how far off the floor are your pedals?
Now I do know I can mess around and try different adjustments but knowing what height all you seasoned pros set yours at sure would help an old guy set his the same.
anybody??
Thanks a bunch
Dick |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 21 Jul 2016 9:02 pm
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Hi Dick. I don't know if this is any help, but I'm not much taller than you and I sit my guitars level. The standard leg length is 26", so that would be the height from the floor at the endplates where the legs screw in. Some guitars have a cut out on the rear apron while others don't, so the height from the floor there will vary with the guitar as will the other dimensions. Might be a good idea to tell us which guitar[s] you have.
I adjust the knee levers tilt to be a good fit for me and the pedals just high enough that I don't have to stretch or they don't smash into the carpet.
Some guitars are roomier underneath than others and this makes a difference in the fit too. I have had guitars that I just could not get comfortable with. Smaller body lengths like Mullen, Williams, Lamar etc. are more comfortable for me.
I would not recommend adjusting the rear legs so the guitar tilts back toward you as that is very uncomfortable and also bad for your wrist joints.
I know there are some other players here that are about your height so maybe some of them will see this and give you some info too.
I would say that if you are not comfortable with your guitar at standard height of 26", you might consider trading or cutting down your legs and rods 1 inch. I would consider that a last resort and it's a drastic difference tho' it doesn't sound like much. |
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Dick Chapple Sr
From:
Hardin Montana, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2016 10:20 pm Height
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Thanks Jerry for your input. Good info. I have a Sho-Bud Pro III D-10 which a tad high for me, the knee levers....whoa these are for guys with BIG legs, I have to swing a very wide swing to go from LKL to LKR, I replaced the LKR with an exact copy with the adjusting screw in it which helped. But then I also added some blocks to the LKR to bring it closer to my left leg.
I have a Fessenden SD-10 which so very easy to play but the apron is very nearly resting on my lap.
I have a Derby SD-10 which started life with the Day setup and an easy route was used to switch to Emmons at some point in time. the LKL is further in from the left side of the guitar far enough that I am having trouble keeping my foot from drifting away from the AB pedals and also I am barely contacting the LKR with the top edge of my left leg.
My D-10 Remington and my Hudson SD-8 seem to be about right.
I have the standard height steel guitar seats behind all of my guitars. But I do wonder if it helps for a shorter person to sit a tad higher??
I do measure from the lowest portion of the rear apron on the ones that have the cutaway.
I'm going to do some decent measuring to see what I really have for heights.
I don't care for the looks of a slanted guitar console. Proper wrist posture....shouldn't the wrists be pretty flat without bends in them from the forearm to the back of the hand to avoid strain and fatigue? Perhaps a slight bend??
thanks again Jerry.
Dick |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 12:29 am Re: Height
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| Dick Chapple Sr wrote: |
| I have the standard height steel guitar seats behind all of my guitars. But I do wonder if it helps for a shorter person to sit a tad higher?? |
For some of us, yes...
I am 5'7" tall, and do prefer a slightly higher than normal seat - added about 1/2" to my old "standard-height" ShoBud seat ages ago. May have to do the same to my much newer StealSeat.
My 35 year old Dekley S10's back apron is exactly 25 5/8" above the floor. An added vertical lever (LKV) was made to float flat 1/4" above my upper leg when shoeheel is planted on the floor, so I can lift it easily no matter what pedals I use or don't use.
No cut-outs on Dekleys.
| Dick Chapple Sr wrote: |
| I don't care for the looks of a slanted guitar console. Proper wrist posture....shouldn't the wrists be pretty flat without bends in them from the forearm to the back of the hand to avoid strain and fatigue? Perhaps a slight bend?? |
I couldn't care even the slightest about looks when it comes to PSGs - only sound and playability matters Consequently, when a Dekley D10 I bought a few years ago felt a little bit too high for me, I simply cut 1 1/2" off the back-legs' inner tubes and slanted the contraption back until it felt right. Now that D10 has become an SD10 without pad, and the a-little-less-than 25" height between back apron and floor when slanted suits me just fine since there's no vertical lever on that PSG. I may raise it slightly at the back if I put on an LKV, but it will still be slanted backwards. The legs can be set back to normal height and be locked there though.
You are right about "proper wrist posture to avoid strain and fatigue", but as no two people are built and proportioned the same, what works and feels right for one player may not suit another all that well even if overall height is the same.
I can tell you that there's nothing "proper" about my relaxed wrist posture and sloped-down underarms (or anything else for that matter), but it works for me.
As the saying goes: "to get it just right we place the player on a seat of suitable height, and build the PSG around him/her". Was "Scotty" who said that a couple of decades ago, IIRC. I don't think that is the way it is done in most cases today though, and when buying used instruments we may simply have to adjust things till they fit. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 3:53 am
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As none of us have the same physiology, measurements are of MUCH less importance than the ergonomics.
If your floor-to-top-of-knee is smaller than 22", I'd think about possibly getting shorter front legs and pedal rods.
The <strike>most important</strike> crucial bit is that the wrist neither dips nor humps as it transits from arm to hand. If it does either, you'll get numbness and pain after a prolonged period of playing.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Ronnie Boettcher
From:
Brunswick Ohio, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 5:54 am
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Speaking on the height, and the position (spacing)of your knee levers, you should do yourself a favor. Spend some time figuring out where to move them, so you can sit comfortably behind your steel, and have your knee levers close to your thighs. This is not rocket science, it is simple measuring. MOVE them to fit YOU. All you need is a few tools, and a drill. If after you move the levers, your pull rods are too short, make new rods. All of this moving is very inexpensive, compared to your initial investment of the steel. Make measurements, and write them down, then do the work, and you will have a steel that FITS YOU. Happy playing with a steel that is custom fit to your body.
_________________
Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142 |
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Dick Chapple Sr
From:
Hardin Montana, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 8:23 am height etc
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Okay this is all very good stuff, and thank you all.
Georg, I need to correct my self on slanting the guitar. I prefer a level or slanted back toward me if needed but not slanted toward the listeners. In fact a slant toward me helps to make the top 2 strings reappear. The angle of view tends to make those two strings hard for me to see. The slant also is an aid to allowing straight wrists.
I discovered what Lane referred to regarding numbness.
Oh yes and those vertical knee levers, mine need a big adjustment before I can begin to operate them without raising my knee up so high.
Thanks for sharing. This does help make to quit procrastinating and do something about it when faced with these simple problems.
Dick |
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Carl Williams
From:
Oklahoma
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Dick Chapple Sr
From:
Hardin Montana, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2016 9:23 am VKL's
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Thanks for the link Carl.
I will check that out for fit.
Dick |
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