The only thing I disagreed on, was what you'd said pretaining to the "Modern Day Changer." Regardless, they are no different, in the way they work, from back in the day. The fingers still rotate on a shaft, and the shafts need to be lubed from time to time. So modern day, or older age, remains the same in that respect. I simply found that as an odd statement to make.
I think you might not have read Josh's other post to where he answered the other questions.
He had said on the opening post, that he'd only been having the problem for the last month or so. He then posted the following:
I read between the lines of what he was saying. Since he was having problems, and did everything he knew how to do, (including he'd just changed the strings) I knew exactly what the problem most likely was. It's still the most common problem among steels, in not returning true.I guess I should have mentioned that the strings are about 4 days old (and the correct gauges) and that I bought the steel new.
I'm sure you'll hear, just tighten up the return springs and it'll pull the finger back to where it needs to be.
It will! But! It won't solve the problem of why they/it needed to be tightened more in the first place.
Some people only deal with symptoms. I deal with the real problem that causes the symptom to be as they are in the first place.
Get rid of the cause and the Real Cure has been accomplished. Simply covering up the cause by tightening return springs, does nothing for the actual cause for needing the return springs tighter to do their job.
I'm willing to bet, that there are many pedal steels, right now, that are so over tensioned on their return springs, when the real culprit was a lack of lube getting down to where it needs to be. Or, for the complete lack of lubrication in the changer assembly, as well as, in most other areas too.
From now on, all Josh will have to do from time to time, is put a drop of oil down between the fingers, as well as for the pedals, etc. And he'll continue to have a great playing steel.
Now, how about if Josh had simply tightened up return springs, as was suggested. Just think on that for a moment or two. And sure, it probably would have FORCED it to play ok. At the expense of doing Horrible damage to the changer, and wearing many other parts out along the way too.
Springs simply do NOT stretch if they're any good at all to begin with. A spring has to be way over stretched in order to lesson it's tension. But evidently lots of folks don't know just how valuable a drop or two of oil really is, as well, cleaning out the dirt and debris (after a few years of playing) that collects over time, and then relubing. That's how you get a pedal steel to last a Real Lifetime.
A lack of lube, can otherwise destroy an otherwise great playing machine, and turn it into one that isn't so great to play, in very short order.... Don
PS: I'm not an artist, and working with MS Paint, isn't the easiest for me, but here is something that may help folks who don't use this process for winding their strings, when putting on new ones. Absolutely no slippage when done right. I couldn't make the tapered shaft look right, so you'll have to read what I wrote on the one pic.. Hope it helps someone. PS: It'll work for most other stringed instruments as well.
