What is the pedal steel with the quickest set up/take down

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

You know it Kevin!

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

For those asking about the worst guitar to set up and tear down.
Old MSA Classics with the 2 bolts that go through the front legs with wing nuts, Or any guitar with wing nuts to attach the pedal bar.
Setting up on stage. The dang Gremlin that lives under the stage, Wants a wing nut. When I first gigged my MSA Classic I bought 6 extra wing nuts, 3 went in my seat and 3 went into the case. If I was setting up and a wing nut got away loose on the stage, I just pulled out a spare and set up the guitar, Sometimes I found the loose one, Sometimes did not.
Boy Scout Motto. "Be Prepared"

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bobby, do you still play that old MSA?

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I suggest getting 2 steels that are the same. One for set up for practice and one packed and ready to go out the door. This also gives you redundancy that can save you if you have any problems .

For throw and go stage gigs I can set up within 10 minutes in dark if I need to. I pull my gear off the stage to pack up and can often have my part of the stage clear for the next guy within minutes. It’s a part of working players decorum.
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Bob

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I finally got round to timing how long it takes me to erect and demolish my Excel uni (8 pedals). I did it purposefully but without haste, at the same sort of speed I'd achieve chatting to the drummer while he sets his kit up (for the purpose of this experiment substitute my wife doing the ironing).

The results:

2'40" to pitch it, 1'40" to strike it.

What speeds it up is that the pedal rack is very quick to attach. What slows it down is that the numbers on the pedal rods are hard to read, being stamped (incredibly neatly) into the jam nuts on the connectors. Bits of tape would look naff, and colour-coding is no good as I often have to set up under coloured lights. I think I might try numbering them in binary with dots of black and white paint, 1-1000, although I'd leave eight blank and just number the first seven 1-111
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Andrew Goulet · Posted 22 Dec 2021 9:42 am

I've timed myself on my 3x4 Marlen and without rushing I can set up in just under 5 minutes.

Good advice from Bob about moving your stuff offstage to pack up. I'm usually offstage in 2 minutes to let the next person get ready. Now let's talk about rooms with no backstage and having to break down in the middle of the audience...
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club

Andrew Goulet · Posted 22 Dec 2021 9:47 am

Also, I always help the drummer if I'm done first. They've got a lot of stuff!

Some people don't seem to understand the time it takes to set up, tune, adjust, etc... More than once I've had a band start before I've even touched the strings.
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

They're obviously not scared of you, Andrew. You need to work on that Smile

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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Andrew Goulet · Posted 22 Dec 2021 4:49 pm

Ian, I can't tell you how many times I've politely dropped oblique hints that I might be a tough guy, but it just doesn't seem to be getting through... Smile

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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Roy McKinney · From: Ontario, OR

the fastest setup I ever had was my double neck 4 pedal 8 string Multi_Chord.
Very Happy

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Here is answers to a couple questions some have asked.

FRANK FRENIERE, You need a vehicle that has a way to secure the guitar. My PT Cruiser back area was a fit with about 2 inches of space around it. My pickup had a topper, I had a 2X4 clamped to the bed sides and use Bungie Chords to secure the guitar. The 4Runer I now have, I installed a load securing bar, In the back cover indents. Well padded the bar, Guitar secured with Bungie chords. I just pick the guitar up by both ends, Tilt the guitar, Set the back legs in the vehicle carefully, Then tilt the guitar forward till the front legs touch. No case 20 lb. less to handle.

DONNY HINSON, The MSA S10 Classic is now in Southern Illinois with a new young owner.

Ron Funk · From: Ballwin, Missouri

PSG Set-Up Time can be reduced by having an indicator of some sort on the bottom of the tips of your steel's two Front Legs.
I put a small dab of white paint on the very bottom of the tips of the two Front Legs.
Then when packing up, I always make sure that the two front legs are put into the 'two left slots' of my leg and pedal rod bag.
You can also use a Magic Marker to label the inside your leg bag as to where each leg goes.

Another helpful idea for quick set-up time is to have the bottom or sides of each pedal rod connector clearly marked with the corresponding Pedal Number.
That helps avoid the rarely successful "Pedal Rod Roulette."

