pedal master 8 string ?

[Tom Barnes]

Anybody heard of a pedal master 8 string 6 and 4. What tuning would it use, maybe an A6 ?

Wondering what one would be worth in good shape.

[Dale Kath]

I am looking at an 8 string pedalmaster for sale for $1000. Most everyone on the forum is advising me to not buy it and stick with a s10. They seem to have a good rep, but I believe the company has gone out of business.

[Donny Hinson]

Most everyone on the forum is advising me to not buy it and stick with a s10.

Dale, there is a good reason for that. Most all the instruction that's available is for 10-string steels. The string sets are commonly available. Most of the stuff you hear on records and radio is done on 10-string steels. And lastly, there are far, far more players of 10-string steels out there to help you. However, if an S8 is what you want and feel comfortable with (and you don't mind being that one in one thousand player that uses one) then get it and be done with it.

I played a Model 1000 (a double eight) for 8 years, and I have a Fender 400 that I still play occasionally. It's a blast, but it's certainly not for everyone.

The Pedalmaster, if it's a newer, all-pull model, is certainly a decent enough guitar to learn on.

[Jerry Roller]

Pedalmaster started in Ft Smith, Arkansas one block from where I lived around 1960. I hung out there a lot and the first Pedalmaster double neck was an 8 string. I helped put the pedals on them and was allowed to build myself a guitar. It was a D8 and the castings were copies of Shobud. After a while we made my guitar a D9 then finally a D10. I still have that guitar. Thru the years I added a couple of levers and just used whatever I could find to make it work. Pulleys, cables from Ford windshield wipers as my Dad had an auto salvage yard. In later years, Pedalmaster purchased the old MSA and started making an all pull using MSA design. Pedalmaster sold to Jim Boen and became Boen Guitars until Boen sold to Roy Thomas and was redesigned by Roy.



Jerry

[Dale Kath]

Great pics Jerry and thanks for the invaluable information. Do you have an idea where Pedalmaster parts can be found? I ended up buying The General (8 string) and I love it. It is in perfect condition, but still it would be nice to know if parts can be found.
appreciate your input
Dale

[Jerry Roller]

Dale, the General is a much later model built by Roy Thomas and nothing like this primitive one I have. I would contact Roy Thomas. I believe he is in Louisianna or contact Jim Flynn of Lonestar Steels. I think one or the other can help. I was not aware that Roy ever built an 8 string but the "General" is definitely his doing.
Jerry

[Dale Kath]

Thanks Jerry, Here is a pic of the Pedalmaster that most "advised" me not to buy cuz' its only 8 strings. But I love the thing!

[chris ivey]

that's pretty cool! watch out...b0b is gonna want that.

[Fred Glave]

I would not object to owning that guitar! It sure looks nice. I personally could do without the arm pad, but an 8 string steel could be a lot of fun. I'm on the lookout for an inexpensive Fender 400 myself.

[Jerry Roller]

Oh yeah Dale, I like that a lot. I'm glad you didn't listen to the advise from others.
Jerry

[Donny Hinson]

Jerry is right, the newer all-pull Pedalmaster guitars are far superior to the older ('60s models) built by LeRoy Prine. (Your S8 "General" is also mechanically far superior to a Fender 400 or Maverick.) I do urge you to play it for awhile , though, before you start modifying it. That's the only way to learn to maximize what you have.

Dale, you just have to realize that the majority of players here on the FORUM want all the bells and whistles, and they feel that they are seriously handicapped if they don't have as many strings and pedals as the next guy. Consequently, they also feel that the easiest way to play more or better than the next guy is to have more strings or more changes.

[Dale Kath]

I guess I was wrong about Pedalmaster going out of business because I was able to find a website and it has the same phone number that is on the underside. When I first plugged it in, I thought I had forgot to turn the amp on, that's how quiet that George L pick up is! Quite a difference from my Fender Student that was so buzzy and microphonic I could probably record a vocal through it! But still have a lot of fondness for that Fender. After going through miles of posts here on the forum, I have decided to maintain the E9 tuninng and just remove strings 1 & 2. The pedals and rods are set up similar to the GFI Student tuning and copedent. Now gonna have some fun playin' it!

[Tom Wolverton]

Nice guitar, Dale. Nice floor too. : )

When I was designing my 8-string E9th tuning I asked several pros what 2 strings they would give up if they had to move from 10-string to 8-string. It seemed like there where two camps on this About half said the bottom 2 (with a pull to drop the low E to D when needed (I think BE suggested this)), the other half said the top two. I saw wisdom in both, so I split the difference and removed string 2 and 10. I like the high D string on a C6th tuning and this felt similar. For now, it's what I like.

[Tom Wolverton]

F you have 5 KLs, could try Bob's D6th tuning as well.

[b0b]

Very nice! Pedalmaster guitars are fine custom-made instruments, built by Roy Thomas in Louisiana.

I wouldn't recommend an 8-string to a beginner, as there is no instructional material for it. That said, I use my own 8-string Desert Rose for almost all of my gigs. You can hear some of the the possibilities at WineCountrySwing.com.

[Bill Moore (RIP)]

If I had this guitar, I would leave out strings 7 and 9. You could lower the E to D, or raise the Low B to D and maybe lower the 6th to get F#. That would give a lot more the of the E9th tuning. You really do need strings 1 and 2. I think that would give you about 95% of the standard E9th tuning.

[b0b]

I guess that depends on whether you play jazz, swing, Hawaiian, etc. Those styles are awful hard to play without a real 6th chord.

My 8-string doesn't have the chromatic strings and I do miss the the 1st string a lot, but fans and musicians who don't play steel have rarely noticed anything odd about my tuning. We steel players tend to think certain things are very important when they really aren't so much.

[Tom Wolverton]

I agree Bob. After all, it's about making music and what works to get that done. Maybe it's time to try out a one-string steel guitar.

[Bill Moore (RIP)]

B0b, you're right, I don't play jazz, swing or Hawaiian. But that is the problem with just having 8 strings, something will always be left out. You just have to decide on what's most important to your playing. If having the 7th string is important to you, you could leave off the 9th and 10th strings, then lower the E to D to replace the 9th string, and completely lose the 10th. No matter what you do, 8 strings will always be a compromise.

[Dale Kath]

Yes Tom, I did look at your posts to find a good tuning, in fact, seeing you so boldly playing your 8 string influenced my decision to buy one, and bOb, I listened to your tunes.. and wish I could play like that! Is your tuning for your Desert Rose 8 on the forum? Before I start experimenting with different tunings, leaving off strings, etc, I want to keep my tuning as close to the standards of E9 and C6 until I get more comfortable playing. It's all good!

[Tom Wolverton]

Yikes, don't follow me! I'll lead you right off a cliff. : )

[b0b]

Here you go, Dale: http://b0b.com/wp/?page_id=551

Bill: while you're correct that "something will always be left out", it doesn't have to be something important. The standard 6-string guitar tuning can sound correct in any kind of music. It seems to me that an 8 string pedal steel with 5+5 should be able to do the same.

Compare tracks 4 and 5 at http://soundcloud.com/b0b/sets/wine-country-swing/. Crazy Arms is a country standard. All the Things You Are is jazz. Both use the same 8-string pedal steel. I didn't play any blues or rock on that album, but the tuning does handle those styles, too.