I'm curious as to how these levers actually change the pitch of the strings. Is the undercarriage similar to how a pedal guitar works (without the pedals)? Let's say the guitar is tuned to C6th...are the levers each factory set to the particular tunings, or are they easily changeable by the player(for example, today lever 1 is B11th, but tomorrow I may decided to make it D9th, etc)?

I've seen pictures of the "push-button" tuner guitars of yesteryear, but from what I've heard, they didn't always work very well. Magnatone even had a noisy "motorized" steel guitar called a Multimatic, with push-buttons to change the tunings.

On the Excel, if each of the six levers is it's own tuning, would he basically have a seven-neck steel guitar?!

[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 04 November 2003 at 08:49 PM.]

Go to the "More Performers" page to see the photo.
http://www.hsga.org/Joliet2003Pictures/Joliet2003PhotosMainPage.htm

There are also photos of him playing this guitar on the "Jam Sessions" photo page.

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

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

I saw Lion's guitar in Joliet up close - it uses pedal steel linkages underneath, the levers on top facilitate the changes vs. pedals.

Personally I am a LONG way from moving beyond more than 2 tunings. AND also I think it's probably better to learn how to do it manually. But a changer helps facilitate the process in a performance situation.

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon" www.book-em-danno.com

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 05 November 2003 at 11:15 AM.]

Too bad someone doesn't have a close up photo of the levers on "Lion's" guitar.

question: does it sound like a pedal, or non pedal steel?, or something in between?

[This message was edited by HowardR on 06 November 2003 at 08:32 PM.]

IMHO, it had a sweet "non-pedal" sound to it. But when he plays those fast jazzy runs it can sound pedal-like...but I think it's just due to the fact that some of those jazz licks aren't typically heard on a non-pedal guitar. It sounded great...you should have heard him play Mapuana!

It was funny...he was playing Alan Akaka's guitar one night at the Halekulani, and Alan looked down at his guitar and said, "I didn't know those notes were on my guitar!" Alan is such a great performer and musician. They played one of those sweet, slow Hawaiian duets where one guitar takes the high part and the other the low. It was absolutely beautiful!

I know this is an elementary question, but do guitars like this require any special maintenance or set up? I know very little about pedal guitars. Roger - what is involved in changing the lever tunings down at the end plate like you were mentioning (or is there another post someone could link me to that might explain the basic theory on how that type of mechanism operates)?

[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 06 November 2003 at 09:23 PM.]

Being a student of "Lion" steel school, I had a privilege of having him to share with you uniqueness and versatility of the Excel guitar.

"Lion" Sensei(teacher) has come up with an idea of making a steel to satisfy at least three purposes:

One, can be placed on top of the piano in a confined narrow stage. The use he envisioned was that he would play the piano for an intro first then switch to a steel with multi tuning function to back up a singer with his elaborate chordal arrangement.

Two, when you have a pain in the back or use a volume pedal, you would like to play sitting.

Three, on a larger setting you would be more visible when you play standing.

The undercarriage is very similar to a normal PSG with simplified changer mechanism. You can fine tune the pitch at the end plate by rotating the nylon tuner as you do on a PSG.

Much like a pedal or a knee lever, the lock lever may be set up to change the pitch of any string to your choice. The set up is to be made before playing and may not be changed instantly while you are playing, same limitation to a PSG.

You cannot play the guitar as you play a PSG:
For instance you may not invert or change a chord while you are glissing.

You may change the tuning while you are playing if you are given about two bars' time for a medium tempo song. Or you may impress the audience by finishing a song with a 7b5th chord if a guitar or a bass player takes a solo for about four bars before you come to hit the ending chord.

How many tunings? The "Lion" set up will give you 14! different tunings per below:

Copedant:

Open: (H to L) G E B A G E C A F C
Lock Lever 1(L1): C(7th string)-> C#, F(9th str)->F#
L2: A(8th str)->Bb, F(9th str)->G
L3: A(4th str)->Bb
L4: E(2nd str)->F, B(3rd str)->D
L5: E(2nd str)->F, E(6th str)->Eb
L6: B(3rd str)->C

Tunings:

1. Open(10,7,6,5,4,3,2,1): C6maj7 on F
Open(10,9,8,7,6,5,4): Fmaj9
2. Lock lever6(L6): C6 on F(same as PSG C6)
3. L6+L1: C6+A7 on A6(same as JB's)
4. L6+L1+L2: C76addb9(sounds cool!)
5. L6+L1+L2+L3: C7b9dim tension
6. L6+L2: C76(with highG)add lowG
7. L6+L2+L3: C7
8. L6+L2+L3+L4: C11(one fret above B11)
9. L6+L2+L3+L4+L5: Cm11
10.L6+L3+L4+L5: F13(one fret above E13)
11.L6+L5: F9(one fret above E9)
12.L5: F13-5
13.L2: C6addmaj7(omit 8th string)
14.L1+L2: (8,7,6,5,3)Extension of "Leavitt"

Excel's price in Japan for the S10 with 6 lock lever is Yen260,000(about $2370) in total, or broken down to Yen160,000 for S10(with case and legs), Yen40,000 for changer assembly, and Yen10,000 per 1 lock lever. It would take a month for delivery in Japan.

