Rigging a Pedal to a Dobro

Ben Feher · Post by **Ben Feher** » 22 Aug 2012 3:43 pm

I was looking at a homemade steel ( http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=231676 ) and it got me to thinking...

Has anyone had any experience with adding a headstock pull to a dobro headstock using the old fashioned pull a string down with a little hook/lever? Sorta like how tele players do open string bends. I'd want a pedal on the floor with a bicycle cable of some sort I think. I'd only want 1 string raised 1/2 tone, and it'd be string two so its a plain and there should be enough room behind the nut. I'm 100% okay with instrument modification of any kind and am also willing to try something a little "homebrew". I'm one of those guys that if I was around 40 years ago I would make collectors in 2012 super pissed off...

The reason is that I'd like the sound and portability of the dobro and I can get a ton of stuff out of GBDGBD, but I'd like to experiment with some other chord sounds, and I have an inexpensive dobro set up in C6 (CEGACE) right now but I'd love to be able to pull that high C up to a C# for that A7th. I know I could raise the A to a Bb for a 7th, but it just doesn't sound as good or seem as versatile (to me). I love having that V7th chord two frets down from the root6. One pull, it could adds so much. I'm aware of duesenberg multibender for dobro, but I don't think palm pedals are for me.

I know I have seen Bigsbys with changers on the "headstock" like this: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/T ... C01599.jpg Though I think it'd be easier to pull the string towards the headstock. I doubt the pedal part would be difficult to rig up. I've got a couple designs in my head and I'd like some sort of tunable hard stop on the headstock itself ("changer?") rather than relying on a stop on the pedal. Anyone tried anything like this before?

Any thoughts would be Appreciated!

Michael Maddex · Post by **Michael Maddex** » 22 Aug 2012 6:37 pm

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=115470

Enjoy! HTH.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 22 Aug 2012 6:45 pm

Ben there is also a guy in TX (I think) - zi dse him in Dallas at the show a few years ago that had I think 3 pedals on a dobro

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 22 Aug 2012 6:46 pm

Ben there is also a guy in TX (I think) - zi dse him in Dallas at the show a few years ago that had I think 3 pedals on a dobro

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

Iestyn Lewis · Post by **Iestyn Lewis** » 23 Aug 2012 5:26 am

My pedal steel in progress operates via bike cables and string pulls behind the bridge, but could just as easily be behind the nut:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=231676

Careful, it starts out with "just one pull" and ends up with you adding knee levers and lowers... (added since those pictures were taken).

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 28 Jul 2013 5:41 pm

Gene Parsons is working on one now.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Jul 2013 7:37 am

my thoughts are...since you don't want a palm pedal...that you're wasting your time. you'll end up with a piece of junk. it will be totally inconvenient to gig with.

on the other hand, if gene parsons is working on a dobro bender, i'd trust that and wait for it.
just don't butcher a decent dobro.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 29 Jul 2013 11:05 am

Finger pulls. Just sayin'.

Jay Yuskaitis · Post by **Jay Yuskaitis** » 29 Jul 2013 12:51 pm

Done many times in the past 40 odd years as I recall. After a number of "pedal pushes", the resonator would collapse. But, they keep on trying. Jay Y.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 29 Jul 2013 1:25 pm

Get a Higgins Peg-bender. Should be easy to mod it to operate with a pedal.

http://www.bradivarius.com/pegbender.html

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 29 Jul 2013 1:39 pm

Anyone own or try one of the ones that Duesenberg makes?

http://www.goeldo.de/tremolos-und-parts ... or-guitars

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 29 Jul 2013 2:49 pm

I played a session in Nashville with Dale Sellers back in the early 70's, and he showed up with a dobro with a Bigsby palm pedal on it and was dying to use it on a song at this ,multi-song ,session, but the producer wanted no part of it. Just a memory you brought back.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 29 Jul 2013 2:56 pm

Lee,
Very interesting! Their stuff is well-engineered, well built, and expensive. Here's a translation of how it mounts;

