Carter Starter – Easy Fixes FAQ

[Bent Romnes]

Interesting, informative thread. Some clear under-body pics would be greatly appreciated.
Is the pedal board made out of wood?

[Robbie Roberts]

Yes the pedal board is made out of wood and it does bend a little bit when you use the pedals. However in my experience this doesn't seem to have any obvious negative effect on tuning etc so isn't really a big deal. I imagine it could annoy some people but not me.

[Gary Richardi]

I still sell Carter Starter cases. They are new so I am not allowed by Forum rules to quote the price but if anyone is interested you can email me at rollermusic@cox.net There was always an optional case for the Carter Starter and that is what I offer, same mfg. and same case.
Jerry

I need one. I sent you an email.


I got my CS from a bandmate who took it in trade from a music store for an ad in a magazine he was publishing at the time. I'd always wanted to try playing psg so I bought it from him at much less than any other instrument would have cost me. I have been beating the CS up, carting it from rehearsals to stage, even flying it to Canada and back in an old suitcase (which got destroyed on the belt at LAX upon return but the CS inside was unscathed), for more years than I care to admit. It's paid for itself many times over. I'm always amazed how well it stays in tune, seeing as how I cart it around w/o a case (finally have one coming from Jerry - thanks for such a quick response!). Alan is probably as right as he is wrong in his critisims of the CS: it IS very cheaply made. I have to laugh everytime I look at the rollers and realize they're guitar string ends. However, it functions well,over and above it's design for my use I believe. I think it has encouraged rather than discouraged more people to play. My CS is nowhere near as bad as the 1st horrible 6-string I got as a kid.

[Clete Ritta]

Here's pictures of a ViceGrip on my Carter Starter LKL:



This is a really large ViceGrip, and may be overkill, but it adds a lot of weight and feels okay. Like Robbie posted, it causes it to hang right, but once the knee is in place it's not an issue. Much smaller grips, or even a C-clamp should do the trick as well.

Clete

[Alan Brookes]

"I may have some ideas how we can fix that Carter Starter for you."

[Patrick Strain]

the gig bag was a marketing mistake.
It would have actaully been better to include NOTHING than that flimsy nylon duffle bag they called a gig bag.

I agree 100%. The gig bag did nothing but damage my guitar when I was transporting it. Nothing was held in place and everything bangs into the guitar. Every time I'd set it up at a gig I would have one (sometimes two) broken strings. Eventually I just stopped taking the steel apart and put it in the van set up.

[Graeme Jaye]

the gig bag was a marketing mistake.
It would have actaully been better to include NOTHING than that flimsy nylon duffle bag they called a gig bag.

I agree 100%. The gig bag did nothing but damage my guitar when I was transporting it.

As soon as I saw it, I ordered a proper case and my good lady turned the gig bag (if one can call it that) into a dust cover for the instrument when it's set up to play.

[Johnny Baker]

I built me a case out of 5/8" plywood, covered it,
put wheel on it, handles, hinges,and lined it with
a good quality covering (like they use on boom boxes)
in these rolling stereos on wheels. I spent a total
of$76.00 on the project, the dust cover/gig bag is
colleting dust in the closet.

[Alan Brookes]

I built me a case out of 5/8" plywood...spent a total of $76.00 on the project...

I think that's about what I paid for the hard case that Carter used to sell for it.

[Jack Stoner]

My wife recently took up Pedal Steel. We were looking for a "beginner's" steel and after looking at what was available, including the Carter Starter we came across a like new GFI Expo S-10 for the same advertised price of the beginner's steel made in Missouri. I'm glad we held off and didn't buy one of the "beginner" models.

[Johnny Baker]

It does have one major draw back: "It's string set
up is not like a standard E-9th, if you will check
it out. Mr Fabian told me that it was made as just
a beginners model and that it wasn't supposed to be
adjustable. I can and do live (quite happilly) with
it. I don't knock it for what it is. I love the
sound and the way it plays and will probably never
buy another steel, of any type, before I pass from
this life.
I have learned to adapt some of Bro Erv's tabs to
suit my Carter and I must admit, they do sound quite
good, even if I am the one playing. Most everyone
who heres it loves it.
Now if someone can figure a way to reset to a standard E-9th, I would be interested in talking with
them. I would certainly make using tab much better.
When I built my box, I built a compartment just for
the steel, a comparment just for my pedal, cords and
stuff like that, and then a compartment just for my
legs, rods, and homemade hand/wrist rest also.

