Some say that Pete Drake originated it. I recall a conversation with Lloyd Green where he explained he was the first.

To clairfy the history of this pedal, I requested that Lloyd tell the story here.

Here it is:

quote:

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"Here is, once again, the story of how I discovered the E to F knee lever.

One morning in August, 1967 I received a call from David Jackson at Sho-Bud. He excitedly told me to get down there as quickly as possible, that Pete Drake had dreamed (literally) a new pedal change the night before and they had just installed it. It was a must have pedal change!

I was there in a few hours and David showed me the change which he had already put on a "house" steel. Now, here was Pete's dream pedal.

Assume you are in the key of G. You press the A & B pedals then a new knee lever would pull the E string (4th) a whole tone and the B string (5th)  a half tone. Actually, you have now pulled the 5th string a full

1 1/2 tones  in addition to the whole tone pull of the 4th string. This made the pedal really stiff. If you have done this, and slide to the 5th fret....you have a G chord (strings 3, 4, 5 & 6).

I immediately realized I could do the same change  by  merely raising the E's to F and using only my A pedal, and sliding one fret higher. David was disbelieving until I proved it to him. Before I left Sho-Bud that morning I had my new pedal, Pete had his and David Jackson was a believer.

Within a few days Pete had cut a song with Tammy Wynette, "I Don't Wanna Play House" using his new pedal, and the very next day, August 29, 1967 I recorded  D-I-V-O-R-C-E with Tammy with my new pedal. Both songs went to #1 in the charts, Pete's in  1967, mine in May, 1968.

I suppose the E to F became the pedal of choice since it is a much simpler and more logical way to play  major chord  triad 3rds above the starting key. In any event, Pete was still using his pedal a few years later in 1972 when he recorded  with Don Gibson on Hickory Records, "Woman (Sensuous Woman)". Hell, that one went to #1, too!

Had I not sensed the easier way to achieve this change I'm certain we would all today have Pete's pedal change instead. But the word spread rapidly about this new pedal I was using and within days most of the steel players in Nashville were coming by my sessions to see what this thing did. After D-I-V-O-R-C-E became a big hit the pedal became part of the language for most steel players around the world and was integrated into the E9th configuration.

This is a very condensed version of the events that occurred but are truthful and accurate.

Regards,

Lloyd Green

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Thanks for your time, Lloyd.

Drew

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The Saltines

I am not surprised that Lloyd had this epiphany, he is a very inteligent man.

Thanks Joey and, of course, thanks, Loyd for sharing this with us!

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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[This message was edited by Walter Stettner on 25 March 2004 at 01:40 PM.]

Whoever found it first -- THANKS

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

quote:

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i can't imagine him not immediately seeing the e-f possibility the minute he split the pedals.

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quote:

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I never understood why it wasn't the first knee lever put on a steel guitar. It seemed as obvious to me then, as a beginner, as it does today.

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Thank you, thank you, for saying that....
I've thought the same thing for years.

Having said that, I can't contribute anything to the conversation about which
steel player invented the major triad, so carry on...

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

He had it on a lever, and he liked it so much, that he also had it on a pedal as well, just in case one or other broke on the job.

I've been emulating Norfolk's work with Giggs lately.

-John

[This message was edited by John Steele on 21 January 2006 at 12:23 AM.]

but the question for me is :
did the F lever as it is commonly used today
get invented by Lloyd.
I still think this is the case.
A pedal won't be used in the same way.

I don't have my manual of style handy :
Was the F pedal for Crawford put on Pedal 0
so it could be used with pedal A?

And Bill, it's great to see you posting today!

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 21 January 2006 at 06:12 AM.]

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

While researching songs for Martina's "Timeless" CD, we listened before each session day to various recordings from the 40's, 50's and 60,s of the songs for that day. Much to my surprise I heard recordings using the E to F change in combination with the A pedal on several records that preceded both Lloyd's and Pete's session career. I suspect either Crawford, Day, Emmons, Haynes, or Garrett was the player(s) using this change for inverting major triads instead of slanting the bar at that poaition.

Whether the change is on a lever or the first pedal next to A it makes no difference in its use.

Lloyd should always be remembered as the guy who made it very visible through a signature lick. And Pete as the one who got the wheels spinning.

As for me, I learned about that change through Hal and Weldon's recordings. Check out Weldon's mastery on Bill Andersons recording of "3AM" which I believe was the flip side of his hit "Still".

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

"Still", backed with "You Made It Easy", Decca 31458, was released in '63.

"Three A.M.", backed with "In Case You Ever Change Your Mind", Decca 31681, was released in '64.

quote:

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The same thing happened in the 90's with the hits that used the F# to G# change. Almost always it has taken a hit signature lick focusing in on the bending sound of a specific change to advance the pedal standards within our instrument.

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The ensuing clamor that took place after Lloyd's pronounced usage of the E to F change, is an amplification of his mastery of the steel guitar. More information would be welcomed, particularly when referencing which of the two E to F changes were in use that presumingly predated Lloyd's changes. The unwound 4th and wound 8th string picked in unison, or individually should be considered.

Bill

It was only when Gary brought this to the top, last week that all the discussion began.

I originally asked the question of Lloyd because of comments the late Jeff Newman made to the class (at his final seminar) about the origin of this change. Jeff and I exchanged several emails about this kind of history, only a few days before his untimely death.

BTW, it's great to see you back,Bill.

[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 21 January 2006 at 12:18 PM.]

None of this information should take away from Drake and Lloyd popularizing the change.

The parts Weldon and Hal played were much more complex and therefor were probably overlooked by some. Both Drake's and Lloyd's licks were so simple that the sound of the raise could be heard. In both Weldon's and Hal's parts the 3 frets up position was utilized with the sound of the E's being raised to pitch without the bending or sliding sound of the Tammy recordings. Their genious for using this lever should also be admired. It appears there were alot of indians circling the camp.

Paul

[This message was edited by Franklin on 21 January 2006 at 12:39 PM.]

Bruce