Help with a Franklin pedal install!

Mark Greer · Post by **Mark Greer** » 22 Jul 2012 8:43 pm

I have a BMI D10 and don't play the c6 neck on gigs. I thought I would steel parts from the p4 on the c6 neck and put it on the e9 neck for the Franklin pedal. The problem is that it won't drop my 5th and 6th strings a full step (half step no problem). I have both in the highest (closest to the body) bellcrank(right terminology?) and lowest on the end (lowest hole available on the "finger"). Any thoughts? (Its a double raise/double lower if that helps!).

PS. I know I should get the right parts from BMI and stop scavenging from my c6 neck, just want to try out the Franklin pedal!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 22 Jul 2012 9:08 pm

Try lengthening the amount of pedal travel.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 22 Jul 2012 10:35 pm

You have the leverage backwards on both ends. Farther from the shaft and closer to the deck at the changer

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 23 Jul 2012 11:23 am

Richard Sinkler wrote:Try lengthening the amount of pedal travel.

yep.. Those 5 and 6 strings will drop like a rock, if you adjust for a bit longer pedal throw.
Some guittars need a ton of room to pull the low B down a full tone however..I never pull the low B down on my "Franklin Pull.. bob

Mark Greer · Post by **Mark Greer** » 24 Jul 2012 8:56 am

Hmm...I think I'm missing something. Let me see if I understand. If the steel is upright,

my bellcrank looks like this:
0 (I'm in this hole for both 5 and 6th strings)
0
0
0
0

and my changer is like this:
0
0
0
0 (I'm in this hole for both 5 and 6th strings)

This shortens the "throw." So I need to move to maybe the 3rd hole in the bellcrank and maybe to the other lower in my changer?

Thanks for all the help!!!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 24 Jul 2012 9:21 am

Both of those options will have the LEAST amount of changer movement for the same amount of pedal travel.
If the string isn't reaching the note, most of us will adjust which bellcrank slot, which will stiffen the pedal, but magnify changer travel.
If you don't want to increase pedal effort, you could adjust the pedal travel stop.

Mark Greer · Post by **Mark Greer** » 24 Jul 2012 9:43 am

Is this the same idea whether its a raise or lower?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 24 Jul 2012 10:06 am

Yes.
Most of us discuss it looking at it with the guitar on its back, since that's how we work on them. To minimize confusion, rather than up v. down, I'll discuss relationships.
On bellcranks, the closer to the axle, the shorter you pull the rod, and with less resistance: the farther from the axle, the farther you pull the rod, and with more resistance.

At the changer, the closer to the strings, the farther the rod pulls the finger, and with more resistance: the farther from the strings, the shorter the rod pulls the finger, and with less resistance.

A few months ago, when I was having some difficulty rodding a guitar, someone posted a handy graphic. I'll try to search it

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 24 Jul 2012 10:12 am

Here's one.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 24 Jul 2012 10:31 am

Here's the one I was after.
There's a cool graphic with a mental picture easy to understand
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=225083

When she's on her legs, easiest throws that move the least flow DOWNHILL, stiffer pulls that move the most flow UPHILL

PS: Longer and easier at the same time, Richard? Huh?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 24 Jul 2012 12:10 pm

Lane, that chart was made by someone who built a hell of a lot of guitars, so I would think they know what they are talking about.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 24 Jul 2012 4:58 pm

I think it's a perspective thing: longer from the pedal travel point of view, as opposed to it'd be SHORTER from the rod's point of view.
It took me a moment.