Alternate use for the Franklin pedal

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

I have the 5&10 whole tone lower on a pedal, with the 6 lower on KL to complete the Franklin pulls. I find that I hardly use the 5&10 lower, and I’m considering other options for that pedal. What do you have that you find usable?

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

You'll maybe get several different answers, but my first choice for an extra pedal (my P4) is to lower 6 and 9 a half-step.

Years ago, I'd have advocated the 'Isaacs change' (raising 6 and 5 to A and C#, and leaving the 10th strings as B for the 4/5 chord) but I now achieve the same thing by cancelling out the 10th raise with RKR. (My RKR lowers the 2nd in the usual way, the 9th to C#, and the 10th to A; with the A pedal engaged, it's split-tuned to give me that B note).

Bryce Van Parys · From: Washington, USA

I rigged mine to pull up a C6 from string 4-9. I find it useful for the few songs I use that on: Walkin After Midnight, steel guitar rag, sleepwalk.... But it is handy to transfer my lap steel practice straight over without having to skip strings or carry a double
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Bryce

Double bass, Mike Lull V4, G&L SB2 electric bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, Martin D18GE,

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

Hi Roger,

I have tried a lot of changes on my zero pedal which is located next to my A pedal. The change I like the most is raising string 6 a whole step from G# to A#.

Two of my favorite players use this change (Doug Livingston and Cowboy Eddie Long).

This needs to be next to A pedal to get it’s full functionality.

Thanks,
Stephen

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Steve

My 4th pedal (next to my A pedal) is as I described above. I lower 9,6 and 3 a half step each.

I missed the 6th raise to A# so much that I now have it on LKV!
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

Hi Roger,

It definitely comes in handy to grab that A#. I never tried it on a vertical. How do you like the feel of it there?

I really like the G# to G change on string 3 and 6 also, but don’t currently have that on my setup. Very useful as well on lever or pedal.

I also like String 4 E to F# raise. So many good choices.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I don't love verticals but, choosing between the '9,6,3 lower' and the G# to A# raise, I found the former slightly more useful. It's therefore on pedal 4.

I recently broke with a long-held principle - don't install a pull until it looks like sound musical common sense to me! Along with raising the 6th to G#, I also added raising the 4th to F# on that vertical. The reason? Gary Carter does it. I had the rod available and I wanted to see how it would work. So far, though, all I see is getting an F# major with pedals down (0 fret). Just raising the 6th gives an F#7.

I don't think it'll stay for long. I believe GC has the change on LKL2 or LKR2 - not sure, but the magic has yet to reveal itself to me. Smile

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

Roger R,

I wonder if Gary uses those two raises for separate string groups. Interesting.

Do you lower your Bs on a lever or pedal? I lower mine on vertical. I still find this change more useful than any other for vertical. Especially since I only play a singe neck guitar.

I also raise 1,2,7 on a lever. Hard for me to do away with this change.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Lowering the Bs is, for me, a vital change (split with the A pedal, of course). Therefore I have always had it on RKL.

I also raise 1,2 and 7! I have the on LKL1 and I lower the Es on LKL2. LKR raises the Es and my RKR lowers 2,9 and 10 (the 10th down to A). RKR and my B pedal give me a lovely fat low A major.

That 10th lower on have split tuned to negate the B to C# on string 10: so, with pedals down and RKR, I get a nice 4/5 chord.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

PS: I'm sure Gary has nothing redundant on his guitar. It's my feeble mind that hasn't yet figured it out.

You could be right; I've been looking to use both raises together.

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

My 5 and 10 strings have split screws working limiting to 1/2 step lower, so I wouldn’t be able to lower my 10 a whole tone as it is currently set up. But that is a cool idea! I’ll try it sometime!

Your setup looks great!

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Steve:

I too had that issue on string 5. There's so much going on with that string and if, like me, your guitar has limited 'lower' holes in the changer (Emmons have 3-up/2-down), your options are limited.

I don't quite know how this works, okay?

Back in 2018, I spent some time at Junior Mercer's place in Sevierville. He checked over my guitar and I said I'd been thinking of the Franklin change but I couldn't try it because of my need for that B to Bb to be precise. That means, as you say, adjusting the split-tuning screw to prevent the string going below that note.

It was only later that I came to appreciate what he'd done. Russ Wever (another accomplished tech and all-around good guy) was at my place this Summer and, although I'd already rejected the Franklin pedal for my purposes (I know better heads than mine put it to effective use), I was once again liking the idea of just lowering 5 to an A. That's when we discovered Junior's handiwork! Using a spare 'raise' hole, an extra rod somehow enabled both the drop to A and the exact B to Bb. I had taken off the FP but Junior's rod was still there. Russ taught me how to tune it and it worked.

Again, I soon rejected it for my own needs, but someone on here will know how it's accomplished.

NB: In the case of the 10th string, I so rarely use that B to Bb (mostly it's the higher string) that the split-screw is wide open and does permit the drop to A. I'm amazed tha, maybe by a happy accident, the B/Bb is still pretty accurate on the 10th.

I just love the sound of that A major (10,9, 8, 6: A, C#, E,A)) with RKR and the B pedal! I know I'm getting a new 12-string D13th guitar but I sometimes wonder if a loaded Ext E9 (12) is my destiny. Smile

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