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Topic: Vertical Lever - E9 Tuning |
Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 11 Aug 2018 12:41 pm |
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Back in the old days, before I owned a guitar with a vertical lever, I would achieve the half-tone lower on strings 5 and 10 by simply raising string 3 and 6 a half-step with the "B" pedal, raising strings 4 and 8 a half-step with the "F" lever, and sliding back one fret. This effectively lowered the 5th and 10th strings a half-step. (Anybody else remember doing it that way?)
Then my guitars started coming with vertical levers, lowering strings 5 and 10 one-half step. After all these years, I still find myself making the change the old-fashioned way, instead of using the vertical lever. (Granted, this eliminates the tonic notes found on strings 1 and 7; but, I rarely need that note.)
Now I'm considering finding another use for the vertical lever. Any suggestions? Raising strings 1 and 7 one-half step? Lowering strings 5 and 6 a full-step (part of a Franklin pedal)? I only have two pulling trains to work with.
Here is how my guitars are set up, with Emmons pedals:
LKL: Raises 4th and 8th strings one-half step
LKR: Raises 1st string a whole step and second string one-half step, along with lowering 6th string a whole step, split with the B pedal
RKL: Lowers 4th and 8th strings one-half step
RKR: Lowers 2nd string a whole step, split with the 9th string half-step lower
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 11 Aug 2018 1:20 pm
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I don't use that lever much on its own, but I use it a lot with the A pedal to give minors and diminished, so to me it's really a half step raise.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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John Swain
From:
Winchester, Va
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Posted 11 Aug 2018 1:26 pm
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| I use the f lever and b pedal one fret back most of the time, so my LKV lowers my 6 string. LKR raises 1,2+7. I have 5 lower 1/2 on my 4th pedal for times I want to used it with strings 1,2,7 or 9. |
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Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
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Posted 11 Aug 2018 2:36 pm Psg
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| I just lower the 6th,G# half a tone on my LKV. This opens the way for several speed pickin' runs and also some C6th phrasing. 6,8& 10 with LKV and the pedal that raises 3&6, used two frets lower from the one chord has the boo-wah effect is just an example. I like the KISS effect also. " Keep It Short, Simple." Simple mind at work here. Ha !!! |
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Bengt Erlandsen
From:
Brekstad, NORWAY
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Posted 13 Aug 2018 3:47 am
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Raising 9th string D-D# and 8 string E-F# could be worth a try. There is lots of nice things that can be combined with A+B or in combination with the E-Eb lever if you splittune the 8th string pull.
B.Erlandsen
Zumsteel S12extE9 7+7 |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 13 Aug 2018 11:15 am
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Okay. I made some changes today.
Now, the vertical lever is just lowering the 6th string from G# to F# and is split with the B pedal so I can get a tuneable G natural.
Previously, those changes were on the lever that also raises strings 1 and 2. Now, those changes don't mess with my 6th string. That pull rod now raises the 7th string from F# to G#, like the 1st string.
This is what was suggested by John Swain. So far, I like it.
I've got a pull rod for the vertical lever left over. That lever only lowers the 6th string. I wonder if there is something I can do with that extra rod. |
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Steve Leal
From:
Orange CA, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2018 5:09 pm
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Hi Lee.
Lowering 6 a whole step independently on the vertical level is a great choice. I wouldn't suggest adding any other pull or drop with your extra rod, unless you want to lower your string 3 a half step to get some Mooney licks (but suffer more wear and tear on that thin string).
My setup is similar to yours in that I raise and lower my Es on different knees which always requiring compromises by cutting down our choices of combinations. I have been in the same boat as you many times substituting the lowering of 5 and 10 with work arounds (B pedal + F, or half stepping on A pedal to achieve augmented and minor chords. There are always more than one way to skin a cat. I always have in the back of my head..."If Lloyd Green and Jimmy Day didn't have it, why do I need it."
I personally love lowering 5 and 10 on a knee lever opposite my leg that raises my Es. Those two changes activated with the A pedal gives me an instant 6 minor chord 1 fret up from the AB pedal position as 1 chord...hence not requiring a shift to BC pedal position for 6 minor chord. Very smooth and used all of the time.
I raise string 1 whole, 2 half, 7 half with my vertical.
Happy hunting! |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 13 Aug 2018 6:09 pm
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| Quote: |
| Now, the vertical lever is just lowering the 6th string from G# to F# and is split with the B pedal so I can get a tuneable G natural. |
If I didn't have that change opposite the E=>Eb lower (my E-lower is on RKL, G#=>F# is on LKR), I would definitely trade off string 5/10 B=>Bb lower for it. I consider that 6th string whole-tone lower (split with B-pedal) one of my essential lever changes.
But I do use 5/10 B=>Bb lower on LKV a lot, both singly and split with the A pedal. I guess my Mullen is set up almost exactly like yours was initially, with string 1/2 whole/half raises and 6 whole lower on LKR, and B=>Bb changes on LKV. The only thing I see different is that my RKR has the usual 2nd string whole-tone lower (w/ feel-stop), 9th-string half-tone lower, PLUS a 7th string whole-tone raise. Sort of the Bobbe Seymour Z-lever, if I recall correctly. Not only does it present interesting changes, but it also helps stiffen up the half-tone feel-stop on string 2.
Oh, I guess there is one more difference on that Mullen - there's a LKR2 that raises F#=>G. The most obvious thing it gives is a 6=>b7 raise with A and B pedals down, i.e., in A6 tuning. That guitar has 4 pedals and 6 levers - the 0 pedal is Franklin whole-tone lowers on 5/6/10 - the guitar is chock full of useful changes.
So, at least for me, I guess I "can have it all", or at least everything I'd probably ever want on an E9 guitar, on one guitar. And thus if I can't get a particular sound I want, I definitely can't blame the guitar.   |
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Steve Leal
From:
Orange CA, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2018 8:44 am
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What I miss about having the G# to F# drop on the vertical is this movement:
3 frets up from open position, playing E half step raise with A pedal (strings 4 5 6)
Then move bar down a half step and ADD G# lower with B pedal
Then move bar down another half step down with same 4 changes together.
Finally move bar down another half step and just push A B pedals for 4 chord position.
Very Tom Brumley sounding move. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 14 Aug 2018 10:35 am
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I have 'verticals' but I dislike the movement required to work them. I therefore assign my least-used changes to this lever.
On my Encore it's raising 1,2 and 7. Nice enough but far from essential to me. On my Emmons it's raising the 6th from G# to B - this last one is not going to survive. I thought it a good idea at the time but It's proved of little value to me.
I'm open to suggestions! Tyler Hall, are you there? 
(PS: I have the 1,2,7 raise on LKL2 on the Emmons.)
_________________
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 14 Aug 2018 1:17 pm
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I tried it for a while, b0b, but it didn't 'take' for me. I had Ralph M's licks in mind but, in the end, found it unnatural and unsatisfactory.
I may go back to raising the 6th to A#.
_________________
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2018 1:09 am
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| Quote: |
I raise the 4th string a whole step on LKV. Always have.
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I like what my LKV does (5th string lower to Bb). But, I always seem to be looking for that fourth string whole step Bob. I'd like it independent of the C pedal raise with the 5th string too. |
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