BMI guitars

Steve Alcott · Post by **Steve Alcott** » 6 Dec 2004 10:15 am

Has anybody out there played one of the BMI steels with the raises and lowers on opposite ends of the guitar?

Joey Aguilera · Post by **Joey Aguilera** » 6 Dec 2004 10:18 am

Thats what I have but I am just starting out so I don't suppose I could be much help to you

My raise is on LKL and my lower is on RKL.

Joey

Steve Alcott · Post by **Steve Alcott** » 6 Dec 2004 10:21 am

I'm referring to the guitars with the raise and lower changers on opposite ends.

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 6 Dec 2004 1:13 pm

Joey.

Steve means lower on the left side and raise on the right side of the end-plates.

Ron

Nikaro SD10 4x6

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 6 Dec 2004 4:35 pm

I never had one, but I played several.
The easiest action I've felt. Delightful knee levers. You get a very DIRECT feel of what's happening since you are going to a straight finger and not through a changer linkage.
It was a brilliant design.
If I were to built another one, it would certainly have changers at both ends like the BMI.
He was quite the innovator.

JW

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 6 Dec 2004 11:05 pm

This is most fascinating, and seems Iike a very good idea - in theory, at least. I have never seen or heard of one of these, so I am wondering where you put the tuners if there are changers at both ends? Wouldn't that be very complicated? Pictures, anyone?

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 7 Dec 2004 9:34 am

I've never seen one of these BMI's so I don't really have any idea how the tuner is configured.

However, I would imagine that you could integrate some type of keyless tuner into one of the changers. That is, you could mount an adjustable string anchor to each changer finger.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 7 Dec 2004 9:51 am

Winnie....how do those work with split changes such as B to Bb on string 5 along with B to C# on the A pedal. Do they split OK?........Thanks, JH

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 7 Dec 2004 9:59 am

Do a search on Bobby Bowman, Double Changer, in Pedal Steel.
R B

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 7 Dec 2004 10:20 am

I've seen a few pics once.I think it was here on the forum.So somebody must know how they work.
Maybe it was another brand and not even a BMI.
But I do know they excist.

Ron

Nikaro SD10 4x6

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 8 Dec 2004 12:23 pm

All very simple.
The changer on the right is the pulls. Single finger with a keyless unit (like the Kline) attached to the finger. It's a straight pull finger.
The changer on the left is the lower one. On the BMI it was a bit tricky since Zane wanted to keep the string taper. So the Lower fingers are made of 1/4" stock. They are held against the body with a spring (like the lower fingers on the p/p Emmons) and are pushed to lower.
I forget exactly how Zane allowed for tuning these.
The underneath can look like a bit of a mess since the roda going to the raise are pretty parallel, but the ones going to the lowers are tapered in.
Nevertheless, it played well and had a good direct feel.
Not sure how the "splits" were tuned, but I'm sure there was a way.

Best!

JW

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 10 Dec 2004 7:15 pm

I've got one of these BMI keyless guitars and have taken some shots from various angles. I don't have time to post these properly right now but I'm happy to email them for posting or personal viewing.

I haven't got splits set up but the B to C# raise in combination with the B to Bb lower gives me an approximation which I use. Each string has the potential for 4 raises and 4 lowers, so I'm sure that splits may be possible. It's no easy task to change the copedant (with the supplied hardware)because the rod lengths are different going to opposite ends.

Winnie, thanks for explaining the taper business. The BMI is a great guitar, as is the Anapeg I got this year.

Graham

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 11 Dec 2004 11:29 pm

Graham sent me these VERY interesting pictures to share with y'all:

[This message was edited by Per Berner on 12 December 2004 at 12:09 AM.]

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 12 Dec 2004 12:00 am

And here are some more:

[This message was edited by Per Berner on 12 December 2004 at 12:10 AM.]

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 12 Dec 2004 2:47 am

Per,

Thanks for taking the time to upload these pictures. As you can see, this BMI keyless is a bit "battle scarred", having been made in 1988 and used constantly over the intervening years.

It's a very durable instrument and I still play it, although it could do with an overhaul. Zane Beck told me (in late 1978 when I spent some time in Little Rock with him and his wife Faye) that he planned such a guitar (that you could fit into a saxaphone case). His dream became a reality a few years later and Don Fritsche made this one for me after Zane passed away in 1985.

I would recommend a BMI to anyone. They're great guitars.

Graham

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 13 Dec 2004 10:07 am

Winnie:

In your book there's a picture of Zane Beck playing one of his BMI's, but on the right hand end of the guitar, ON TOP of the body were the raise/lower adjustments. Are there very many of these around? That looked like a wonder full place to place the changer adjusters. Especially for those players that play in dark venues.

Just wondering,

Ricky...

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 18 Dec 2004 3:41 am

Years ago, when I first started building pedal steels, I experimented with a changer on each end, but found that there was extreme string hysteresis, ie, a raise would come back significantly flat, and a lower would come back excruciatingly sharp.
I didn't pursue the double changer idea because of this phenomenon.
I wonder how Zane Beck overcame the string hysteresis?
R B

Richard Shelley · Post by **Richard Shelley** » 18 Dec 2004 6:55 am

Gorgeous guitar! Makes me glad I've still got my BMI.

John Hall · Post by **John Hall** » 18 Dec 2004 9:36 pm

Makes me very pumped about the gorgeous BMI that's coming to me next week.

John Hall

stingray · Post by **stingray** » 19 Dec 2004 6:15 am

Hi Winnie & all on post...

Looks nice..are the ZB BMI MCI all the same co. ? I haven't played one ,but I was wondering .... in your oppion !! due the alumn. frame guitars have a brighter or thinner sound?

I bet they are sturdy & solid...Take care !

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Gary L.Converse
(teach a kid how to play steel) KEEP PICKING!

[This message was edited by stingray on 19 December 2004 at 06:19 AM.][This message was edited by stingray on 19 December 2004 at 06:21 AM.]

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 22 Feb 2005 7:15 am

HI Folks,
Bobby's thread about the direct pull feel piqued my interest in these BMIs so I am reviving this thread. A fellow in Richmond Va, Harold Spain built a run of steels in the 70's with changers at both ends and I don't think he every completly solved the string return problem that Richard mentioned. I assume Zane did solve it?
Other than the industrial strength looking knee levers this looks like a neat concept is there anyone out there that knows a lot about these guitars?
Jay

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 22 Feb 2005 9:29 pm

Jay,

Get in touch with Don Fritsche in Scranton ... he still makes them. Do a search and get his #.

Graham

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 23 Feb 2005 5:42 am

Thanks Graham,
I was able to find an e-mail address for Don, haven't heard back from him yet and will call him in a few days if he doesn't repsond to the e-mail. Anybody know when the best time to call him is?

Damien Odell · Post by **Damien Odell** » 23 Feb 2005 6:11 pm

I was trying to contact Don recently - I don't think he checks his email regularly. I think the best way to contact him is by the phone in the early evenings US time.

Damien