Knee lever resistance on a sho-bud crossover...

Robby Osenton · Post by **Robby Osenton** » 21 Dec 2010 11:47 am

I am playing a friend's crossover guitar. I set the knee lever to drop the e's, and last night I figured out why that is a good thing. I am teaching myself. I made up some licks and ran some patterns for probably 2 hours using the knee lever a good bit. I now have a healthy bruise and am thinking the knee lever is too tight.

I have never played another steel, so I have no idea what they are supposed to feel like.

Do I need to take off the little thing with the allen wrench, and set it to where it requires less travel? right now I have to move it about 2 inches before it stops moving and is in tune.

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 21 Dec 2010 7:49 pm

Are the tuning barrels 1/8 to 1/16 inch from the rack? If they are not that close the travel is greater. The E-lower does travel farther than I'd like on mine too. If you are bruising: either you bruise easily, or you're being too rough, and will eventually break the tab off the cross shaft for the lever. Check the whole system for that lever. There is a stop on the front apron, next to the pedal stops, and there is the space from the rack to the barrel. Put the guitar on a table, on a towel, with a small block to hold it level, and move the lever. Watch how the parts move, you'll see anything that is sloppy or loose. Good luck!

Robby Osenton · Post by **Robby Osenton** » 21 Dec 2010 8:41 pm

I am 24, so I don't bruise easily, but it requires way to much force to push and hold it there I think.

I think I have the tuning barrel way to far off probably. I think the tension on it will still be too high though, so I will just have to mess around with it.

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 22 Dec 2010 6:03 am

There must be a couple of other issues to look at as well. The cross shaft return spring is not very strong, but look at it to see if it's thin or very thick. The real culprit is probably lack of lubrication. Get some light oil for guns or sewing machines and lightly lube all the points of friction along pull, from the knee lever to all the places the pull rod touches the racks etc. Friction is every steel's enemy, but 10 times worse on a crossover! You may see places where the rack has chewed the pull-rods up, don't worry about it at this point, just take care to lube those places. They show the point that friction is a real problem on these guitars.