One thing we get to do as steel players is choose our set-up. We get to arrange our pedals and knees the way that makes us the happiest. That is usually still the way they were on your first guitar! I like to think of my Universal Tuning as one big guitar, with huge possibilities. In My Approach to Pedal Steel Guitar I wrote about musical and physical “what if’s”!! You have two ways to change your sound. With your body or your guitar. I’ve done all the pencil and paper work on set-ups and ususally came back to the conclusion that anyone can play any set-up but they tend to stick with what they know.
Joe's Ultimate Set-Up
The above set-up is what I would get again on my next guitar. It has all kinds of possibilites for chords and single string patterns. There is a lot of information out there but my general rule for a set-up is to learn the one you got as good as you can. If then you want more then add pedals or knees or strings or however you want to make your playing become more like “you’.
