On most pedal steels, the ball end anchors at the changer and the string runs across the instrument to a keyless tuner. Pedal steel string gauges aren't in simple ascending order, and on E9 the 3rd string is thinner than the 1st and 2nd. Working one string at a time is the easiest way to keep each gauge in the right position.
Steps:
- Detune one string and remove it.
- Check the gauge of the new string against the string position you're replacing.
- Anchor the ball end at the changer, making sure it sits fully seated in the right finger.
- Run the string over the bridge and nut to its tuner, and wind it neatly.
- Tune close to pitch, then repeat for the next string.
- Fine-tune the open strings once they've all been replaced, then check every pedal and knee lever change.
Stick with the gauges your guitar was set up for. Different pedal steels can want different gauges, which is why we cut separate sets for Emmons (EM) and Sho-Bud (SHO) guitars. A set that's off by even a couple of thousandths may not tune back properly.
On E9, the .011 3rd string is the one that breaks most often. Our Buddy Emmons E9 sets (BEE9TH, PS-BEE9TH) include an extra .011, and we stock pedal steel plain singles from .009 to .012.