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Topic: To pad or not to pad? That is the question. |
Ken Boi
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 4:33 am |
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As a newer player, I bought a Stage One a couple years back. The Stage One is a single width neck. Included with my purchase, I also added the arm pad that connects by hinges so it can be removed. I have learned to play comfortably without it.
From what I see, other brand single neck PSG's either have a pad or don't, but when they do have one, the pad appears to be a permanent part of the guitar (i.e., built as part of an extended guitar neck width and not removable).
Question is whether an arm pad is considered better to use or not? Or does it actually come down to just user preference?
I ask this because of the thought someday of a new guitar purchase and I see this being one of those decision humps. |
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Edward Rhea
From:
Medford Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 4:49 am
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User preference...thanks for playing! Ha!
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“TONESNOB†|
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 6:07 am
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I find a pad nice but non essential. Some like the stability of a double frame,too. Most of the time I’m more concerned with space and weight. I’ve never found a single neck to be so wobbly that I couldn’t play it and a lot of times I like to have a smaller footprint on stage because a lot of the stages I play aren’t all that big. If I have a double frame guitar I prefer having a second neck on there. That’s why I have a ShoBud Permanent D10, but also have a keyless single 10 short scale GFI that fits in the most cramped situations including packing in a van and airplanes.
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Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 6:30 am
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Use the pad, you can use your forearm as a pivot point and frame of reference otherwise your hand just floats in the air over the strings and your arm and hand are not relaxed, plus you can miss the strings you want to hit just hovering above them.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Flamma Reverb, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblock, Telonics 15” speaker.
Phone: 971-219-8533 |
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Charley Bond
From:
Inola, OK, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 9:29 am Rest Pad for a PSG
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Here is a pic of the pad I made for my single neck Sierra.
Don Blood (forum member) makes Pads for PSGs..
It is very comfortable. It is also removable.
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Steel Guitar players are members of a Special Family |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 10:51 pm
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I agree with Zane's approach, wanting the hand lower than the strings and without a pad. And I would proli scuff my hand against a pad acting like a brake, slowing me down. The extra space and slick finish on the guitar allows for more agility in my case at least.
Still it's up to the the player and the way their hands and arms work to address playing a psg.
And yes Zane plays his ass off!
Thanks for the forum link Dave!
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ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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Ken Boi
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 19 Aug 2018 4:35 am
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I missed that forum thread. It did start a few years back. Very good thread.
So what I am seeing is that the pad is optional and a players's choice. Apparently it is not something that most players feel is a strict should or should not do item. Those that like them have good reasons to use them. Those that don't have good reasons to not use them. So I will make it a personal choice when the time comes. I just didn't want to get into bad playing form if there were to be a recommended/preferred thought regarding usage.
That said, one reason I do think they are nice is depicted by the Lloyd Green photo in that thread (page-2) where he is relaxing for a picture. The pad is a good place to rest the arms for a little relaxation break.  |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 19 Aug 2018 8:11 am
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This google search brings up even more discussions - pad or no pad site:steelguitarforum.com - some going back a long time. The issue has been prominently discussed since the inception of this forum.
As I said on the thread referenced earlier, one size doesn't fit all, at least for me. I'm tall, my legs are real long, and I found the narrow single-neck guitars I started on a real problem. So on a single-neck guitar, I prefer SD10 with a pad. But I think the bigger issue is S10 vs. SD10, not pad vs. no-pad.
I honestly wish I could get more comfortable on an S10 - there are definitely advantages to a smaller/lighter pedal steel, especially weight and stage footprint. But they don't really work for me - I've certainly tried several, but the ergonomics is just wrong for me. I can sort of eek out with a somewhat wider S12 body, and my Zum universal is just that. But smaller/narrower than that does not work.
I think it's important to try different guitars out and do one's own analysis. Unless you're in an area where there is a store with lots of steels to try, it's obviously nowhere near as easy as trying a bunch of 6-strings out. But by traveling somewhere where there are a bunch in one place - e.g., Billy Cooper's store in Virginia, Steel Guitars of Nashville in Hendrsonville TN, or Jim Palenscar's store in SoCal - or networking with other steel players in your area, it is possible to check different approaches out without resorting to buying/selling/trading a few different steels. But the latter is also an option - resale on a good used pedal steel is pretty good these days if you also buy it used. |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 10:22 am
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For years I played an LDG but as I got older and my eyes changed I went to a single body to be closer and see the top strings better!.  haven’t miss the pad the last 20 years..Larry
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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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