old Marlen pull/release system.. any help?

[Bob Carlucci]

I always thought of these as single raise or single lower instruments. With that restriction, here's how I tuned my Speedy West D-10:



I know that people have ways of raising and lowering a string, but this simpleton approach is very smooth and stable. It works great for the traditional mid-century country music sound.

b0b.. I can understand where you are coming from.. However, if I can't have an E- F raise on a lever in addition to the E-F# on the C pedal, its a deal breaker for me.. I have to see what comes with the guitar, but I need to be able to double raise that 4th string.. Single lower is fine but single raise would limit me.. I use the E- F a REAL lot.. bob

[Donald Boyajian]

Bob- did you get rid of the GFI? You'd don't need the E to F anyways...lloyd green style.

[richard burton]

Bob,
Double raises are standard on most pull-release steels, just like on a Emmons push-pull.

In the case of the 4th string, the raise rod passes through the knee lever bellcrank, and also through the C pedal bellcrank.

The collar on the C pedal bellcrank is positioned so that, when the pedal bottoms out, the 4th finger is raised till it touches the body, and can't go any further, and the string is tuned to F# at the headstock.

A fine tuner is incorporated into the collar of the knee lever bellcrank, and this is used to tune the 4th string to F when the knee lever is activated.

There must be enough clearance (from the bell cranks to the collars) on the 4th string raise rod to allow the 4th string to drop to Eb

[Bob Carlucci]

Thanks Richard.. I am glad to hear that.. Our good friend and host b0b got me scared for a minute there... yikes...
"I think of these guitars as single raise/lower"

Bite your typing finger b0b...

... Richard, I can't envision in my head exactly what you mean, but it will make more sense when I have the guitar in front of me... Between the knowledge you , Ricky, and Clyde have on these guitars, and with your gracious assistance, I am sure I can get it together... Thanks to ALL... I look forward to working on this lovely old steel... bob

[Bob Carlucci]

Bob- did you get rid of the GFI? You'd don't need the E to F anyways...lloyd green style.

Hey Don- how you been??, er umm yeah I DO need the F lever..I am lost without it.. Its a crutch- I'm not that talented my good friend, and I need all the help can get!
Yes the GFI is a very nice little guitar, but just wasn't me.. I couldn't get used to the keyless head, and it sounded like a "modern" steel.. Bigger and rounder than the old school sound that I have in my head.. I liked it, but you know me pretty well, and in my little world, old is gold, Guitars, amps, pedal steels,, doesn't matter.. I just like the sound and look of old wood.

I enjoy playing my old Fender better than most any steel I have owned.. Its no where near as precise as a modern guitar, but thats part of the charm I guess.. In any case, if you have any reason to come to ithaca again, lets hang out for a few.. I gave you some lessons, and now I need them back! bob

[Ricky Davis]

b0b is speaking of a Speedy West Marlen that is pre-pull-release...there's no ability to adjust a spring-loaded rod holding a finger in idle position to "RAISE AND LOWER" the same string. On that particular Speedy west (I know because Carp had it a while and then gave it to me; then I sold it to b0b) you could either raise OR lower same string; not both.
Ricky

[Edward Rhea]

Thanks all of you guys for elaborating extensively on this subject! Having read and re-read this thread has given me a better understanding of my Marlens system even though mine is an all-pull some of your tuning tips are quite usefull.

[Jim Horan]

I have a lot of experence tuning this type of steels. Over the last years I have bought, sold and traded several hundred pedal steels, most of them were pull and release student models. I added knee levers to a lot of them and finally figured out how to tune them. The most difficult string is #4 since you raise it twice and lower it once. I usually add the D, E, F and G levers. Here is a Maverick and a Msa Red baron I modified. If you need any help, shoot me an Email

[Clyde Mattocks]

Nice work there Jim. I, too have added a full compliment of knee levers to some of these old guitars. You do reach a point where you have to weigh is it cost effective for what you will have when you get thru, versus springing for a guitar that has a modern changer and is easily upgraded. When you have to put so many adjustment points underneath, it gets awfully crowded under there and hard to get the straight pulls you need. Then there is the problem of having to be a contortionist to make your adjustments.

[Chris Lucker]

Interesting bidding on the left handed Marlen S8 pull release on ebay. The auction ended today. Sixty three bids, winning bid was $2300 or something, although only two bidders were active after $377 and those two bidders had 5 and 18 transactions.


141032757174 eBay item number:

[Donny Hinson]

Interesting bidding on the left handed Marlen S8 pull release on ebay...winning bid was $2300 or something...

"A fool and his money...etc., etc., etc." Gee, kinda make me wonder if I can get 4 or 5 grand for my old Danelectro "Pro"!

As far as adding changes, as Richard has said, any guitar can be set up with multiple raises/lowers, although it may require some additional small parts to be added o certain models.