I've got a Carter D-10. I was playing a gig over the weekend when I heard a snap, and my knee lever to raise E to F stopped working. I looked underneath and saw that the metal rod that connected the knee lever to the bell crank(?) had snapped at the connection to the knee lever. The part is relatively simple, just a bent metal rod that was cut to the required length. No threads or anything, but the bent end tapers to a point where it sticks into the knee lever.
I need help finding the part, as I don't know what anything underneath there is really called, or the best place to buy them. I live in RI so there aren't any steel guitar shops I know of, and even finding other pedal steel players isn't easy.
Try Al Briscoe at http://www.steelguitarscanada.com/.
He has all the Carter parts. It just looks like something that you could get at the local hardware store and make it to suit.
I don't know much but what I know I know very well.
Carter S-10 3X5, Peavey Nashville 112, plus Regal dobro and too many other instruments to mention.
Bluegrass Island CFCY FM 95.1 Charlottetown, PE, Canada, on the web at cfcy.fm.
A Touch Of Texas CIOE FM 97.5 Sackville, NS, Canada,
on the web at cioe975.ca.
Measure its length. Measure the length from the bend to the short end. As best you can, measure the diameter of the rod. Email or PM me, also post on here. If I have the material I'll bend it up and send it to you.
- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew
Thanks for the advice/offers guys. I needed a 3/32 inch rod, and the smallest I could find at a hardware store was 1/8 inch. Luckily my friend had a junk pile in his basement with a few rusty old 3/32 rods, and we were able to clean one up, bend it, cut it, and stick it in the steel. Everything's back to normal for now.
Glad you got it done. For future reference, if there's a Harbor Freight in your area, they carry 3/32 x 3' welding rod in a couple different alloys that you can make pull rods, etc.
Hobby shops are another source. They have short lengths up to a foot and some carry 3' lengths of 3/32 rod.
If you have need for 3/32" pull rods to keep your steel guitar performing. Check with your local Welding Supply Store. Some stock 1 lb. sleeves of Stainless Steel Heli-Arc rods. Supplier Mattheson, Part No. MSS 308L T500 MS. 14 33" smooth stainless steel rods that bend very nice and thread easy with 4-40 die and a few drops of oil. Cost $12.00 at my local welding supply store.
Hey Nick, this might not be applicable in this case, but you do know that we have 2 great repairmen/restorers just a few hours away, right?
Tommy Cass in Baldwinville, Mass.
John Widgren down in the Danbury area.
>even finding other pedal steel players isn't easy.
You can find a dozen on Sat Oct 5 at the RISGA annual show. Come on down. And I will play at the Parlour on Friday Oct 4, my regular first Friday gig there.
Search out forum member John Widgren; He is a very good steel guitar tech; nice guy, too.
Keep in mind that Carters seem to break alot, so play gently.
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.
