Knee levers strange configuration

[Leif Nicklas]

Hello all, I have a question about my knee levers, here’s what they do:

LNL. 8 and 4 up a half step

LNR 8 and 4 down a half step

RKL 7 and 1 up a half step

RKR. 2 down a half step

I’m starting the Franklin method and what he lays out that the levers should do is completely different except for LNK.

I have a Zum Stage One. Is it possible for a beginner to change the levers or am I stuck with them?

Is this a common configuration? Thank you!

[Lane Gray]

If that were my guitar, the only change I'd make is adding a half-stop so that 2 goes to both D and C#.
That's not a strange configuration.
Well, I'd prefer that RKL raised 1 to G and lowered 6 to F# (and I'd try to rig a rod from the A pedal to reduce the slack on the 6th string, so it lowered to G when the A pedal is pressed, but that's being finicky)

My first steel was a pull-release and my second was a push-pull Emmons I got VERY quick and accurate at retuning my 6th string lowers so some songs got G and some got F#.

I'm not saying it's impossible to change a pull-release guitar, but it IS difficult.

What does the Franklin method use? If they're the same changes in different places, that's not an issue. As long as you have the changes, their location doesn't matter.

[Leif Nicklas]

Thanks for the reply, I don’t remember what the Franklin method uses, but only one of my levers matches what he recommends, so it’s going to be a struggle. I just read somewhere that the guitar I have cannot be modified.

[Lane Gray]

Strictly speaking, the Stage One is a well-made pull-release guitar, and could be made into a complex fully loaded guitar. BUT it's a complex transformation and the expense would dwarf the cost of a different guitar, and there's no holes for additional pedals or knees.,
I also am willing to bet that the vast majority of what's in the material can be done on the stage One..

A brief googling tells me that Paul's course relies on TWO levers, and you have them already. The E raises and the E lowers. If they're in a different place, that's not a problem.

[Dave Grafe]

Your guitar as is is fine and will serve the Franklin method without modification. FYI it is more common for RKL to raise 1+7 a whole step

[Troy Engle]

You can get the first string raise to F# with a slight modification that Stage One's Doug Earnest has mentioned. Search the forum for that and you should find it. You just have to move the pull rod hole and bend it slightly. I did mine, and I'm not a mechanic. You can play at least 90% of everything you need on the Stage one. You just can't get the half and full stop on your 2nd string. My Stage One is my road guitar, and it's great and light!

[Leif Nicklas]

Thank you for all the info. I was wondering in my RKL was supposed to raise a whole step rather than half step, is this what the Stage One is supposed to do, and my guitar is just way out of tune? Will I break a string if I try to raise the RNL up an entire half step?

I’m just curious what the standard STAGE One setup is supposed to be out of the box but I haven’t been able to find that info.

[Lane Gray]

1&7 up a half step is the old-school form, and I still love that A7.
The whole tone raise is often accompanied by a half-tone raise of 2: I carry that change on a pedal.
The Stage one SHOULD accommodate a whole-tone raise of 1: the 7th will probably be a challenge, as that string is really small where it counts. The tension is borne only by the core, with the windings only along for mass. A whole-tone pull on a .08 will be quite a stretch

[Rich Ertelt]

Thank you for all the info. I was wondering in my RKL was supposed to raise a whole step rather than half step, is this what the Stage One is supposed to do, and my guitar is just way out of tune? Will I break a string if I try to raise the RNL up an entire half step?

I’m just curious what the standard STAGE One setup is supposed to be out of the box but I haven’t been able to find that info.

Here is the manual, and it shows how it is set up
https://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/_f ... 821ab2.pdf

On my Mullen and GFI, I raise #1 to a G with RKL, and it raises #2 to an E, using that as a half stop for the G on string #1. No, raising a whole step to G# will not break strings. I don't use the #7 string lower on that knee.

RNR lowers #2 to C#, with a half stop at D, using lowering #7 to C# for the feel stop.

I'd miss some stuff, sure, but I could gig on the Stage One copedant without an issue.

[Troy Engle]

You can raise the first string a whole step, as I do and it works fine, but you have to make some small mechanical changes as I mentioned. I left the 7th string raise stay a half step the f# to g.

[Ian Worley]

The limitation on the stock Stage One and similar modern pull-release setups is that there are no reverser mechanisms on the right-moving knees. LKR & RKR can only accommodate lowers, and LKL & RKL can only accommodate raises, so it won't accommodate the Paul Franklin setup with E lowers on RKL. It's quite possible to modify this but, as Lane said, it's can of worms if you lack the proper know-how and materials.

...You just can't get the half and full stop on your 2nd string...

I know the stock setup only includes the half step lower on string 2, but is this an actual physical limitation on a Stage One? I can't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to get the full step lower if one wanted to tweak the setup.

[Troy Engle]

I know the stock setup only includes the half step lower on string 2, but is this an actual physical limitation on a Stage One? I can't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to get the full step lower if one wanted to tweak the setup.
[/quote]

You can do a whole step OR a half step, but you can't do the half AND the whole step, at least easily.

[Lane Gray]

I'm pretty sure you, or at least a handy friend, could put an MSA-style (or Sho-Bud) half stop on there.

[Stew Crookes]

Hello all, I have a question about my knee levers, here’s what they do:

LNL. 8 and 4 up a half step

LNR 8 and 4 down a half step

RKL 7 and 1 up a half step

RKR. 2 down a half step

I’m starting the Franklin method and what he lays out that the levers should do is completely different except for LNK.

I have a Zum Stage One. Is it possible for a beginner to change the levers or am I stuck with them?

Is this a common configuration? Thank you!

To be clear, this is not a strange configuration.
The ten string, E9 Emmons setup is basically standardized, but there isn't really one single definitive copedant when it comes to the levers.

Some common (slight) variations are:

- the LNR and RKL changes swapped relative to your setup (this is how both of my steels are, and it's 100% a preference thing - neither way is inherently more difficult. I personally prefer the ergonomics of having the E lowers and raises on different legs, others like them on the same leg, and lots of us don't really care either way)
- Your RKL change on strings 1+7 to go up a full tone instead (usually easily achievable with either tuning or changing rod location, but up a half tone like this is common and is a useful change. If you set up for a full tone, you can often tune for a semi tone as well which is what I do)
- RKR with a half stop to allow accurate lower of either a semi tone or a full tone, and this is probably the only thing that might be a bit more difficult to have on your guitar if it didn't come with this, BUT it's not an absolutely essential change to lower string 2 by a full tone. Lowering it a semi tone is essential (in my view of course)

I've not used Paul's course, but you should be just fine
The only thing I'd consider is getting the full tone string 1+7 raise set up but only once you find that you need that change to play things you want to play. I played with a semi tone raise only for the first couple years and got by