I need help tuning my pedal steel

James Wilson · Post by **James Wilson** » 24 Jul 2007 3:24 pm

Hello, my name is James and I am new here.

I recently was given a pedal steel guitar (a sho-bud maverick) but I have had some trouble tuning it.

It is a 10 string one, with 3 pedals and a right knee lever.

I have a chart with all the notes on it, but it is pretty confusing. Do I tune it without pressing the pedals and then tune it again with them pressed?

On top of that I tried tuning it and I broke the third top string trying to tune it to a G#. I am a complete beginner (and not too clever on top of that), so please explain things throughly.

I'm sorry if this has been asked a thousand times before, if you don't feel like answering it again, then please point me in the right direction for help.

Thank you.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 24 Jul 2007 5:44 pm

Here's one of the most complete, and simple tutorials from Carter Pedal Steel Guitars.

Hope it helps, or I'm sure you can get other questions answered.

EJL[/url]

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 24 Jul 2007 6:06 pm

Give it away and get a steel that you can tune.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 24 Jul 2007 6:07 pm

Here are some old posts about tuning a Maverick:

Click Here

And Click Here

Lee, from South Texas

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 24 Jul 2007 6:10 pm

Actually, the Sho-Bud Maverick is a "pull and release" mechanism. It tunes similar to the push-pull instructions at the Carter site. The pedals pull the changer fingers against the body, and in that position the raises must be tuned by the keys at the keyhead at the left end of the guitar. When the pedals are released, the changer finger comes to rest on the hex screw at the right end of the guitar, so the open (unpedaled) strings are tuned by the hex screws. If there is a raise lever, it should be tuned like the pedals. If there is a lower lever, when the lever is not activated a spring should hold the changer finger against the body, and it is tuned at the keyhead. When the lower lever is activated, it releases the changer finger to come to rest on the hex screw, and so the lower is tuned there.

This assumes you know what notes to tune the strings and pedals to. If you need help with that, let us know.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 24 Jul 2007 6:13 pm

I found another old discussion. Read the last post, by Bill Moore.

Click Here

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 24 Jul 2007 8:31 pm

Welcome James. Cool you are starting out to learn pedal steel. Hang in there and enjoy the ride!! Any questions can sure be answered here on the forum. When set up properly, your Maverick will be a nice student model. There are many here that started out with a Maverick as you are, so don't get discouraged. Again, welcome!!

James Wilson · Post by **James Wilson** » 25 Jul 2007 2:27 am

Firstly, thank you all for taking the time to help me. I really appriciate it.

David Doggett wrote: This assumes you know what notes to tune the strings and pedals to. If you need help with that, let us know.

well, actually - while I do have a tuning chart, it was following the chart that broke a string. So either I had old srings, or I didn't follow them correctly (they are quite confusing). Would you mind telling me what notes I should tune it to.

I will be mainly be using it (at least at first) to play on some of my own songs - what would you suggest I tune it to, if I wanted to play along with a guitar? I know that most beginners tune it to E9.

I will be restringing it - I have two sets of strings, some Nickel Wound and some Stainless Steel Wound - which ones are better for a beginner?

Thanks again.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 25 Jul 2007 6:24 am

James, on a ShoBud I'd recommend using these string gauges.... 1st string F# .015, 2nd string D# .017, 3rd string G# .011, 4th string E .014, 5th string B .018, 6th string G# .020P or .022P, 7th string F# .026W, 8th string E .030W, 9th string D .034W, 10th string B .036W or .038W.

1st pedal raises both B strings 5th and 10th to C#
2nd pedal raises both G# strings 3rd and 6th to A
3rd pedal raises the 4th string E to F# and the 5th string B to C#.
The knee lever would lower the 2nd string D# to D and the 8th string E to D#.

If you're new to steel guitar you might call the D# note an Eb which a lot of folks do.....

Make sure you have a good supply of .011 (3rd) strings as they break more than any of the others, the next would be the 5th string so have some of those too

As for tuning the guitar, you should have a "chromatic" tuner but you can get by with a regular 6 string guitar tuner if you have to. You'd have to tune the sharps by ear though.

To start tuning it make sure the 4th and 5th strings E & B are the exact same pitch as the first two strings on a standard guitar. Then step on the first two pedals together. The tuning from high to low would be F# D# A E C# A F# E D C# with the pedals down.

One way you can tune the 1st and 2nd strings is to play strings 5, 2, & 3 together. The 5th string would be the root of a B chord and the 2nd string would be the 3rd and the 1st string would be the 5th of the B chord...........JH in Va.

John Fabian · Post by **John Fabian** » 25 Jul 2007 6:36 am

To get the Maverick to function properly you should be using a WOUND 6th string not a plain. Either .020W or .022W.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 25 Jul 2007 8:52 am

James,do what Bo said as fast as you can.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 25 Jul 2007 10:09 am

Although they are made cheaply and flimsily, I had no serious string breakage or tuning problems on the Maverick I learned on. The biggest problem is the inability to have both a raise and lower lever on the E strings, which have long been standard on professional models.