[Brian Henry]

"Clete, the absolute fail proof way to make a solid lever stop on the Carter Starter is to add a pull rod on one of the bell cranks and run it to a locked changer finger, put a tuning nut on it and adjust it for where you want the lever to stop. It is rock solid.
Jerry"

Jerry, would it work if I took a rod from the bell crank were the lever is connected straight to the 10th string lower finger which I believe to be fixed?

[Jerry Roller]

tb, yes, that would work. You can run the rod from an empty hole in any bellcrank on the cross shaft best if it is a hole as far out from the cross shaft as possible, run that rod thru any hole in any stationary changer finger, put a nylon tuning nut on it at the changer and adjust the travel to where you want it and it will stop it dead in its tracks everytime.

[John Roche]

Can someone tell me how long and how wide the Carter Starter is.
I have bought one but don't have it home yet and need to buy a case for it..

[Graeme Jaye]

Can someone tell me how long and how wide the Carter Starter is.

82 x 19 x 13 cm

[John Roche]

Thanks Graeme . just what I need

[Bob Sykes]

Here's an easy CS fix... With a flat file, you can remove the sharp corners from those pedals and knee levers.
Makes it a lot easier to play barefoot and wearing shorts if one is so inclined.
This has been an interesting thread. I would just add that I got my CS almost a year ago.
It was the first PSG that I had ever touched. (been playing 6 string for 40+ years)
After a few lessons, practicing every day for about 3 months, I starting playing gigs on it every weekend since.
It has held up well. Still plays and stays in tune and has all the original strings on it, but the wound ones are quite smooth now.
I bought a D-10 this week, but I'll play my CS on the gigs this weekend, maybe beyond...

[basilh]

In 1977 I broke the knee lever on my Emmons D-10 whilst playing at the Guinness stand at Galway's Oyster festival. Second number in the set, so I upended the guitar and made THIS modification.
Great in the studio environment to set up a temporary actuation of a pedal that's unreachable normally, or a change that simply can't be got any other way.

Whilst looking for info on ViceGrip® knee levers I also found THIS "titbit" (or as is said in the USA "Tidbit") From Billboard 1972 February 26th, page 26..

[Ken Karn]

My Carter Starter gives me hum everywhere I go.
Please advise!!
Thnx folks

Ken
Lansing_MI

[Alan Brookes]

Do you have other steel guitars, and, if you do, do you get hum when you plug them in using the same cable and amplifier?

[Ken Karn]

Alan,
Nope, just a Gison here, otherwise.
I'm trying to think of something else in the house that might emulate (RF) a single coil...

Ken

[Marty Broussard]

I found this thread during my break and it's very interesting to me. I work around machinists and I printed a copy of the thread and talked with them about some of the issues.

Here is one quick suggestion to try for the pedal bar flexing...I haven't seen one up close yet but based upon various pics it appears to be a solid piece of wood....see if you can find a piece of "C"-channel made of high quality aluminum(mabye 6160) that will fit over the pedal bar. Slip it on from the front and then try it out. You shouldn't have to fasten it if it fits real snug--shim it if you have to....if that works you can place screws on the top,bottom,and face to stop the pedal bar from flexing downward AND outward from the guitar. Plus, it will add a little weight. If you want allot of weight do this with channel made of iron and paint it black. But if this works you might add extra stress to the pedal stops and body...depending on how the SYSTEM is designed.

These same guys periodically help me with Physics experiments that are assigned to my kids and they've come up with some cool stuff(answers). I even had one manufacturer offer to buy parts from them that they designed. They'll let me take pics and have even provided dimensions, etc. for people.

If someone will post pics of the underbelly including close ups of the levers,changer,end-plates, etc. showing how the whole system(remember that a pedal steel is a SYSTEM) works I'll happily bring it to them for suggestions.

Best of luck to all,

[Ken Karn]

Can someone offer advice or tips on, perhaps, adding shielding to my CS? -- To avoid buying a humbucker.

That is, what's involved in doing so.
I might add that touching the pickup or strings does not stop the hum.
Thnx all.

Ken
Lansing_MI

[Marty Broussard]

I obtained one of these puppies...let the experiments begin.