The British Steelies Society

I've noticed that David Hartley (among others, I'm sure) lowers his E's on the RKL, and wondered whether it might be worth a try?
What are the pros and cons?

I have mine on the right knee too, possibly for different reasons - Jeff Newman recommended it for a U12 so I tried it, found it worked for me, so I kept it.

i've got my raise E on LKL and lower on RKL, by circumstance rather than choice, but it does allow me to go smoothly from F to Eb (and the other way round) which I really like.

My current axe was setup that way when I bought her, so I've left it like that on advice from David .
Pros are. as far as I can see anyway: You can perform licks or phrases that may require you to roll off the B pedal and keep A down, Or Off C and Keep B down, while keeping your E's lowered. If you lower with the left knee, that becomes a little more difficult-not immpossible, just difficult. Also, you get a much smoother transaction going from F to Eb position. witht them on the same knee, there's always going to be a slight stop in between, however quick you are (I think anyway)

Cons: When rolling off A-B to B-Eb, there's a natural tendency for your knee to roll to the right. And, If you've been playing that way, there's the transition period of unlearning how you used to do things. luckily, I had only been playing around a year when I swapped, so It wasn't too much of a headache- eventually!
This, off course is only my opinion. doubtless others wil dissagree entirely, as I would expect from an open forum. That kind of the point, I think.
Regards
Jason

I Have lowerd knee onright on all my stees it seems natural to me

Back in the 70s I used to lower E to E flat right knee going left, and E to F left knee going right.
I have at home a two-hour seminar of the big E at the Newbury steel Festival on video.
In it he states that he lowers and raises his E's on the same knee, as it's a waste of a knee if you have the E's on separate knees, as you can't raise and lower the E's at the same time.
Now I use the right knee going left to lower my six string.

There's a good reason to have the E's on the left lever with push-pull and pull-release steels, as the slack that is necessary in the raise lever means the lever moves in its opposite direction when the lower lever is activated.

But guess what, the raise lever can still be quite close to the left leg, because when the left leg is busy operating the lowering E lever, a space is vacated for the raise lever 'slack' to occupy

Hi Kev. David also has 5 on the floor and his very own E9th co-pedent, so the position of the E raise and lower levers may be subject to many other factors that aren't so valid on a 3+4 E9th setup. Anybody else reading this;- remember that we're talking 10 string E9th - a 12string, extended E9th or Universal, has a different set of considerations because of different notes in the tuning.
Here are my personal thoughts, bearing in mind that many guitarists have their pet changes or placements. For example; I raise both G#s on RKR: I gather this is considered the wrong direction by most . But I find it mentally comfortable to "raise outwards, lower inwards" (on both knees - "ABC" setup, so I raise "Es" on LKL). It's because I have to work out "left & right" it doesn't come to me naturally, it's a dislexic thing .
I used to have very firm views about "E" raise and lower knee-lever placement and one of my Rusty Levers articles was about that very subject. I still think it's worth consideration but must concede that certain mechanical and stylistic developments since those days make it more of a moot point now. For instance, back then it was unusual to have more than four KLs (maybe plus one vertical, making 5). The Crawford cluster was around or developing, I guess, but not really known over here and besides, not many could cope with 10 KLs! My article was aimed at ordinary guys playing ordinary guitars. There was also a (fond!) hope of standardising the setup in those days and BE was considered the one to follow.
My argument was simple and is echoed by what Slimbo said above. You can't raise and lower the E's at the same time. That means; if you put them on different knees, once you engage one "E change" you have one less additional change available on the other knee. So, put them both on the same knee (doesn't matter which, but I proposed logical and ergonomic reasons to choose the left) and you maximise the changes at your disposal. I would need to have a good reason - some outstanding lick or better comfort - to have placed them somewhere else.
Phew - now to duck behind the parapet T.
PS - one of my friends has an "ABC" setup but lowers Es on LKL, raises them on LKR. If you're looking for awkward movements, think about that one!

I HAVE RKR RAISE THE E STRINGS AND RKL LOWER THE E STRINGS.