EXstar (Excel) by Fuzzy Steel Guitar

[Anthony Parish]

I would love to see a video of this mechanism in action.

There is a video floating around that shows a user changing the tuning of an Excel PSG from E9 to C6 (I think) with the movement of a lever on the top of the instrument. It's almost like a magic trick!

I can't remember where I saw it (possibly from a link on this forum). I did a quick search on the Fuzzy web site and on youtube, but I couldn't locate the video.

[Mike Vallandigham]

Here is a link to the Facebook video. This is my guitar, Mitsuo posted it on the internet and I found it before I had my guitar. That was fun.

https://www.facebook.com/fuzzypsg/video ... 0877208155


So on a Uni, you use 7 pedals and say 5 knees...at all times. And a B lock lever. Right?
The lock lever is like a crutch and allows E9 and C6 chord sounds and grips on the same set of strings. That's how I understand a Uni tuning. I've stuck to E9/C6 mostly because of the instructional material available.

These are more like having a D-12 and all the pedals/knees.

You play some E9, then when needed, you throw the lever and reposition your knee and play some C6. It's not like a Universal tuning.

[Peter Roush]

So Mike. How many knee levers does your S12 have? Mitsuo's standard S12 E9/C6 comes with only 5 knee levers. I think I'm grasping that maybe I need more of them to separate the tunings' changes from each other. I have yet to see an Excel S12 E9/C6 copedent of any kind, this might clear it up for me. Does anyone have an S12 copedent diagram they could post?

[Mike Vallandigham]

Hi Peter,
Mine both have 7 knees. The standard 5 and two more center knees left and right.

My guitars have a dead standard Emmons setup. Same as I have on my D-10 PP.

I'll post a chart here in a bit.

[Mike Vallandigham]

Here it is. Standard Emmons 8+7 all the way.
This is what I sent to Mitsuo.

[Peter Roush]

Thanks so much! Very Helpful. Here is what I came up with.

[Mike Vallandigham]

Lookin good Peter.

Just played both mine last night. Both work flawlessly. They also have a such a great bold sound.

I'm excited to see what you and Mitsuo come up with.

My best tip for ordering/communicating with Mitsuo is to keep your English simple and short. He is pretty good with English, and we are horrible at speaking Japanese!

I believe he has a friend that helps him with communication, so it's pretty smooth.

But short is best. Leave the commas and semi-colons out.

[scott murray]

I'm still wondering why Mitsuo chose the name Fuzzy all those years ago. I asked him but never got a response.

if anyone knows, please share!

[Mike Vallandigham]

I think I heard that was his country name. Fuzzy Fujii.

[Peter Roush]

I have half stops on my present guitar, but what is a split?

[Peter Roush]

BTW, sent my application fee to Japan today. I'll wait a few days for him to get it, and then we roll......Thanks so much for your help, you guys are great!!

[Mike Vallandigham]

Congrats. I can't wait to see it! Should be pretty quick, He usually quotes 2 months I think. That's what mine took.

Splits are when you have say, a pedal that raises a string and a lever that lowers the same string. A tunable split allows you to get some note between the raised and lowered notes.

Can't think of a real example, I don't really used any splits.

These Excel guitars come with tunable splits on every string.

[Anthony Parish]

I have half stops on my present guitar, but what is a split?

Mickey Adams has a good YouTube video on split tuning in general.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BWRBvau4ms

[Benjamin Poilve]

Don't know if that is totally on-topic but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on the upkeep and more specifically the procedure to lubricate those recent ExStars.

I have a gig coming up (first real one, so quite nervous) and I wanted to make a thorough checkup but I don't think there is any documentation for those new changers. Did anybody had some information from Mitsuo on the subject?

For example, I read somewhere that you needed to release tension from the strings before lubricating each finger (which I did on my last steel), but I don't think that just tuning down the strings from the changer would give enough slack for that. Also do you proactively change some strings before a concert?

