When I first got into pedal steel(decades ago) I encountered many players who gave up on their Emmons Push/Pulls and got rid of them…simply because they weren’t sufficiently informed about tuning them. Turns out, it wasn’t really hard, just different. And, for me, the two Push/Pulls that I’ve owned were the most stable for tuning and staying in tune.
0:55 (Step 1) Tune strings open at tuning keys no pedals or knee levers engaged. 1:39 (Step 2) Tune Raises using tuning keys pedals and knee levers engaged. 4:42 (Step 3) Tune Raises at end plate, bottom row of allen adjustment screws, no pedals or knee levers engaged. 7:38 (Step 4) Tune Drops at end plate top row of allen adjustment screws with pedals and knee levers engaged. 9:37 (Step 5) Tune Lesser Raises and Drops using fine tuning nut found in the undercarriage of the guitar.
Yes. You can accomplish this a few ways, tune by ear using a triad chord, unison harmonic, or using a Peterson tuner with the compensated (sweetened) tuning presets. Here's a link to one of my videos showing how to use unison harmonics to tune. It will include how to tune strings 3 & 6. ruclips.net/video/0ZcJ2_qcJ3M/видео.html
Sure Pete... (1) Tune the 4th string open to an E using the tuning key. (Peterson Preset EM9) (2) Press the C pedal down and tune the 4th string to an F# using the tuning key. (Peterson Preset EP9) (3) Release the C pedal and recheck that the 4th string open is still tuned properly to an E. (Peterson Preset EM9) If the 4th string open E is flat or sharp locate the 4th string allen hex screw at the end plate on the bottom row and use the 7/64th allen wrench to fine tune to an E. (4) You also most likely have a knee lever that raises the 4th string from an E to an F. To fine tune your knee lever use the fine tuning adjustment screw located in the undercarriage. Engage your knee lever and find tune the 4th string to an F using the fine tuning adjustment screw. (Peterson Preset EP9) You can see what and where the fine tuning adjustment screw looks like at the 10:07 mark in the video. Let me know if this helped.
It is meticulous however once you have repeated the process several times it becomes routine. I have also found that the push pulls seem to stay in tune a little better that an all pull.
Look at the graphic at 10:06. It is the black round nut in front of the spring. No set screw. It turns left or right depending if you are flat or sharp,
This video and the strobostomp tuner have my guitar the most in tune it’s ever been! But, after i do the entire sequence and everything sounds great, I’ll try a D7 on the 3rd fret with the Eb KL and B pedal, and that chord’s never in tune... any suggestions? Thanks!
What you are possibly dealing with is a "Wolf Interval". That is a lone note that that could be in tune with most of your inversions and out of tune with another inversion. I have this issue with my F# 7th string. Can you contact me via email and I will contact you to walk you through a couple of work arounds. shaneframe1@gmail.com
Tune to straight 440 (equal tempered). Check out the video where Buddy Emmons explains why he adopted that strategy. Unless you use equal temperament, some keys will always be more 'out of tune' than others. If you only ever play in 2 or 3 keys, and you don't play with keyboards, you can get by without equal temperament.
Hey I'm a newbie and have just been using a normal guitar tuner to tune my pedal steel. It seems to work ok? But what's the deal with these stroboscopic tuners I see steel players using? Obviously they're better, but why/how???
Hi Luke. Great question. You have to "Temper" tune a pedal steel to get it really good and in tune. What that means is that some of the strings are tuned slightly sharp and slightly flat. Example... Both E strings (4&8) may be tuned to 440 however the G# strings (3&6) may be tuned to 436. A standard tuner helps you tune to 440 however the Peterson tuner has specific compensated "Tempered" tuning already loaded. For instance in this video I used the EM9 preset in the tuner. That is a compensated "Tempered" for Emmons pedal steel. What that means is Peterson has calculated the correct cents (i.e..440, 439, 436) for each string. The strobe will stop spinning when the correct pitch of each string is reached. Hope this helps.