The 3rd string breaks most often on all E9 pedal steels. I find that the 0.0115 made by Jagwire (available here on the Forum) lasts longer and sounds better than 0.011 strings.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 25 Jul 2007 1:11 pm

I see you live in England, so a "hook-up" with forumite Richard Burton (who seems like a nice, knowledgeable guy), would probably be your best thing you could do. Should be quite an experience!

Nothing solves all the riddles faster than watching someone who both plays and works on steels.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 25 Jul 2007 3:05 pm

Donny said a bunch for you--find someone to help you dial it in, and help you get started. Someone to give you a few pointers and lessons can really fast trac you. Don't let the negative comments discourage you.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 25 Jul 2007 3:35 pm

Not trying to be negative,just helpful,DO WHAT BO SAID.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 25 Jul 2007 4:01 pm

What John Fabian said about a wound sixth string is worth listening to - you might not be able to tune the sixth string raise properly with a plain string. Third strings are subject to breakage - it was probably just ready to go, and not attributable to anything you did. There are some really fine players in the UK not all that far from you (Basil Henriques is in Tamworth, for example), and having someone show you how they tune it and put it through its basic paces would be very helpful. I'm going to be in Stow-on-the-Wold from August 4 through the 11th - feel free to e-mail me at bobb@bcslaw.ca if you are desperate and can arrange to drive up, though I'm sure there are people close to you who can show you what you need. At some point there is no doubt that you will feel that the Maverick's limitations are holding you back, but you can learn a whole bunch on it. Bobbe Seymour (of Steel Guitar Nashville fame, and a picker's picker) tells us that he toted a Maverick all around the world when he toured with Lynne Anderson.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 25 Jul 2007 4:23 pm

I'm sure from your point of view, you are just helping, and don't mean to be discouraging. But James didn't ask whether you thought he should give his gift away or keep it. To him, it's the best steel guitar he's got. He simply asked help to get started. I know you and Bo mean well, but it could be discouraging to a raw beginner who is trying to sort things out and get started, to be told to get rid of his rig and get a better one. A man's got to start somewhere, and with what he has to work with. Upgrading is always an option, in time.

Harvey Richman · Post by **Harvey Richman** » 26 Jul 2007 6:30 am

Hi James, and welcome to the forum. I'm going to email you a short Word doc. I have re. tuning a Maverick. Let me know if for any reason you don't get it.
Best Regards
Harvey

James Wilson · Post by **James Wilson** » 29 Jul 2007 1:25 pm

Jerry Hayes wrote:If you're new to steel guitar you might call the D# note an Eb which a lot of folks do.....

I don't follow - they are the same note, regardless of instrument.

Make sure you have a good supply of .011 (3rd) strings as they break more than any of the others, the next would be the 5th string so have some of those too

As for tuning the guitar, you should have a "chromatic" tuner but you can get by with a regular 6 string guitar tuner if you have to. You'd have to tune the sharps by ear though.

I have a tuner that can tune through a microphone or a Direct Input. It was the 0.11 string that broke last time.

Thanks for all your help - I'll try again next time I have a day off.

James Wilson · Post by **James Wilson** » 29 Jul 2007 1:27 pm

Donny Hinson wrote:I see you live in England, so a "hook-up" with forumite Richard Burton (who seems like a nice, knowledgeable guy), would probably be your best thing you could do. Should be quite an experience!

Nothing solves all the riddles faster than watching someone who both plays and works on steels.

This would be ideal, but unless he lives close by and is willing to do it I can't see it happening.

James Wilson · Post by **James Wilson** » 29 Jul 2007 1:44 pm

Harvey Richman wrote:Hi James, and welcome to the forum. I'm going to email you a short Word doc. I have re. tuning a Maverick. Let me know if for any reason you don't get it.
Best Regards
Harvey

Thanks Harvey, I got it and it has been really helpful. In fact all of you have been great. I appriciate all the "just get a new one" comments, but I'm not really financially capable of doing that. As I said, I'll tune it next time I have a day off, and I'll let you know how it sounds.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 29 Jul 2007 2:16 pm

Sooner or later (probably sooner) you're going to want/need a guitar with more knee levers, but in the meantime, you should get Winnie Winston's book "Pedal Steel Guitar" published by Oak publications, which is written for beginners with guitars with only one knee lever.

Many of us, including myself, got started with this fine book. Many of us, including myself, could probably still learn something from it if we went back and studied it again.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 29 Jul 2007 6:01 pm

Trouble tuning a Maverick? Nooooo. Impossible.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 29 Jul 2007 6:43 pm

The best way to tune a mavrick?Do what Bo said.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 30 Jul 2007 12:23 pm

With the technology available in 1969, a man walked on the moon.

To say that a plank of wood with some strings and some pedals on it cannot be tuned is laughable

James, I'm about 140 miles north of you, I'll have a look at it if you want to make the trek up to Shropshire

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