dual use knee levers

[Scott Howard]

Several years ago I saw a Fulawka steel at the Chattanooga show. I didn't look at it as good as I wish I had now. I remember he pulled a lever and the knee lever worked a different shaft. If you look on You Tube there is a video of How It Is Made Pedal Steel Guitar, that shows it at about 3 min and 35 seconds into it .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iO_mjS2eU8

For my guitar this woud be perfect on several knee levers. I have some movement limits and with this I can get a couple of knee levers to do universal changes and keep the overall number of pedals down and the movement needed would be possible . I have a rough idea as to how he does it , with the lever and slider between the 2 crossrods is one assembly , and slotted pieces hooked to the actual cross rods.

I also bought a Williams crossover new in 2002 or 2003. Bought for the same reason of limited movement and it was the third one made . On it all pedals and knee's are changed and work only one neck at a time and worked great . I do not want to go to that extreme.

My movement issues is the reason I started working on the guitars in the first place. I know I can't afford to pay someone to special build something for me. That has led to me modifying older, cheaper to buy guitars like my Dekley and MSA's.

Does any body else do this on there guitars ? Any pictures or drawings ? I may try and sketch something out and see what I can come up with , but any suggestions would be helpful. Scott

[Bent]

Scott, I knew only of Eddie Fulawka doing this on his guitars and he has done it for a long time. Cool to know that Fessy does it too.
Eddie uses this crossover as he calls it, on a knee that pulls a string on E9th and C6th. The theory being Why keep pulling that string on the C6th all the time when you are not using that neck all the time?
What I would like to know...Is this idea taken from the old ShoBud crossovers? They switched the whole pedal/lever set-up with the pull of a handle.
Is Eddies the same thing but only applied to one lever?

[Scott Howard]

I don't think Fessy does it. Williams changes all 5 pedals and 5 knee levers sort of like the old Sho Bud . Biggest difference is the Williams works great the Sho Bud gave tons of problems and most got converted to singles with a pad . I have a picture of the Williams somewhere.

For some reason I thought the Falawka did it on both right knee levers. It has been several years ago and I don't remember things like I should. I have some ideas but trying to keep it as simple as I can and as foolproof as possible. I would like to do at least both knee levers on the volume pedal leg. Scott

[Bent]

My slip. Of course I meant the Williams. Thanks for the info Scott

[burt]

Scott,
If there is enough room under the keyhead part of your steel, I have devised a fairly simple (although it only exists on paper) crossover mechanism.
It would require a rod going from your RKR, right down the length of the guitar, to the crossover mechanism.

I think it would be too cluttered in the RKR/RKL area to have the crossover mechanism there, it would be better to mount it remotely, under the keyhead, as there might be more room.

[Scott Howard]

There is more room on the key head end , or I should say keyless head end. I have had to move the pedals to the right side of the guitar because I have very little feeling in the left foot.
I am thinking along the line of something simular to the reversing used by Mullen . But by not turning them end to end it would not cause the linkage to reverse. I am thinking more of a T that pivots slightly to the left or right to work one cross rod or the other. I am going to try and draw it out and I will scan it and post a drawing .

[Scott Howard]

I found a good video that shows it really clear at 5 min and 35 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS16EEzN ... re=related

[Scott Howard]

Here is a rough sketch of what I am thinking of doing . Not to scale and just a idea I am working on. A thin thrust washer will be between all moving parts . I have some small rod ends I have used on the rods going back to the cross rods before. The rods going to the cross rods could go towards either end of the guitar to any available cross rod. A linkage could be used to change the knee lever but I may just reach under and flip the lever. I will figure all that out later if it works.

With the changing of the pivot point and some alteration to the mounting bracket it should also work for a reversing lever .

[Scott Howard]

I have started on the prototype. I will be going to get a few parts tomorrow and hopefully have a working model in a few days .

[Allan]

Superbly simple! Fantastic... I love it.