Shane, do you know the values of each string in hertz for the emmons sweetener? I use a Boss TU-12 needle tuner and will be getting my first push pull in a week or so. The only tuning settings I have are the nrwman settings, and what I used to tune my msa by ear. The 4th string half tone raise, does that pretty much stay where it is? Thats the only pesky thing I can see about tuning these. Anyway, great informative video.
Thanks for reaching out. I will contact Peterson to see if they can give me the valued for the EM9 and EP9 Emmons settings for the StroboStomp HD and get back to you.
Hey there Radioman480! Your assumptions are right. The Emmons I am doing the demonstration with is a Jimmy Day set up. Pedals are reverse from Buddy Emmons set up. I made mention of it at 2:08 in the video. If you have an Emmons set up your pedals will be will be in an A B C order. The Day set up is reverse order. Follow the captions closely. They should give a good description for you to use as a guide. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more clarification.
@@ShaneFrameSessions When you make your first tuning with the pedal, I am to do that with the A pedal buddy emmons set up correct? Opposite of the Day set up? Very confused and new.
@@VonHanzee yes...sorry when I made this video I had a Day set up on this guitar. I will make a newer on soon that is an Emmons set up so it is less confusing.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks you for your post about the tuning the Push pull set..
My pleasure!
what a huge help! I've had my emmons 25 years and ONLY ever tuned at the tuning key... I'm gonna tune that bad boy up!
Glad this helped!
How funny. I bought a '66 this week and I suspect the guy i got it from did the same as you!!
This is very helpful!
Glad it helped.
When I first got into pedal steel(decades ago) I encountered many players who gave up on their Emmons Push/Pulls and got rid of them…simply because they weren’t sufficiently informed about tuning them. Turns out, it wasn’t really hard, just different. And, for me, the two Push/Pulls that I’ve owned were the most stable for tuning and staying in tune.
@@brettcooper4104 Agreed!
Thank you I have been looking for this. I have an Emmons double neck and I love it
Thanks Larry. Always glad to help. I will most likely be making an updated version of this in the future.
0:55
(Step 1) Tune strings open at tuning keys no pedals or knee levers engaged.
1:39
(Step 2) Tune Raises using tuning keys pedals and knee levers engaged.
4:42
(Step 3) Tune Raises at end plate, bottom row of allen adjustment screws, no pedals or knee levers engaged.
7:38
(Step 4) Tune Drops at end plate top row of allen adjustment screws with pedals and knee levers engaged.
9:37
(Step 5) Tune Lesser Raises and Drops using fine tuning nut found in the undercarriage of the guitar.
Thank you for the info.
My pleasure.
Great video
Thank you!
Great video. Does the E to F half tone tuner adjust the E 4 th and 8th string raises at the same time?
Thanks. Fine Tuner in the undercarriage only tunes string 4 raises.
@@ShaneFrameSessions Thanks! Duh, of course, I ust realized that the 8th tunes at the end plate :)
Are there any Push Pull repair/setup videos out there?
Clem Schmidt has the best one. I have a copy. Here's a link to purchase. www.ebay.com/itm/274497645228
Do you flat the 3rds on E9th tuning?
Yes. You can accomplish this a few ways, tune by ear using a triad chord, unison harmonic, or using a Peterson tuner with the compensated (sweetened) tuning presets. Here's a link to one of my videos showing how to use unison harmonics to tune. It will include how to tune strings 3 & 6. ruclips.net/video/0ZcJ2_qcJ3M/видео.html
can you explaing how to tune the C Pedal pls .. thank you , great video
Sure Pete...
(1) Tune the 4th string open to an E using the tuning key. (Peterson Preset EM9)
(2) Press the C pedal down and tune the 4th string to an F# using the tuning key. (Peterson Preset EP9)
(3) Release the C pedal and recheck that the 4th string open is still tuned properly to an E. (Peterson Preset EM9)
If the 4th string open E is flat or sharp locate the 4th string allen hex screw at the end plate on the bottom row and use
the 7/64th allen wrench to fine tune to an E.
