carter push rods + string's

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Paul Higgins
Posts: 195
Joined: 24 Feb 2010 2:00 pm
Location: United Kingdom

carter push rods + string's

Post by Paul Higgins »

Im looking for a teck reason
my A pedal alters B- 5 string to c+ and my B- 10 string to C+
looking under neat at the workings
my A pedal there two spindles .one haS the B -10 and another fork connecting to an other spindle contain only the B-5
B pedal 3rd and 6th pedal are on the same prdal
Is there some tech reason for this
or have I lost the plot
The A pedal is stiff compared to the B pedal
Thank you for you help so far
Paul Higgins
Posts: 195
Joined: 24 Feb 2010 2:00 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by Paul Higgins »

continue from my fist post
Im finding it hard to explain
on the B pedal it operates strings 3 and 6 on the same pedal on the same spindle.. why carn't it operate it do the same on the A pedal
2 strings on one spindle// instead of 1 string attached to an other spindle to operated an another string
or IS there a reason for this
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Richard Sinkler
Posts: 17067
Joined: 15 Aug 1998 12:01 am
Location: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Post by Richard Sinkler »

It sounds like you might be talking about the "gear down" system they used on some guitars. The B pedal used a rod to link from the main cross shafts to a second cross shaft. By using this system, it was easier to time the pulls on string 3 and 6. Since my Carter was ordered with 8 pedals and 10 knee levers, there was no room to do this on mine. I belive the first one I saw was on Bobby Black's Carter.

See this thread:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ed67779198
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
Bobby D. Jones
Posts: 2235
Joined: 17 May 2010 9:27 am
Location: West Virginia, USA

Post by Bobby D. Jones »

Carter on their gear down setup uses an Independent Cross Rod which uses the Bell crank from pedal or knee lever to a Bell Crank on the Independent Cross Rod for its movement, Then Bell cranks attached to the independent cross rod pulls the the rods to the changer fingers.

Math wise calculating, One 5 hole bell crank on a pedal or knee lever gives you 5 pull timing adjustments.
Add another 5 hole bell crank powering the Independent Cross Rod. 5 holes in 1 bell crank + 5 holes in a second bell crank gives you 5 X 5 = 25 combinations. When the 3rd 5 hole bell crank is added to the Independent Cross Rod in the pull chain, Now the 25 combinations ( 5 X 5 = 25, Add 3rd bell crank 25 X 5 holes = 125 different pull length or speed combinations.
Gives very exact tuning so strings start together and end their pull together in perfect timing.

Was in a friend shop one day, He was working on a Carter Steel with this setup, Easiest guitar to setup I have seen.
Paul Higgins
Posts: 195
Joined: 24 Feb 2010 2:00 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by Paul Higgins »

thanks for the replays guys
going by the maths it best to leave well alone
its just why do it on the A pedal and not the other two
so ill leave it alone
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