FYI, Kiyoshi"Lion"Kobayashi is not only a great steel guitarist, lap and pedal, but he plays piano profesionally and teaches ukulele as well. Oh, he howls nightly while playing piano claiming that he sings.
Jack Isomura
Yokohama, Japan

[This message was edited by Jackiso on 08 November 2003 at 09:53 PM.]

Thank you very much Jack for that detailed description! You've answered all my questions and then some!

It must have been a pleasure to study under Lion. I'd like to hear him on piano someday, too.

Arigatou for your time and help!

Tuning1(LtoH:CFACEGABEG): Open is hardly used. L6 raising B to C is normally kept engaged.

T2(CFACEGACEG): Strings 8-1 give you variety of C6-based chords. Strings 9/6/4 make Fmaj7, 8/5/3: Am7

T3(CF#AC#EGACEG):L6+L1 give JB's C6/A7. Strings 10/6-1 give you C6. Also,9-6:A6. 8-4:A7, 9/6/4:F#m7(=A6), 9/6/3: D9orF#m7b5, 7/5/3:A7#9orEb7. With slant technique applied on this tuning, forward, reverse, split, hockey-stick etc, you have numerous chord possibility of 7th, 9th, 13th, dim, or aug.

T4(CGBbC#EGACEG):Equates C76 and C6/A7 put together. Very convenient and versatile. e.g. THE MOON OF MANAKOOLA was played by JB on C6/A7 and by "Lion" on this tuning(less both G's).

T5(CGBbC#EGBbCEG):Strings 10-6 offer C7b9 with the 3rd string C giving diminish tension.

T6(CGBbCEGACEG):Strings 10-1 provide C76 with high&low G's added. "Lion"'s favorite beside T2.

T7(CGBbCEGBbCEG):Strings 10-1 give C7. JB(with Danny Kauaana) has a fantastic recording of KAULANA O HILO HANAKAI on his C7(CEGBbCE).

T8(CGBbCEGBbDFG):Strings 10-2 make C11. SAND or HOW D'YA DO by Jules Ah See on B11 tuning(Hawaiian) may be played on this tuning but with due attention paid to the one-half step difference.

T9(CGBbCEbGBbDFG):Cm11. Very effective to songs like LAULA, AUTUMN IN NY, EARLY AUTUMN where maj7, m9, maj9 chords are frequented.

T10(CFACEbGADFG):Strings 9-2 make F13, one-half step higher than E13(Hawaiian). You may not apply vibrato to an F chord at the lower position, a limitation to an F-keyed song.
Advantage is that when L3 is on to raise A to Bb, you may get another F13(CFACEbGBbDFG)
and strings 10-3 give a tuning 2 frets lower than G13(DGBDFACE) which was used by Jules to play legendary MANUELA BOY. Also strings 5-1 offer Bb6 or Gm7 for convenient use.

T11(CFACEbGACFG): Strings 9-2 give F9, one half step above E9. When a melody line runs
like 3-5-1 or 1-5-3, such as BLUE HAWAII, TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME KUUIPO, you can play it beatifully on this tuning.

T12(CFACEbGABFG):Strings 9-2 make F9b5. Great sound for ending. Give a 4 bars' solo to the Bass before you come to play ending, engage L5 and strum the ending chord. Big applause!

T13(CGBbCEGABEG): Cmaj7add6(Omit 8th string). Jules often used this tuning on Hawaii Calls recordings for intros or endings(1-3-5-7-6-3), or for HIILAWE(key of C).

T14(CGBbC#EGABEG):Strings 8-3 give you "Leavitt Tuning" (C#EGBbCD)tuned down by 1.5steps. With another 4 strings added to the "Leavitt Tuning" you may get Cmaj7, C7, A7, A9 etc. in open. "Lion" played LOVELY HULA GIRL in his second CD on Extended Leavitt tuning(for 8 string)with D(8th str)
and A(7th str) added. UNFORGETTABLE was played on CBbC#EGABE inspired by Alan Akaka's rendition and it was very effective.
Be careful however not to pick a wrong string. It would sound awful if you pick strings 7/5/2 instead of 7/5/3, or 7/4/2 instead of 6/4/2. This tuning is as dangerous as running around a minefield on a Toyota Lexus.

Hope above be of some help to my fellow inquisitive souls.

Jack Isomura
Yokohama, Japan

[This message was edited by Jackiso on 20 November 2003 at 06:54 PM.]