(4) You also most likely have a knee lever that raises the 4th string from an E to an F. To fine tune your knee lever use the fine tuning adjustment screw located in the undercarriage.
Engage your knee lever and find tune the 4th string to an F using the fine tuning adjustment screw. (Peterson Preset EP9)
You can see what and where the fine tuning adjustment screw looks like at the 10:07 mark in the video.
Let me know if this helped.
@@ShaneFrameSessions Thank you , it worked great .. thanks for fast reply .. love your videos 👍
@@pistolpetebelliveau my pleasure and thank you!
it seems meticulous
begs the question does it stay in tune?
It is meticulous however once you have repeated the process several times it becomes routine. I have also found that the push pulls seem to stay in tune a little better that an all pull.
Is the fine tuner underneath a little collar with a set screw in it?
Look at the graphic at 10:06. It is the black round nut in front of the spring. No set screw. It turns left or right depending if you are flat or sharp,
Thanks Shane
I found it, lol
This video and the strobostomp tuner have my guitar the most in tune it’s ever been! But, after i do the entire sequence and everything sounds great, I’ll try a D7 on the 3rd fret with the Eb KL and B pedal, and that chord’s never in tune... any suggestions? Thanks!
What you are possibly dealing with is a "Wolf Interval". That is a lone note that that could be in tune with most of your inversions and out of tune with another inversion. I have this issue with my F# 7th string. Can you contact me via email and I will contact you to walk you through a couple of work arounds. shaneframe1@gmail.com
Tune to straight 440 (equal tempered). Check out the video where Buddy Emmons explains why he adopted that strategy. Unless you use equal temperament, some keys will always be more 'out of tune' than others. If you only ever play in 2 or 3 keys, and you don't play with keyboards, you can get by without equal temperament.
Hey I'm a newbie and have just been using a normal guitar tuner to tune my pedal steel. It seems to work ok? But what's the deal with these stroboscopic tuners I see steel players using? Obviously they're better, but why/how???
Hi Luke. Great question. You have to "Temper" tune a pedal steel to get it really good and in tune. What that means is that some of the strings are tuned slightly sharp and slightly flat. Example... Both E strings (4&8) may be tuned to 440 however the G# strings (3&6) may be tuned to 436. A standard tuner helps you tune to 440 however the Peterson tuner has specific compensated "Tempered" tuning already loaded. For instance in this video I used the EM9 preset in the tuner. That is a compensated "Tempered" for Emmons pedal steel. What that means is Peterson has calculated the correct cents (i.e..440, 439, 436) for each string. The strobe will stop spinning when the correct pitch of each string is reached. Hope this helps.
Shane, do you know the values of each string in hertz for the emmons sweetener? I use a Boss TU-12 needle tuner and will be getting my first push pull in a week or so. The only tuning settings I have are the nrwman settings, and what I used to tune my msa by ear.
The 4th string half tone raise, does that pretty much stay where it is? Thats the only pesky thing I can see about tuning these.
Anyway, great informative video.
Thanks for reaching out. I will contact Peterson to see if they can give me the valued for the EM9 and EP9 Emmons settings for the StroboStomp HD and get back to you.
Shane, I'm watching your video and what you're calling the A&B pedals, I thought were the B&C pedals
Hey there Radioman480! Your assumptions are right. The Emmons I am doing the demonstration with is a Jimmy Day set up. Pedals are reverse from Buddy Emmons set up. I made mention of it at 2:08 in the video. If you have an Emmons set up your pedals will be will be in an A B C order. The Day set up is reverse order. Follow the captions closely. They should give a good description for you to use as a guide. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more clarification.
@@ShaneFrameSessions When you make your first tuning with the pedal, I am to do that with the A pedal buddy emmons set up correct? Opposite of the Day set up? Very confused and new.
@@VonHanzee yes...sorry when I made this video I had a Day set up on this guitar. I will make a newer on soon that is an Emmons set up so it is less confusing.
Using words I don’t understand
Which words to you need defined?