need help bad

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 14 Mar 2009 5:22 pm

I am really new to this
I have a old harlin bros six string with two pedal
don't know year. I am playing around with it and having a lot of fun but not getting to far. when I tune it cegace to c6th they are not tuned right on the other frets. Do I havewrong strings or is it something else.I have pedals off playing using no pedals trying to clean it up and restore at same time.Also have a gibson 1950's elecktraharp w/4 pedals picked them up at yard sale so thought I would give it a try. any help would be great
jim grant

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 26 Mar 2009 8:54 am

It's hard to say without seeing it. Sounds like a good possibility that there is some sort of intonation issue, but I'm not familiar with the mechanics of that instrument. I'm surprised noone else has piped up, there are a few guys that are really into these.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 26 Mar 2009 11:21 am

It might be something as simple as placing the bar on the fret mark rather than in between the marks as is done when playing Spanish guitar.
Guitar players transitioning to steel frequently make this mistake. I did.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 28 Mar 2009 10:52 pm

Richard Shatz wrote:It might be something as simple as placing the bar on the fret mark rather than in between the marks

Richard, your post brought a giggle to the surface when I read it. We have Tele player in our band who thinks he knows everything their is to know about anything with strings and that is called a guitar.

He was going to show me how to play my D10 and once he found out that the bar had to be "ON" the fret marks he thought he had it cured. His problem was that he could not grasp which fret to sit the bar on. He was always a fret too high or a fret too low. Within ten minutes of making an ass of himself, he got up from my steel and informed me that the thing was a piece of sh**.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 29 Mar 2009 3:55 am

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 29 Mar 2009 6:39 am

thanks guys with help os Roy Thompson we came up with the answer to the problem. someone had laid a new fret board over the old one and had it off by about 3/8 of an inchchanged it and is right on now
jim grant

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 29 Mar 2009 6:57 am

as for string gages I am not sure I put them on when I first got the steels and Ipicked them up at the local music store and I think he just got the as close as he could. am going to order them from the forum have info to order them I think
jim

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 29 Mar 2009 9:40 am

Multi-Kord's are the first pedal steel guitars to be patented and Jay Harlin of the Harlin Brothers was the inventor.

I realize that this is a "steel withour pedals" section so I hope that Brad Bechtel, and you all will allow me to comment here in relation to Jim Grant's original post and questions.

First let me say that you may consider a 4 pedal Multi-Kord as a lap steel with 5 different necks. The original tunings which I will include here are such that a whole song can be played in each of the tunings,--- or pedals can be used in combination if you like.

Below are the original tunings for Harlin Bros. 4 pedal 6 string "Hawaiian Steel Guitar". They were low bass and the string diameters I use are--
1st-.016, 2nd.-.017, 3rd-.022, 4th-.030, 5th-.038, 6th-.050

A-tuning (no pedals) high to low
E, C#, A, E, A, E

C#mi.7th tuning---pedal farthest away (longest)
E, C#, G#, E, B, E

E tuning--(Next pedal coming toward you)
E, B, G#, E, B, E

D7added 9th tuning--(next pedal coming toward you etc.)
E, C, A, F#, A, D

A6th tuning-- (shortest pedal)
E, C#, A, F#, A, E

My guitar is a 6 pedal
My C6th tuning is--
E, C, A, G, A, E

I also have an Emi. tuning.
E, B, G, E, B, E

Again all tunings are --High to Low

My appologies, as I didn't know how to address the issue properly except in this section.

Hopefully those who have lap steel guitars will also find these tunings helpful.

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 29 Mar 2009 6:39 pm

my harlin bros six string is a two pedal but have searched for info on it and found none. after you posted your info on harlin bros guitars i am thinking it may have been a four pedal
from the beginning I guess the question is was there ever a two pedal

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 30 Mar 2009 5:52 am

I knew all the Harlin Bros. personally, and worked for them in their studio when I was still in high school back in 52-54. I started taking lessons there in 48. I still have the Multi-Kord my father bought new in 48. It has an all cast aluminum body and is a 6 string 4 pedal.

I have never seen or heard of a 2 pedal Multi-Kord.
Other than that I'm not sure.

If you will open the cover over the changer on the left end, notice the cross bars with the tuning screws and and how they are mounted on the changer body, and see if there aren't some holes and pegs for them where there are no cross bars. If there are then yours was originally a 4 or 6 pedal. You should be able to tell by looking at the changer body.

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 30 Mar 2009 8:44 am

Danny, you are right it has four pegs and you can see where there was four cross bars and you can see where the tuning screws werehitting in line with all four pegs. looks like it was made so it could have been a six pedal too.I have the pedals off at the present time.cleaning it up and refurbing it a little.are the harlin bros still around. this has a wood body.cover are gone would like to see some covers maybe I could copy them.It was a garage sale find. Got an 8 string gibson electraharp there to
thanksjim

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 30 Mar 2009 10:55 am

Jim from the pictures of your Multi-Kord, yes it was a 4 pedal. Two more could have been added though.

From the body style I would judge it to be a late 50's or early 60's model.

The covers for the changer and key head were cheap molded plastic. If you will go to Google and type in "pictures of Multi-Kord steel guitar", you will have the opportunity to see several different styles of Multi-Kords. The brown collored one with the fretboard of many colors is like the one that I have that was sold in 1948.

The 6 string 6 pedal one I play has the same body style as yours with white mother of pearl finish & black plastic lids / covers on each end.

You might be able to get some parts from John Quarterman who makes the Quarterman Cone for Dobro / resonator style guitars. He bought out all the parts when Harlins went out of business from Picketts machine shop in Fishers Indiana.

All the Harlin Bros have passed away now. The last one was Jay Harlin who died just a few years ago. They were very nice people and had their own Hawaiian band. Four of the five brothers played Hawaiian music. Jay, Herb, Jimmy, Wynn.

George was the 5th brother who was also in business with them at their studio at 359 North Illinois St. in Indianapolis. He didn't play though.

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 1 Apr 2009 11:45 am

Thnks Danny lots of help

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 4 Apr 2009 5:24 am

DANNT
HAOE DO YOU CHANGE TUNING UP AND DOWN ON THE MULTIKORD. THE ONLY THING i SEEM TO BE ABLE TO DO IS TIGHTEN THEM
JIM

Jim Grant · Post by **Jim Grant** » 4 Apr 2009 5:28 am

DANNY
Lets try this again. How do you ghange tuning up and down on the multikord. All I seem to be able to do is tighten strings to higher pitch
thanks
Jim

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 4 Apr 2009 11:30 am

Jim,

Once you have put your tuning on your
Multi-Chord you then have to decide which
strings you wish to activate with the pedals
...ie full tone or half tone raise etc.
The relative adjustments have to be made
with the mechanics on the guitar.

It is not automatic. You seem to be just
pushing the pedals and expecting magical
sounds to come forth. Doesn't work that way.

You need to research the Multi-Chord or find
someone who has experience with this type of
steel. I wish I could help you more but
I have never ever played one let alone set
one up.

There was an old one in a Swap Shop not too far
from me but in terrible shape. I was tempted
but it would have only been good for parts
salvage.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Roy

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