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Topic: Revisiting old ideas- an acoustic (non-pedabro) pedal steel |
Dave Stroud
From:
Texas
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Posted 18 Jun 2018 9:31 pm |
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Many have had the idea, but as far as I know, none have successfully overcome the limitations of creating a truly acoustic pedal steel (non-resonator). EDIT: I stand corrected due to Paul Franklin Sr's acoustic pedal steel.
A few limitations I can think of:
-High string tension; A potential for significant cabinet drop due to the lower stress tolerance of traditional resonant woods used in guitars.
-The difficulty of creating a resonant body (including the necessity for a well-functioning bridge & a roller-nut saddle to transfer string vibrations to the guitar face).
-Creating a cavity shape conducive to good volume & tone.
What else has been observed so far?
Last edited by Dave Stroud on 1 Jul 2018 10:16 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2018 9:42 pm
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I know this will come off as very sarcastic but it seems like putting a sail on a jet boat.
Why mess with two beautiful yet opposing bits of technology?
_________________
A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first.
Last edited by Brooks Montgomery on 19 Jun 2018 6:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dave Stroud
From:
Texas
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Posted 18 Jun 2018 10:13 pm
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| Because it was that way of thinking that brought us pedal steel in the first place. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 19 Jun 2018 12:47 am
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To overcome limitations…
- To eliminate body-drop, use a metal frame to take up all horizontal forces caused by high and varying string tension, while allowing some vertical freedom.
- To be able to tailor the bridge for transfer of vertical (string)vibrations to a sound-body, incorporate the changer in the keyhead.
- Attach a vertical sound-body in front of the pedal-rods, and link it to the bridge. Sound will be radiating horizontally out from the front of the instrument, instead of upwards.
May end up looking like an upright piano, and be at least as loud as one 
As for comparing it to putting sails on a jet boat: it will work also when one runs out of fuel, so why not  |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2018 8:26 am
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| Pedal and lever noise reduction. Georg? |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 19 Jun 2018 9:19 am
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| Fred Treece wrote: |
| Pedal and lever noise reduction. Georg? |
Isolate the sound-body from the mechanics – in effect: build it as an add-on with rubber-isolators in front of the PSG as such, and link it only to the bridge. |
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Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
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Glenn Taylor
From:
Denver, CO, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2018 4:49 pm
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I built this one a while back, and it stays in tune just fine. As you can see, the changer is on the left side. It sounds interesting, but it's not loud enough without the pickup. I built it originally with a dobro resonator, but in that form it was even harder to amplify sufficiently. Also, in the case it is as big and heavy as a double-neck. So it lives happily in my basement, although I do get it out now and then for something different.
https://glenntaylormusic.us/
_________________
moyo volume pedals:
https://glenntaylormusic.us/
https://reverb.com/item/4390294-moyo-mini-volume-pedal |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2018 7:15 pm Revisiting old ideas-an acostic(non pedalbro) pedal steel
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I seen an interesting add on. My cousin is friends with Jerry Douglas and he got a little amp that actually attaches to the back of his do-bro by 4 metal discs and the unit's internal magnets. It turns the body of the guitar into the cone of a speaker, and is very loud. It has 3 control knobs I know reverb is one of them. At a party last fall his DoBro seemed as loud as my steel. The instrument must have a pickup to plug into the amp. itself.
Just thinking out of the box. |
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Al Evans
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2018 4:48 am
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My friend Adrian Legg (English fingerstyle guitarist, look him up if you're not familiar!) has Keith banjo tuners on (I think) all six strings of his guitar. And uses them incessantly.
It produces a very similar result, with a lot less weight and expense.
--Al Evans
_________________
2018 MSA Legend, 2018 ZumSteel Encore, 2015 Mullen G2, G&L S-500, G&L ASAT, G&L LB-100, Godin A4 Fretless, Kinscherff High Noon |
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Russell Adkins
From:
Louisiana, USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2018 7:51 pm
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 here is a couple i built years ago , didnt sound to bad, they werent pedal but they still sounded like an acoustic steel. |
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Franklin
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Posted 20 Jun 2018 7:52 pm
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| My father built one in 94. Looks like a Pedabro without the resonator |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 21 Jun 2018 7:33 am
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| Are we talking a variation of the cat-can guitar? |
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Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
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Posted 21 Jun 2018 11:36 am
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It appears that there are really only two options. Add a changer and pedals to an existing guitar body shape or create a resonant chamber around a pedal steel body. I think simpler is better here. The beauty of an acoustic steel/Reso is the fact that it DOESN'T sustain very long. It’s a completely different musical approach than electric pedal steel.
For my money I’d be happy with a 6 string acoustic with the equivalent of a basic 2 x 2 setup on 4 pedals. There’s so much music available with just the basic AB pedals and E raises and lowers. I’d use GBDGBD but the tuning doesn’t matter much for this discussion.
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https://www.facebook.com/ggefell/ |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 1:52 pm
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| Russel an Glen you guy are really creative beautiful wood work. |
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