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Topic: BMI problem..... Dan Burnam, anyone?........... |
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 7:54 am |
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I have a couple of BMI 12 strings and I've been having a problem with my favorite one.... First off a while back my 3rd pedal which is my B pedal became stiff when activated so I changed the pulling point on the pedal itself and it helped some but it now had more travel which slowed down my attempts at speed pickin'.......
I just put it back to the old point and backed off the nylon adjuster on the 11th string (G#) so it wouldn't activate. It worked pretty good after that but I miss that low G# to A.
I hooked it back up and compared both guitars by laying down on the floor with a flashlight and activating the B pedal to see if anything was different as the other steel plays very easily and it's three years older....
I noticed that on both guitars there's a row of springs across the bottom that expand when you do a lower. On the problem guitar I noticed that when I'd depress the B pedal that the spring on the 11th string was expanding and it doesn't on the 3rd or 6th string or on the other guitar. Anyone know what might be causing this? I'd like to get this guitar back to "normal" as it's my favorite.........Thanks,.....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 8:00 am
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Spring isn't supposed to expand ar all on a raise so your spring could be weak. Don't know if BMI has an adjustment like some guitars but if it does, you can tighten up spring. If not, try swapping it with a spring that isn't used like the seventh string spring. If that doesn't cure the problem, the rivot on your changer could have gotten stiff. May try getting some oil directly on rivot on changer. Hope this helps.-henry
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 8:20 am Re: BMI problem..... Dan Burnam, anyone?...........
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| Jerry Hayes wrote: |
my B pedal became stiff when activated ... backed off the nylon adjuster on the 11th string (G#) so it wouldn't activate. It worked pretty good after that but I miss that low G# to A.
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Raising that low G# to A is such a short easy pull that I doubt you can feel the difference when you back off that tuning nut. (assuming it is working right....)
| Jerry Hayes wrote: |
| row of springs across the bottom that expand when you do a lower. On the problem guitar I noticed that when I'd depress the B pedal that the spring on the 11th string was expanding and it doesn't on the 3rd or 6th string or on the other guitar. |
Those springs pull the srtring back up to pitch when you release a pedal that lowered the pitch. They should be tight enough that they never expand when you raise the pitch. A loose spring will make your foot do extra work with each raise, and the pitch of the raised note will be inconsistent. So tighten it up. If there are no lowers on that string (11) then you can make it extra tight. If there is a lower on that string, then you wnat if just tight enough to hold it when you do a raise; any tighter would make the lower feel stiff.
On most guitars you can tighten this spring with a screw. If there are no adjustment screws, take the spring out and cut off a couple of coils to make it stiffer. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 12:06 pm
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Well my first mistake was I was on the wrong string. I just turned the guitar upside down on my workbench and depressed the B pedal and it's actually the 3rd string spring that's activating. I took the spring off and cut a little off of it and it's still moving when I depress the B pedal. I can hold the changer in place and depress the pedal and I can feel the changer pushing hard against my fingers. If I do this to the A pedal or others it doesn't do that... The only problem I've ever had with BMI guitars is that you can't see the changer from the bottom except from the front side as it's inclosed on the side the nylon tuners go through. These guitars have three pieces on the end of the pulling rod which rests upon the changer. First off, resting right on the changer itself is a small metal piece that looks like the lead of a bullet with a hole through it. It's rounded on one end, next comes a hard nylon or plastic spacer and finally the hex nylon tuner. Sometimes if you're making a copedant change you can drop one of the metal pieces and then they get stuck inside the enclosure as it's closed at the bottom and you have to try to "shake 'em" down to the end so you can remove them.... Here's a drawing (side view) I made of the BMI changer system.......JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 12:15 pm
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| This screams of a string-ball-end being stuck in the 3rd string linkage somewhere. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 12:32 pm
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I'm trying to keep from disassembing the changer as I've never done that but it might have to come to that if I can't find out what's wrong....JH
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Feb 2012 6:49 pm Bmi
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Jerry,
Give me a call in the morning @1.731.891.6251
There could be a couple of things. If you changed the hole for the angle on the crossbar that could cause it. Like Earnest said, it could be that you need to cut a link out of the spring and re-attach it. Also there could be a ball in the changer causing the problem. Give me a call in the morning, and we will see what we can do.
Dan
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BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 3 Feb 2012 11:57 am
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Hey Dan, I tried that number and got the message "The number you have called is not in service at this time. The area code may have changed"......Thanks, JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
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Posted 4 Feb 2012 8:36 am Right Phone Number
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Jerry,
Sorry, 7318196251
Dan
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BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 4 Feb 2012 12:21 pm
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Well I got 'er fixed!..... I tried what Earnest B. mentioned about tightening the spring. I cut a couple of coils off the spring and it was almost there but not quite. I had a nice conversation with Dan Burnham and I also had the pull rod coming in at an angle to the changer and laying against the side of it. I moved the bellcrank over so there was a straight pull and everything's working like a charm now. Thanks for the help everyone.....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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