Daft question from newbie

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

I have been trying to get my highest string to go down a whole tone. I was in an open tuned E copedant and my highest string was then G# trying to go to F#. After mucho frustration with lots of busted strings and never a full tone I took everything apart and the fingers all moved freely as does pedal system which would give me plenty of room to drop.
I realized that the crux is that the cam part on the cross-rod cannot move freely on the rod that goes to the finger. It seems to bind.
So I detuned everything from E to C and now i can get the whole tone drop on highest string (E to D).
But now i have open C tuning which is OK but am wondering if I missed something.
I am now tuned from low to high,

G C E F G C C E
I know only 8 so far.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

What kind of guitar, and do you have any pics of the underside?
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

It is a Regson 10 string single. Will post a pic.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

One other thing. The thinner the string, the more throw it'll take. You will need a relatively long throw, and the rod fairly far out on the bellcrank. Possibly adjusting the pedal stop
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

That particular string is very, very, very, thin...

Instead of bring it up to full pitch all at once, do it gradually. Tune the open say a couple of notes low, wait a few minutes (15 or so) and bring it up to the sharp, 15 more minutes to the next whole, etc until you get it to the open note, then do the same procedure for the raise.
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Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

When you say "the cam part cannot move freely on the rod," do you mean either:
1) the swivel is binding in the bellcrank (that being the piece that goes from the cross rod to the pullrod), or;
2) the rod binds in the swivel, or;
3) something else?
If 1, disassembly, thorough cleaning, derusting and some light oil should do it.
If 2, check that the act of pressing the pedal doesn't bend or torque the rods. You might need to re bend them so that they pass through the swivels.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

IMHO, you'd be better off choosing a more standard tuning, one that will work on most steels, and still give you a lot of changes. Pros designed these tunings, not only because they offered a lot of harmonic possibilities, but also because they were "workable" tunings on steels that were not very advanced or capable. Smile

I'd suggest a D-based or E-based tuning.

Stuart Legg · Posted 5 Sep 2013 2:09 pm

Sometimes it's just not possible to change some things with a simple p/r changer mech.

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

@ Lane

I mean the bell crank's action is to rotate but the pull rod wants a linear pull/or push. So the swivel thingy in the bell crank binds on the rod as far as I can tell. It seems to be the physics of it. For instance if the hole in the swivel was larger the rod could travel (throw?) further.

I know what I'm doing sounds a bit daft but I'm thinking a full E9 would be too steep a learning curve for now. I'm sure I will try it but psg's are hard to find in Northern California so I've never ever seen one or played one in E9.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Where in northern Cal? there are lots of them around the middle of thestate that people like Northern California, but they can't read maps. The San Francisco area is in the middle of the state. Sorry, I am the son of a map maker.but in the middle of the state, there are a great many steel players, they shouldn't be hard to find up there.
the swivel should be free to turn in the bell crank. If it is not, I would take it apart, clean the rust out, oil it I would also send private messages to bob Carlucci or Clyde Maddocks, they both work on pull-release guitars and could give pointers.
Sadly, you committed the equivalent of buying a worn out Willys jeep to learn to drive on: it'll work, but would benefit from an overhaul.
Donny suggested E9 because there are a lot of instructional materials available, many of them free, that can teach you how to play that tuning. You don't have to figure out how to work it at the same time you are trying to figure out on your own how to play it.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

Thanks everyone for advice and feedback.

My 1st guitar in UK was a $5 special and in order to get a good sound i put the heaviest guages on I could find which pulled the neck up big time. So the action was about half inch off the fretboard! But I learned to flatpick on that thing. I am used to cobbling things together. Sometimes banging your head agst the wall is OK.....it's nice when it stops Smile

or in my case when I can afford a nice PSG.

I will write a post on why I'm not doing E9 but I think I'd be better off lying low for a while before I roil the waters.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Well, I see nothing wrong with blazing your own trail, it's just harder work.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Bill Howard · From: Indiana, USA

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