"the special version for resonator guitars with dobra style coverplate. The multibender replaces the existing tailpiece. It is attached with 2 hooks in the cover plate with a mounting bracket at the bottom of the body"

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 29 Jul 2013 3:07 pm

John: Yeah, I clicked on the flag and got it in English. I live here on the Mendocino Coast and know Gene Parsons. He and I have been talking about a dobro bender for the past couple of years and have some ideas. He believes it would be hard on the resonator and hard to keep in tune pulling from the bridge end and thinks that pulling from the peghead with a roller nut (at least for a wound string) would be much better. I kinda figure he knows what he is talking about....He worked on one a while back for Buck Owens but when Buck died he shelved the project.

Stephen Williams · Post by **Stephen Williams** » 29 Jul 2013 6:19 pm

I put a multibender on a Stella that I had made into a slide. It so happened that the ladder bracing fell right under the screw down so I was lucky. It all works very well. There are 2 multibenders sold, one with a tailpiece and one without. I used one without and attached directly to Stella.
Only prob is that it is not loud so I'm going to try and put a resonator cone in it.

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 29 Jul 2013 6:47 pm

Steven: Where did you get the Multibender? I want to put one on an old Gibson Ultratone lap steel.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 30 Jul 2013 4:31 am

Lee,
"He believes it would be hard on the resonator"
I'm inclined to agree. The aluminum cone can easily be deformed. Would a bender do that? I'm not sure, but it might. Specially with a wound string. After all, the reso bridge is not mounted firmly to a solid body surface, it's mounted on top on a thin spun aluminum cone. But I would also think that Duesenberg did a lot of testing, so maybe it's safe.

Paul Redmond · Post by **Paul Redmond** » 6 Aug 2013 1:58 am

Any increase in tension over the "spider" will deform the cone and diminish its output. It's admittedly a great idea, but until someone invents a really "hefty" bridge that will resist the increases in string tension adequately, ain't gonna be a good result.
PRR

Stephen Williams · Post by **Stephen Williams** » 6 Aug 2013 5:10 pm

@ Lee,
I got Multibender from Thomann in Europe. Don't buy it in US. I saved about $200 by shipping it from Europe. i'll be up in Mendocino soon and can bring it up and show you if you want.

Peter den Hartogh · Post by **Peter den Hartogh** » 7 Aug 2013 2:48 am

http://www.rockinger.com/index.php?lang ... ultibender

219 Euros plus shipping.

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 4 Jan 2014 9:26 pm

Gene Parsons is working on a 2nd string bender for the dobro. I have been goading him into this for the past couple of years. We have talked about doing pedals with cables (which might end up being part of a cradle which you can set your dobro in with multiple pedals and pulls), knee levers, etc. but have pretty much settled on a strap actuated device. On a standard dobro tuning it will drop the b string 1 full step when the lever is actuated. Will not need to alter the dobro. Hoping to have a prototype ready soon.

Any name suggestions? DoBender? BroBender? ResoBender?

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 4 Jan 2014 10:03 pm

I would think that a device that lowered the 2nd string instead of raising it would have less negative effect on the cone, since tension would be lessened instead of increased.

I know that Paul Franklin Sr. did a lot of experimentation in his development of the Peda-Bro. The cone is a very sensitive and somewhat delicate part of the reso-guit. Simply over-tightening the screw that holds the spider to the cone is deleterious to the output and tone of the guitar.

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 4 Jan 2014 10:14 pm

We will be pulling from the tuner end so much less stress and string movement at the resonator and better tone to boot!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 4 Jan 2014 10:28 pm

BTW, say "hey" to Gene for me. I haven't talked to him in about 20 years, but we were quite friendly back when I was with Ronstadt and he was working with Clarence and the Byrds.

Lee Rider · Post by **Lee Rider** » 4 Jan 2014 10:32 pm

Will do, Herb!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Rigging a Pedal to a Dobro

Rigging a Pedal to a Dobro

more trying this for sure

more trying this for sure