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Topic: EMCI knee levers... |
Nicholas Dedring
From:
Beacon, New York, USA
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Posted 19 May 2004 8:14 am |
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The Waco vs. Arlington post got me thinking: I've seen a couple of people mention their dissatisfaction with the knee lever design on the MCI/EMCI guitars. I have an MCI, but the knee levers were later rebuilt with new parts... what exactly is the issue with the original design?
I'm thinking about getting an additional guitar, possibly EMCI; I can't quite understand what the complaint is about since I haven't seen the original parts in question... anyone who's mentioned it, or hasn't and has an opinion: come on in and let me know. |
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John Lazarus
From:
Tucson, AZ.
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Posted 19 May 2004 9:49 am
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Nick, The levers themselves were poorly designed and tended to bend at the point that they attach to the guitar. There is a too thin piece of aluminum on the guitar end of the lever that usually bends or breaks off in time and the lever becomes unadjustable and lays too far over. I have jury rigged the levers to make them work and I can make them work fine, but the original design was flawed and weak. The EMCI levers are "L" shaped and thicker than the rectangular stock of the MCI levers, but that makes no difference since they are identical at the end point of attachment to the guitar and are, in fact, even interchangeable.
OK, having said all of that, I still think it is the best all-pull guitar ever made and I am amazed by the tone and sustain every time I sit behind my EMCI. All guitars have some issues and compromises and the MCI/EMCI welded frames are no exception. For me, the bottom line is still the tone and I wouldn't let a minor issue of knee levers deter me. Listen to the Emmons Christmas album and you'll better understand the level of tone we're talking about here.
The problem with owning a good EMCI is that you will never want another guitar after it. |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 19 May 2004 1:06 pm
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Yes I agree the knee levers are a little flimsy at the connection end - however I haven't broken one in 18 years of playing my MCI - I have added a couple of Carter knee levers to it though and they are great, and they fit perfectly, so it's pretty easy to retrofit other knees - I think the GFI ones fit too - and they have the expandable cross rods you need.
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John Lazarus
From:
Tucson, AZ.
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Posted 19 May 2004 1:35 pm
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Paddy, That's great news. Looks like I'd better look into a Carter or GFI retrofit. I have a few extra MCI/EMCI levers that I was given by other players who are machinists and made their own replacement levers. Those will get me through a few more years, but I'll plan for the future.
With this bit of good news, owning an EMCI is now a completely perfect experience!
Thanks. |
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Ronald Moore
From:
Mindoro, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 May 2004 5:37 pm
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| I have an EMCI guitar built in 1988, just before they went to the colored fretboard. The knee levers are mounted with a bolt and have a thin area above that where the angle adjustment screw is located. The thin area will bend back and eventually break off. I made one out of 1/2in. keystock and welded on the piece whith the adjustment screw. It works but looks kind of crude. Other than that, the EMCI was and is a great guitar. Ron |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 19 May 2004 6:58 pm
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John, the GFI knees are black and a slightly different extruded shape and don't look as good as the Carter ones - although the GFI crossrods fit nicely. The MCI/EMCI/Carter/GFI crossrods all seem to be the same size so the bellcranks and lever attachment will all fit. I have a Carter vertical and an extra LLF, (polished ones) and they look like they belong on the guitar.
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Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 19 May 2004 7:19 pm
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Mike Cass had replaced the knee levers on the EMCI that I bought from him with Emmons LeGrande levers and they are very tough and work wonderfully. Thanks again Mike!!
Jerry |
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Nicholas Dedring
From:
Beacon, New York, USA
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Posted 20 May 2004 4:57 am
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| When you say they can be replaced, does it mean replacing the whole knee lever mount and assembly, or is it just the lever itself... just a matter of bolting a new bar onto the mount? That doesn't seem like a really big deal in that case. Thanks for all the input already. |
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Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 20 May 2004 6:08 am
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Nicholas, Mike used the Emmons mounting brackets and levers.
Jerry |
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John Lazarus
From:
Tucson, AZ.
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Posted 20 May 2004 3:44 pm
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Ron- You mention that your EMCI is an 1988 and say it is before they went to the colored fretboard. My EMCI is an '86, and it does have the colored fretboard. I have seen other EMCI's with the black and white fretboards. I wonder if EMCI was just using up old stock off the shelf and not paying much attention to the colors as they transitioned from MCI?
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Bobbe Seymour
From:
Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 20 May 2004 6:31 pm
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John, I feel your guitar is newer than '86, And yes, many other brand parts work on the MCI/EMCI guitars. This fact should keep them in playing condition forever. I agree with everyone on the tone and sustain of this great guitar.
If someone could find John Birkhead, a lot of these secrets would be out in the open. Gene Fields has good info on them as well as Bud Carter, and then there is the incomprable Jim Smith. |
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John Lazarus
From:
Tucson, AZ.
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Posted 21 May 2004 9:09 am
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| Does anyone know how to reach the elusive Mr. Birkhead? |
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