C6th ? just for interest.....

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

What would be the first knee lever you would fit to your C6th neck and Why??? Also what would be the next most important one after that??

[Tony Russell Davis]

The KL usually listed as "standard" is 3rd string C lowered to B. That gives a useful minor, I have it on RKL.
The next one I would recommend is to raise the same string to C#. This gives a 10 string 7th (I have G on top) when combined with (standard) pedal 8. On my guitar it's RKR.
For interest, my other two (central levers) on C6th are CKL raises both As (the 6ths) to Bb, making a C7th but mostly used for single note passages rather than in chords. The other (CKR) is a "reverse" pedal 6 (lowers 2nd E to Eb and raises 6th E to F. i.e. the opposite functions to pedal 6). Not often used.
Pedals 5, 6, 7 and 8 are all used pretty often but the one change hardly ever used is pedal 4 which raises both A's to B. Since pedal 7 also raises A's to B (admittedly with other changes too) I hardly ever seem to find a need for pedal 4; also it's quite a shift from the "home" position of the foot (in my case, over 6 and 7).
Maybe 4 needs to be an E9th pedal and put the A's change on a vertical.

[Will C]

but the one change hardly ever used is pedal 4 which raises both A's to B.

That's one reason why a U12 works as well as it does, particularly if it is set up Day style, as it is right there on pedal 3 if you need it.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Good answer cousin Tony, though coming at it, as I am from musical ignorance I put it the other way around and would raise the third as my first lever then it would be a toss up between lowering the third or the 4th both equally important to me. I have a D on top don't know if that makes a diff.
I had a dear friend in Cyril Lewis he was the only one to show me anything on the C6th and in me trying to find basic chords up the neck in the same way as finding them on the E9th and for the first 20 years only had two G chords below the 12th fret,......3rd fret open 10th pedals down! what a find to discover G on the 6th with a pedal and lever, it opened so many doors for me with chords and melody.
I had the same feeling when Cyril showed me another major chord on the C6th with one pedal and the 3rd lever raised, now I had 3 major positions on the C6th to mess with.
It is hard work to play by ear and play parrot fashion from memory as I try to do but could never absorb the theory and chord structure and how I envy those that can.

[Tony Russell Davis]

I really think the C6th needs both the lower and raise of the 3rd. Certainly the raise on it's own gives a very understandable major chord in the upper range but the lower opens up a load of single note runs as well as some passing chords.

[mick hearn]

Rather timely. I have just set up my ShoBud for C6 a la Jimmy Day so have 3rd string raise and lower on the right. On the other side I have Buddys moves. My E9 pedals 1,2 and 3 are now C6 5,6,and 7. Have started experimenting to see what I can find.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Mick, you gotta have the Bah-room pedal I may have a few bits..... this is going to turn you into a C6th monster player I reckon.

[mick hearn]

Yes John gonna have to keep my eyes open for another two ShoBud pedals and connecting rods. Apparently this guitar started life as the 6139 C6 pedal steel so would like to get it back to it's original condition.

The one thing I have discovered in playing round on the pedals is that I already do a lot of these moves from bar twisting. The only problem with that is the fact that you can only get a maximum of three notes in a slant whereas with the pedals would allow bigger chords. But - are they really necessary. When you listen to Buddy he plays a lot of single notes and drops in a big chord somewhere along the line every now and then, and then I suppose it is easier for chord appegios'.

I was looking at some youtube lessons on single note 2/5/1 progressions and pedals are in use just to drop one note. I thought "Hang on a minute - I already do this by dropping the bar back a fret - why have a pedal?" The answer is of course the chords, plus I am so used to doing things my way. Then the problems start. My version of Nightlife was unique in so much as I did it my way solely for lap steel. Now that I have pedals, will people be expecting me to do the Buddy version? I hope not cos I will continue to do it my way.

Then another thought crossed my mind. I miss some of the E9 moves so why not reconfigure to give me C6 and with added E9 moves through pedals on the same tuning. Gonna have to write it down on paper first to give it a look.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

I have a few pedal rods and some other bits don't think I have any Bud pedals

[Danny Mitchell]

Wow, Mick That's some can of worms you're opening there.
Good luck with the work, and I, very much, look forward to hearing you picking on that restored/tweaked C6 Sho-Bud