Fixing my Sho-Bud Maverick

[Tyler Davis]

Hello all! this is my first post on the forum after weeks of reading it from afar. Pedal steel is one of my latest hobbies I started during quarantine this year, and I am not going to pretend to know what I am talking about - so please let me know if my terminology is wrong

I have a 10 string sho-bud maverick that recently broke its 6th string changer finger. From what I've gathered (on this excellent forum), I can take it apart and swap the unbroken changer finger from string 1. I would love any insight into this repair process so I don't get in over my head and break anything else. Is this an easy switcharoo?

I would also be interested in buying some spare fingers, because string 1 is the only spare I have left on the guitar - 7th and 9th are also broken. Does anyone have any for sale?

And to ice the cake, I'm hoping to replace the pickup while I have it all apart. I found a good deal on a George L's 10-1 pickup a few weeks ago, but haven't installed yet because I need to route the guitar body - the GL pickup is a little wider than the stock single coil. Any potential issues I might run into with this process?

Thanks in advance

[Rick Abbott]

What is the 7th string doing? It looks like the hook goes on the 6th string, usually a "B-pedal" pull, from G+ to A, like the 3rd string. The 7th string usually would not need any ability to move on a standard Maverick E9 tuning. I could be wrong.

[Tyler Davis]

hey rick, you are right and this is standard E9 tuning. my 6th string broke, not the 7th. my B pedal currently does not work... updating the original post now for future readers

[Garry Moore]

I'd reconsider leaving in that pickup especially if it still works correctly, and if it means altering the neck. I'm no expert, but if it's like the one in my 6139 those things sound amazing.

[Tyler Davis]

the stock pickup sounds good, but has a decent amount of noise... recording with it is pretty annoying. i chose the GL 10-1 pickup as an upgrade to kill the single coil buzz and hopefully fatten up the overall sound.

i think it will be a very minimal routing job with my dremel - the mounting holes even look the same

[Ian Worley]

Tyler, I have some of those fingers from sets I've changed out on all pull guitars, they're just the upper pot metal portion of a standard all-pull changer finger. If you PM your mailing address I'll send you a couple.

You are correct about just switching fingers, just remove the strings and push the axle out with a wooden chopstick or something similar. If you start on the string 1 end, push the axle out enough to drop just that finger out, then push the axle far enough to release the broken finger on 6, pull the chopstick back just enough to drop that one finger out and swap it with the good one, then push the axle back replacing the first string finger at the end.

[K Maul]

All those pot metal parts, like the knee levers, have a bad track record for breaking. Having spares is a good idea, if you can find some.

[Kelcey ONeil]

As already stated, swapping the fingers is no big deal, go for it! As for the pickup, many have regretted swapping them, especially for a humbucker. If you will connect a wire from the a changer mounting screw to the ground tab on the jack, it should get much quieter. Also check the power supply for your amp, having it on the same circuit as a refrigerator or something can cause a lot of hum.

[Tyler Davis]

thanks Kelcey, I'm definitely going to clean up the pickup wires when I start this project. Interesting note on the additional ground wire, maybe I'll give that a shot first before taking it all apart. But from my experience with electric guitars it's just the nature of the single coil beast - I'm a humbucker fan through and through.

What really sold me on the pickup swap was Daniel Lanois. Right around the 9 minute mark of this video really blew me away... he's able to play so softly and still get an incredible tone. I'm far from a traditional player and love the ambient side of steel. I think a humbucker would open a whole new world of creative possibilities for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDzBTmMY_Iw

[Kelcey ONeil]

Tyler Davis
Cool! If your into the “ambient” things, you may want to check out Sneaky Pete Kleinows B6 tuning. It’s mainly used on older 8 string Fender pedal steels, but is super versatile and can sit way outside the mainstream. It crosses E9 and C6 styles a bit with some totally unique stuff thrown in as well.

https://b0b.com/tunings/stars.html

This is a link with his copedent, it’s at the bottom of the page.

https://youtu.be/FMA3lIeqV8M

This is Sneaky playing on the intro and there’s a break about halfway through, yes that’s a steel with the Phase 90 going!

A pic of my Sneaky rig.


And the business end of another!

[Russ Wever]

... any insight into this repair process so I don't get in over my head . . .

The essence of it involves using a length of round rod stock the same diameter as the axle of the changer (I'm thinking 5/16" for a Maverick) (A smaller diameter can work, but upon reassembly you'd have to re-align changer fingers to be concentric with the axle).

Loosen the tension of, or remove, all strings (I use a masking tape over the rear apron, the nut and front apron to secure the strings and nut at that point, then divert the ball-end of the strings out of the way).

The idea is to use the piece of rod to push the changer axle such the the point of where the two meet, end-to-end, is located just past the finger you want to exchange.

Pulling the rod back outwardly will cause a gap between the two rods, allowing the 6th string finger to exit.

Pulling further will allow the 7th string finger to exit, then you can swap the two.

Next is to push the Axle back in, which, in turn, will push the rod back out.

In this case, this would be done pushing the rod in from the 10th-string side of the changer, since it is nearest to the broken finger and because the 7th-string finger is adjacent(If it was to replace a broken finger in a higher string postion, you'd go in with the rod from the treble-side of the changer).

While the axle is partially 'exposed', rotate it a half-turn, 180 degrees, so that the fingers will have a 'fresh' surface of the axle to exert their tension against.

~Rw

[Tyler Davis]

thanks Russ! this is great to hear. I received some spare fingers in the mail from Ian and hope to tackle this project over the weekend - your insight is very helpful.

Kelcey - that is an incredible rig! love how sneaky it is haha. once I get my maverick back in action I might have to try out that B6 or C6 tuning

[Boris Silva Carbonell]

the stock pickup sounds good, but has a decent amount of noise... recording with it is pretty annoying. i chose the GL 10-1 pickup as an upgrade to kill the single coil buzz and hopefully fatten up the overall sound.

i think it will be a very minimal routing job with my dremel - the mounting holes even look the same

Solder a cable from the negative and and make it touch a part that makes contact with the string. In my case I used one of the screw in the case that holds the fingers.

[Tommy Mc]

Solder a cable from the negative and and make it touch a part that makes contact with the string. In my case I used one of the screw in the case that holds the fingers.

Also consider twisting the wires between the pickup and the output jack. I'm no expert (and others can/will correct me if I'm wrong) but I think that twisting the ground around the hot wire provides a bit of shielding. If nothing else, it helps contain and neaten the wiring.

[Boris Silva Carbonell]

I twisted the cables but it did not helped so I needed to ground the negative cable, to reduce the noise to an acceptable level. This is a single coil pickup which always will be affected by interferences, if you want to cancel completed the noise you need a hambucker pickup or make a dummy coil for your single coil pickup. And also shield the base of the pickup.