I suspect the knees closer to the front of the guitar are perhaps closer together than the rearward set thus allowing you to engage the rearward levers without touching the front ones.

Am I close, dead on or so far away it's laughable?

Thanks for all your help guys,

Ricky

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah

Tilting your kneelevers are importaint. When you reach for the front lever with the point of your knee and has the lever fully pressed - you`re just about to touch the back lever.

To use the back lever you slide back in you seat and avoiding the front lever when pressing the back lever.

The LKR backlever are the most difficult to use with the Crawford cluster.

Hopes this helps.

Dag

[This message was edited by Dag Wolf on 14 March 2003 at 02:35 AM.]

This is certainly the timezone cluster here this am!

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 14 March 2003 at 02:50 AM.]

The labeling of the knees is not consistent sadly.

For example, some call the lever closest to the front of the guitar 1, yet others call it 2. The same goes for "inner" and "outer".

It is like the never ending debate over the D and E levers; or X, Bb and H levers (when talking about the vertical levers).

But you are correct about the "Crawford Cluster", there are two left moving knee levers, two right moving knee levers and one vertical knee lever all in a cluster around the left knee.

There are players that have two "Crawford Clusters"; one for E9th and one for C6th making a total of 10 knee levers all for the left knee. I seem to recall that Jimmy is one of them. These guitars usually have a total of 12 knee levers considering the two for the right knee. I know of guitars with a partial "cluster" on the right knee; just no vertical.

And it is also correct that the 2nd right moving knee lever is the hardest to get used to (IMO). I attribute this to the natural angle that the left knee is usally with respect to the levers' movement.

By far the most common double arrangement is two Left knee knee levers on E9th. While it usually warps yer mind at first, it is the easiest to get used to of all the double knee levers.

Finally, it is also correct that in most cases, the forward knee is engaged using the point of the knee. Whereas the rearward lever is engaged using the side of the knee. However, this is NOT always the case. Some simply move their entire body forward or rearward to engage the appropriate lever on the side of the knee.

But most simply shift ever so slightly in their seat and catch the lever closest to the front of the guitar near the point of the knee.

My first double setup (two LKL's) drove me crazy when I first put it on about 15 yrs ago. But now it is just as easy and natural as any other lever. I now have two RKR's. Now that was a real challenge for me. I still am not 100% comfortable with it. But I am getting there little by little.

Our precious God has sooo endowed man with the ability to adjust. Praise his holy name,

(E9th)

1. Raise the E's

2. Lower the E's

3. Lower the 2nd string a whole tone with half stop and lower the 9th string a half a tone.

4. lower the 6th string a whole tone.

5. Raise 1 and 7 a half a tone.

6. Lower 5 and 10 a half a tone.

7. Raise 1 and 7 a whole tone and raise 2 a half a tone.

8. lower 5, 6 and 10 a whole tone.

9. Raise 5 a tone and a half.

10. Raise 5 a whole tone, raise 3 and 6 a half a tone, lower 9 a half a tone and lower 10 a whole tone, and compensate the F#'s (ALL on one knee lever!).

11. Lower 3 and 6 a half a tone.

(C6th)

1. Lower 3 a half a tone.

2. Raise 3 (possibly 7) a half a tone.

3. Lower 4 (possibly 8) a half a tone.

4. Raise 4 (possibly 8) a half a tone.

5. Lower 5 a whole tone.

7. lower 2 a half a tone and raise 6 a half a tone.

8. Raise 2 and 6 a half a tone.

9. Lower 2 and 6 a half a tone.

10. Lower 2 a whole tone and raise 9 a whole tone.

Now that's a bunch!!

"If'n ya need em, put dem sapsuckers on there and be happy. It is YOUR world. Live it and enjoy every single second of it."

carl

[This message was edited by C Dixon on 14 March 2003 at 09:21 AM.]

Keep ing mind 2nd string is tuned to D

LKL Front G#'s to G
LKL Rear E's to F
LKV B's to B Flat (though mine is now low G# to B)
LKR Front 2nd string D to C#
Low G# to F#
LKR Rear Originally 2nd string D to C
High F# to G#
2nd string D to E
RKL E's to D#
RKR 2nd string D to D#
9th string D to C#

Pedal 4 High B to C#
Low G# to A
(though mine is now the Franklin
4th pedal)

Pedal 9 High B to C#
Low B to BFlat
Pedal 10 High F# to G
2nd string D to E

I actally had heard of the Crawford Cluster decades ago, but hadn't had a reason to define it exactly till now.
My Sho-Bud had a RKL 2 towards the player and RKL1 towards the people out thar . ( half a cluster?) until this week.
But I thought I needed a LK for C6 more than the extra E9 RK lever for the moment. So it has migrated for the spring.

But I foresee LKR (Ab)on C6 & LKV C6 in the near future.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 02 February 2005 at 11:50 AM.]

Could you post the C6 setup on the Crawford cluster?

thx

The Crawford Cluster, even for Jimmie, only works the E9. Many players have a separate 1, 2, or 3 levers in a middle 'partial cluster', over the C6 pedals. Few C6 players use more than a LKL, LKR, and LKV, plus the two right levers doing 'double duty'.

If you'd like a great pictorial explanation, on p43 of "Pedal Steel Guitar: A Manual of Style" featuring Jimmie, John Hughey, Terry Bethel, and Weldon Myrick, JC walks you through how each lever is set up and used. Scotty sells this book, his item# is I00165 and it's $29.95 and worth twice that. An often overlooked piece of pedal steel history and theory.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 15 March 2003 at 11:05 AM.]

Thanks to everyone,

Ricky

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah

Funny thing tho, my copy reads 'A MANUAL of Style'

RIP, JC.