Recently I've noticed that the sustain of this guitar
was way too much . There was too much sustain.
I tried adjusting the height of the pickups,
etc. to no avail. The sustain was almost microphonic.
It's was too hard to control. I had to set the volume
on the guitar at 1 or it was incredibly loud and the
sustain lasted forever. I had to keep
the volume of my amp (Fender '65 Twin reissue) at 2.

Last night I tried an experiment. I attached the strings
to the tailpiece. This resulted in a much nicer sound. Easier
to control sustain, more even response from all strings. The
guitar now sounds more like my post war Bakelite Rick.

Still excellent sustain but much easier to control.

Maybe Rickenbacker went to the tailpiece design Post
WWII for a reason. Maybe the Bakelite Post War tailpiece is not
an inferior design.

Crazy aint it?

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 17 April 2002 at 01:07 PM.]

NIGEL:
I mean it's just...it's quite unbelievable. This o- this one
is just ah...is perfect...1959...ah...you know, it just, you
can uh...listen!

MARTY:
How much does this....

NIGEL:
Just listen for a minute....

MARTY:
I'm not....

NIGEL:
The sustain...listen to it...

MARTY:
I'm not hearing anything.

NIGEL:
You would, though, if it were playing, because it really...
it's famous for its sustain...I mean, you could, just hold
it....

MARTY:
Well I mean so you don't....

NIGEL:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa.... You could go and have a bite an'...aaaaaaaaa...you'd
still be hearin' that one. Could you hold this a sec'?

MARTY:
Sure.

1 neck thru the body; 1 neck...tailpiece

Melody strings thru the body; Harmony strings... tailpiece

Harmony strings thru the body: Melody strings... tailpiece

1 neck - Melody strings thru the body: Harmony strings ... Tailpiece

1 neck - Harmony strings thru the body: Melody srings ... tailpiece

1. Tailpiece attachment.
2. Through body attachment.
3. Pickup height adjustment.

And Leo Fender thought he was so cool when he came up with the Stringmaster pickup blend wheel...

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

Don't knock it, you can block it.

I suppose you would want infinite sustain if you were playing, say, Chicago style Blues leads or David Lindley style steel. But for more melodic styles you would want some control over the amount of sustain and would like a natural decay (almost acoustic?) to the notes.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 18 April 2002 at 09:54 AM.]

Most of the Hawaiian players I've seen at both the Aloha International and The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association (HSGA) conventions do not use volume pedals and they typically use Stringmasters, Bakelites, Excel's etc through Fender amps.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

PS regarding volume pedals - I have one (an Ernie Ball) I use with my Stringmaster sometimes, but playing lap steel (on the lap) it doesn't work out real well to be pushing a volume pedal while holding a guitar on my lap.

I don't always have my foot on it...but it is there when I need it.

I highly recommend the Hilton pedals...I always used Goodrich (both active and passive) and the Hilton is far superior...You do have to plug it in though.

You can adjust (with a turn of a screw) where in the sweep the volume comes in... You can control the output.... the sweep is "pure delight" .... If you want total CONTROL over your volume ... try this one.

Keith H. is a great guy to deal with...He built mine to "come on in reverse"... I get a much smoother sweep and more fine motor control...so if y'all are not "pre-conditioned" to the regular pedal already (or never got the hang of it)..try it in reverse. (His are more expensive ... if you got a Goodrich or Ball you can just wind the string in the opposite direction... if you want to try it out).

Yes JB has his in reverse....No, I'm not tryin' to sound like him....

Just muscle physiology in action...... Place your foot flat on the ground and then slowly raise it... smooth not jerky. Now try the other way...have your foot up and slowly bring it down... more jerky and less in control ????

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 18 April 2002 at 12:56 PM.]

"Most of the Hawaiian players I've seen at both the Aloha International and The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association (HSGA) conventions do not use volume pedals and they typically use Stringmasters, Bakelites, Excel's etc through Fender amps."

Very good point Gerald and soooo true. It would appear to many (especially the new steel players) that a volume pedal is an absolute must. But many, many great steel players never used a volume pedal.

Further, for many the use of the volume pedal is NOT what is sometimes felt. In other words--the art of picking with NO volume and then pumping the volume is just ONE facet of using it.

Jerry Byrd has often said he wants to HEAR the strings picked, and only use the volume pedal to keep the strings sounding. I must go along with this.

In fact, some of the best advice one could give a new player is to ocassionally NOT use the volume pedal at all, and learn to control unwanted sounds with the bar and right hand.

Good practice doing this makes a player better. Plus, there is a great deal that can be done without a volume pedal in controlling sustain just by the way one picks and controls the bar. Jerry Byrd is the worlds greatest at this. He has perfected a subtle form of blocking that almost defies logic.

Here is just one example: On his infamous "HI FI Guitar" album he does an almost impossible thing on his rendition of "The One Rose".

He is picking on strings 1 and 2 and he is sliding down several frets with sustaining notes. His next picked strings are on strings 2 and 3. To the listener, one would swear he stayed on the SAME strings as he changed grips from 1 and 2 to 2 and 3 while the strings STILL were sustaining.

But he didn't. It was his subtle and superb form of blocking that gives this natural and melodic musical flow. And it is NOT done with the volume pedal. He does it with his right hand mostly, with some left hand control. It is one of the MOST difficult forms of blocking there is. Yet he does it flawlessly, and often. In fact, I believe it is one of the MOST contributing factors that made him the player that he is.

My point is; a volume pedal, while seeming an absolute neccesity does not compute when one takes into account many of the greatest steel players down through the ages.

God bless those great players and to JB--my utmost respect and love for what he has brought to us,

quote:

---

Jerry Byrd has often said he wants to HEAR the strings picked, and only use the volume pedal to keep the strings sounding. I must go along with this.

---

Another reason I love the Hilton. Like I said earlier...you can control WHERE the volume comes in at in the sweep. I set mine so that the "off position" is the volume I want my PICKED NOTE at ..... then the remainder of the sweep is used for "bringin' the note to life". Half the time my foot ain't even on it....just have the VP on the "off position".

I'm simple... I want one thing to control my volume...I choose the VP ... I keep the steel's volume control wide open (lately I've been bypassin' the pots on my guitars all together, usin' the VP for volume and an EQ to set the tone)...and I like to keep my Twin's volume at its "sweet" spot .... usually around 6-8.

You must be deaf man!

That is the beauty of the pedal .... you can have the amp's tubes glowin' and still have the volume where you need it. Of course when my baby's sleepin' , I use the Moviola.

I have an Ernie Ball Pedal (my first VP). The adjustments are possible....there is a "sleeve" that fits over the pots "arm". I originally did mine by takin' the string off...removin' the sleeve .... findin' the exact spot (volume) where I want the "OFF" position to be .... Trial and Error with the guitar and amp pluged in.... then puttin' the sleeve back on .... and rewindin' the string (either the original direction - or in the opposite direction if you want to try it in reverse). If you pay close attention to the way its wound and the position of the hex nut BEFORE dis-assemblying you will save yourself some frustration.

In my opinion, havin' the VP's OFF position set at the lowest volume you want your picked note to be at...you get the sound and feel of the "non-VP" users with the added flexibility of being able to add volume where desired.... plus you never get caught up in that "volume pumping" that many beginners seem to do.

If you want that "violin effect" (I don't), you can always back off on the guitar volume pot...reducing the "come on" volume of the pedal....Best of all worlds if you ask me.

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 19 April 2002 at 09:07 AM.]