"Ask Bud!"
Question:
Is it really possible that modern, lightweight guitars are too light and will "walk all over the floor" when you use the knee levers? I have heard it said that this is true. Is this really accurate?
Answer:
It is possible to design a steel guitar that is too light (although if you play in places with lots of stairs, it probably will be unlikely that you would think any steel could be too light...!!). Also, you can make any steel "walk" using the knee levers if you play them hard enough.
Note that, all other things being equal, the more top-heavy a steel is, the more it will have a tendency to walk while using the knee levers.
Most all of the lightweight, modern steel makers (lightweight being a D-10 weighing less than about 45 pounds or 20.4 kilograms) remove the weight from the top part of the instrument. This actually makes the steel more stable since the weight ratio of the top-to-bottom decreases and lowers the center of gravity.
Additionally, proper design of the raise and lower system will result in:
- less pressure being required for activation of the knee levers; and
- further reduction of the likelihood of movement of the guitar while it's being played.
Remember: a steel guitar's quality and characteristics are the Sum of the Total Design, not just one or two features or parts.
This means that you may want to evaluate your next potential steel as a Total System to see if the whole instrument works for you.
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