This tuning affords 2 major chords in open position, B & E(a), the I & IV, key of B; V at fret 2. …on up the neck. For my unhinged purposes, this tuning affords pedaling, into various suspended chordal combinations; the classical E9 a&b on b&c; also to, in open, B7 with the b pedal. On and on.

The way I look at it, given 8 strings, you have 4 notes in the open tuning, and if you change the same two strings on each pedal, four more notes. That’s a small complement of notes at each fret. One of the attractive limitations of the Fender 400 is that it isn’t really a chord machine compared with what you can load into a 10 string, double or triple, 4/5k guitar. This encourages single note and two string grips–it would seem. The way I look at it is even less studied: to me, I want to know what the available notes are in three combinations:

one: open/A pedal &/or B pedal
two: open/B pedal &/or C pedal
three: open/D pedal

Looking at the guitar as a 12 string, means to me to consider anew the various clusters of notes; six unique notes, a lot of possible combinations for 3 at-a-time at every fret, and bottom line this is looking at the array of intervals.

A couple steel copedent ( tuning) notes –

The “Sneaky” copedent you show has one error that could drive one nuts (of course, it drives most “real” steel players…count me out of that category – nuts anyway!): your middle change on the third pedal belongs on the second pedal. It’s the other half of the “I-toIV” chord change when combined with the first pedal.

Second – I have a completely insane 10-string version adapted to a “normal” 3+4 (3 pedals, 4 knee levers) layout that ebb and Paul Redmond (plus help from GFI and Bobbe Seymour) that got me real close to the Sneaky sound on a GFI Ultra (no doubt also due to GFI’s Gene Fields having worked at Fender…and my now owning one of Sneaky’s two one-pound, 1 1/4″ diameter bars). Flip me an email for a copy, and also for a cheater’s way to mount effects on a 400.

Greetings from The Cable World Headquarters,

Jim aka Cablehead aka Silverface

Cableheads have been known to make their own parts. Raw cable, springs and rods are usually available in any hardware store. The brass connectors are made from brass tubing. Fender pedal steel’s simple design supports various workarounds.