I found some small (highly visible) adhesive numbers from Hobby Lobby, stuck them onto the side of the appropriate pedal rod connector, and then applied clear fingernail polish over each adhesive number to make sure they remain stuck onto the side of each of the Pedal Rod connectors.

I had a Boss that once told me:
"Consistency can be a good thing - 'cause if your present method isn't working, you can identify what to change."

Hope the above may help someone -
Ron

Ron Funk · From: Ballwin, Missouri

Here's a couple of other things for Emmons PP owners

Pitch those small wing nuts on your Pedal Rack and get some of these threaded all-thru "wing knobs"

Also pitch that small wing nut on your Pak-A-Seat....These all-thru threaded knobs are great.

And when installing the pedal rods, I always use a stubby flat blade screw driver to help push on this piece to avoid squished fingers

Always open to new ideas, please share yours.....

Thanks -
Ron

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

The best visible pedal rod markers are neat.
Check with any electrical supply company, Lowes or Home Depot may have them in the electric section. They are little numbered strips with a peal off back to number wires for pull through conduit to keep track of wire use on both ends.
Seen them on several steels.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I use the wire number tape method. I put them on near the top hook so the numbers are hidden from view by the front apron when assembled. Also I put clear heat shrink tubing over them so they don't dry out and get scraped of by normal use. Mine have been on since I got my Excel U12 in 2003. I also carry one of those tiny battery powered gooseneck lights orchestra guys use on their music stands and clip it to my case lid while I'm assembling my steel so I can see the numbers and where the hell to hook them in a dark environment. I can get my steel put together and on the floor between 3 and 5 minutes depending whether or not I'm drinking a beer in the process.

Graham Bland · From: Tennessee, USA

Ryan, just curious, what was your problem with your EMCI?

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

The one you carry in back of your SUV all put together. Haven’t had mine in case in years, lol
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

For many years I played a 5+5 S10 Carter.. it was probably the easiest set up and hassle free steel I personally ever had.. can't say why, but the compact case, light weight and clamp on pedal rack made it a breeze to transport/setup/breakdown and stow away... bob
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......

Graham Bland · From: Tennessee, USA

My steel guitar teacher use to carry his steel around all set up in the back of his SUV!…The setup and tear down was really short!

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I can get my Williams S12 set up in about 5 minutes and tuned in another 5 minutes...at home. On the gig - dodging other players and gear, figuring out where to plant the thing - more like at least twice that length of time.

As far as helping load in and out, I have been the PA guy, so I always help with that when I’m done packing my crap. Schmoozing with the hangers-on is just part of load-out, especially for bandleaders, who are often the PA guys. It’s just chewing gum while walking straight, and it often leads to more bookings.

13,000 views on this topic? Our priorities are.... 🤔

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

Here’s an inexpensive solution to the setting-up challenge.

Years ago, my lovely and talented “first and trophy wife” (as she likes me to introduce her) made this combination steel guitar cover and leg & pedal rod holder as a Christmas present. She used a 40’x24” black bath towel and some colorful fabric to make the leg & pedal rod sleeves.

When packing up, it takes perhaps two seconds to slide each pedal rod into its sleeve in order from 1 to 8 from right to left.
However, when setting up there is no fumbling around looking for the correct pedal rod while the stress builds up. I just put the leg & pedal rod holder/cover on my lap, and it’s zip, zip, zip, and done- no thinking required!
(The reason I sequence the pedal rods from right to left is, that with the guitar upside down in the case, the pedals are 1 to 8 from right to left. Again, no thinking required.)

The leg with the blue masking tape is the "measured height" back leg that I never adjust--because it is the exact height I prefer. I only adjust the other back leg in case of an uneven playing surface. Once again, no thinking required.
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Just to make sure the pedal rods are matched to the correct pedal, I used Wite-Out correction fluid for typing (which is really just white paint) to make a small circle for a background, a marking pen to inscribe the numbers, and clear fingernail polish to protect it--as shown below.

(By the way, there is no rust on the pedal rods or anywhere else--that is just some kind of weird reflection when I took the photo.)
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One the guitar is assembled and upright, I drape the now-empty cover over it to protect it.

- Dave

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