[Jon Light]

I love all the lever hardware for adjustment/positioning.
One question, related to a discussion elsewhere -- I require considerable "dangle" on the vertical -- I want it positioned a half inch above the knee on my short legs. A folding extender works brilliantly on my Williams (actually custom machined for even more extension) and a similar bit of hardware is offered by Mullen. These extenders fold back on themselves to deal with the problem of casing the guitar. Plus they enable semi-horizontal position instead of a steep diagonal angle.

What happens with these Excel vertical levers when you case the guitar? Do you fold them back?

[John McClung]

Following... hey Tony Parish, get me with and we'll talk about all this!

Professor Twang

[Charles Petrie]

Don't know if that is totally on-topic but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on the upkeep and more specifically the procedure to lubricate those recent ExStars.

I found Greg Cutshaw's page on this topic to be a great help:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Lubricate/Lubricate.html

[Benjamin Poilve]

I found Greg Cutshaw's page on this topic to be a great help:

Thanks for the link, it does seems like a great starting point !

[Patrick Huey]

I love all the lever hardware for adjustment/positioning.
One question, related to a discussion elsewhere -- I require considerable "dangle" on the vertical -- I want it positioned a half inch above the knee on my short legs. A folding extender works brilliantly on my Williams (actually custom machined for even more extension) and a similar bit of hardware is offered by Mullen. These extenders fold back on themselves to deal with the problem of casing the guitar. Plus they enable semi-horizontal position instead of a steep diagonal angle.

What happens with these Excel vertical levers when you case the guitar? Do you fold them back?

Jon,
I always thought it strange it's called a "verticle" knee when it's more horizontal

[Peter Roush]

Hi Guys. Been a while. Still Enjoying my Excel S12 E9/C6. Very nice overall. Tuning is OK. However still there is the issue of String 11 which is an E in E9 and an F in C6. It is either sharp in E9 or flat in C6 because that change is beyond the throw reach of the changer(s). I've compensated by tuning the F in C6 reasonably flat and the E in E9 noticeably sharp and stretching it before playing along with (following Greg's advice) bar compensating and good muting with the right hand helps. Loving this string. I wonder if I change gauge from stock .054 to .056 and see if it will improve this situation, (or should I try a .052?)

[Mike Vallandigham]

Peter, there is zero reason for that string re-tune to not work. It's well within the range of the fingers - there must be another reason why it's not working right.

I'd take a good look under there and try to see what the problem is. Pedal 5 and Pedal 8 actuate that finger in C6 mode - make sure that everything is OK with those pulls when in either E9 of C6 mode. Like if it's bound or overtuned.

If I had to guess, throwing the retuner is causing something to bind with the pulls or nylon tuners on either string 5 or 8.

[Peter Roush]

Yeah Mike, so that’s what Fujii told me but I may have mis- understood due to language. Nothing is hitting underneath. In E9 when I try to flatten the E with the tuning peg it stops sharp and the peg spins freely. Could it be I must release the set screw and move the finger to get more throw?

[Mike Vallandigham]

Hi Peter,
Does your guitar have all the tuning at the changer fingers like Benjamin's? No tuning pegs at the keyhead end?

If it's not too much trouble, can you post a photo of your guitar's changer from the top and from the underside?

String 11 is normally and E, then the retune lever lowers it to an F (partially engaging the lower finger) then it's raised to F# again by P5 (using the raise finger) and then lowered on P8 back to E - which would push the lower finger further that it's being pushed by the retune lever/bar.

There has to be enough slack to allow all that to happen without binding.

The guitar will do what it's supposed to do. Either it's misadjusted/bound, or something is wrong with the finger.

I'd love it if we could get this figured out for you. We can do it.

[Peter Roush]

Mike. Thanks so much for your continued interest. Yes all tuning is at the changer. I have yours, JD'x and Greg's instructions and I'll revisit this and send pics, later next month. I re-read Greg's and I may have been wrong in my interpreting that had the same issue. JD also sent considerable time with his replies and I thank you all. [/u]

[Peter Roush]

BTW - Love this guitar! I'm using E9 strings 11 and 12 more and more. Revolutionary. Still having E9 strings 10. 8, 6 grip problem and occasionaly grabbing 11 and 12, but getting better. B4 a gig I sometimes mark 10,8,6 with a sharpie, doesn't seem to affect the sound.