Adjustable Bellcrank Tuning/Timing? Blanton style

[Tim Toberer]

I have been staring at pictures of Blanton guitars for a while, and somehow I missed the fact that there is no tuning window in the endplate! There are no nylon tuners??According to other posts on these guitars the pulls are tuned at the bellcrank and according to some the pulls are automatically timed perfectly? This doesn't make any sense to me. I had always just thought the point of the Blanton bellcranks was to time the pulls, but if it is somehow tuning and timing I want to understand. I guess I understand how this would tune the pulls, by increasing, decreasing the pull rod length, but the timing aspect now escapes me. Can anyone explain? Also, are the lowers tuned in the same way, I guess it would seem so. If this is the case, I think this is just an absolutely brilliant design. I have no problem with tuning under the guitar.

The only other guitars that use these style bellcranks that I know of are the Springfield guitars and the Sierras. The Sierras still have a tuning window, not sure about the Springfield cause I can't find any pictures right now. So it would seem you could also tune the Sierra at the bellcrank.

The other question this brings to mind is how are the pull rods attached to the changer finger? Does anyone have a picture of a Blanton changer finger? These guitars really got me perplexed!

[John Hyland]

I don’t know about blanton designs but I can tell you what I have done to make an adjustable bellcrank.
Firstly the pull rod tuning is done at the end of the guitar with fixed hex nuts
At the bellcrank end the rod is threaded and it passes through a threaded nylon block. The threaded block gives the rod some grip so it doesn’t wander and stays in tune. Adjacent to the rod but at 90 degrees a threaded cap head screw allows the block to travel up and down the bellcrank to give variable tuning not afforded traditional bellcranks with set positions.
If the system is stable I don’t think occasional tuning via the underside would be a deal breaker but the rod still needs to be set into the most appropriate hole in the finger changer. This best position is what gives
the synchronisation of the pulls that you mentioned. Automatic is probably the wrong term but fully adjustable would be.

[Tim Toberer]

If the system is stable I don’t think occasional tuning via the underside would be a deal breaker but the rod still needs to be set into the most appropriate hole in the finger changer. This best position is what gives
the synchronisation of the pulls that you mentioned. Automatic is probably the wrong term but fully adjustable would be.

Thanks for the response John. I posted this over on the player side to hopefully get some more info. I suppose having tuners on the changer and adjustable bellcranks would give the ultimate control. However, the idea of eliminating the tuners on the changers really intrigues me, especially since apparently they are unnecessary. My mind was blown when I realized this! This opens up the construction of a solid wooden body with no need for metal endplates, (unless you really want them!)and would simplify tuning because it would be combined with timing. This seems to be a completely superior system that has not been adopted by most modern pedal steel guitars, although I am sure someone would disagree. Maybe people just hate the idea of tuning under the guitar, even if it also results in perfect timing.

here are quotes from other threads describing the tuning /timing process

"Jerry explained it this way That during the tuning process, the pedal timing also falls in to place."

"Turning that knurled screw on the top of the puller raises the leverage, and that's how the pulls are tuned; this is why there's no tuning windows, and the pulls are always timed as a result."

"the pedals have a consistent elasticity that's like nothing else - you're right Roger, it has to be felt to be believed."

[John Hyland]

Pictures say a thousand words