Fender pedal steel

[Jerry Malvern]

I seen some Fenders the have a lever that mutes the guitar. Or what was it for? thanks

[Erv Niehaus]

I haven't seen any Fenders with a mute but Gibson had some models with a mute.
That was the only way you could silence that neck, there wasn't an off/on neck switch.

[Jerry Malvern]

Erv, there is one on reverb. There is a little white lever that sticks out of the charger cover.

[Paul Strojan]

I find when using an octave pedal the mute, lets me fake being a bass player.

[Donny Hinson]

It was introduced on the '63 and later pedal steels, supposedly to still allow a semi-banjo or marimba sound when the bridge area was covered. I'd guess the idea was borrowed from their Jaguar guitars, which featured mutes a few years earlier. At any rate, it was a very seldom-used feature on any of them.

[Bob Carlucci]

Donny is correct.. For the average steel guitarist, it was an absolutely useless and unwanted "feature", and its missing on the vast majority of 64 and up Fender cable steels, as is the bright chrome ashtray that covered the changer fingers... They simply got in the way,,,, bob

[Jerry Malvern]

thanks guys for the info.

[Erv Niehaus]

Jerry,
Thanks for enlightening me.
Erv