Push Pull - What am I missing?

[John Larson]

The real question is why aren't there more pull release changer guitars? They seem like the compromise between all pull and push pull.

[Tommy Boswell]

Don't even know what that is John, but interested to hear.

[John Larson]

It's the mechanism Marlen used on some steels in the 70s and Jackson uses on their Maverick HD. Raises override lowers like a push pull and it requires slack in the rods to get everything working properly.

[Willis Vanderberg]

After trying to get to be proficient with these crazy guitars I believe this.
It takes both eyes, both ears, both hands ,both feet, both knees and above all a big heart to produce “ That “ sound..
I will be ninety on April first and I am still learning.
I have had seven push pulls, two Mullen, one GFI, one Fessenden, a few sho-Bud, a MultiKord and a LeGrande lll.
My latest is a D-10 Short Keyhead LeGrand. I love the sound I am getting with this guitar. This is my forever guitar……even though that may be a short haul…lol

[Greg Cutshaw]

My first steel was a PP bought used in 1972, S/N 2772D with a brand new Emmons amplifier. It had a pretty tinny sound live but recorded in the studio like a dream. It also had more sustain than any guitar I've ever owned. My dad had a local machinist make 5 more knee levers for it. The mechanics were buttery smooth and the mechanism was really simple for anyone with mechanical skills. I loved the unique conservative looking compact black mica body.

One thing that stood out for me was the rounded pedals that made it so easy to slide your left foot from pedal to pedal. I sold this guitar to Bobbe Seymour for the Big Jim Vest Sho-Bud which he marked down from $2100 to $1200 to make it an even trade. After installing A LDG in the BJV guitar, it had a killer tone.

[Henry Matthews]

Just now getting to reply to my short answer of yep. Push pulls got a bad name because some people that know nothing about one will start twisting and turning and moving things and before you know it, they are unplayable or either play so bad that no one has anything good to say about them if they sat down at one that’s been messed with by some one that didn’t know what they were doing. I remember first one I saw and played was that way. Left a very bad impression about them.

I had couple buddies here in town that always said you couldn’t run fast enough to give them a push pull. I changed both their minds with my push pull I had at the time. It played so easy and smooth just like all of them I’ve had. Of course, I’m the one that sat mine up. I play Day set up and first one I got came Emmons setup. Not really knowing what I was doing, it only took 8 hours to change it over, lol. And another month tweaking it getting it to play good but finally got it and it played and sounded like a dream. The next one was much easier.

I saw a pro player play a bolt on push pull for a while and then moved it and sat a Carter in its place. There was Very subtle difference out front but so little, most would never hear it. I told him that I couldn’t hear much difference in guitars out front and he said, oh yeh, I could tell a lot of difference playing them. He said push pull had, better sustain, better note separation and over all better tone.
So as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is tone, sustain and playability of a guitar.

I’ve rebuilt around 25 push pulls and have worked on many more that people have messed up and though they all sounded different, they’ve all sounded great. You would be absolutely shocked at some of the things I’ve seen done to push pulls, lol. I think someone miss quoted Bobby Seymore above. Bobbie told me the worst sounding push pull he ever played sounded great.

They are not for every one and the simplicity of the all pull guitar takes dominance over the push pull for most people. But if you have good knowledge of how they work and how to adjust and set them up, there’s nothing better and far as tone, sustain, staying in tune and play ability.

I’m playing a Magnum out now only for the simple reason of weight. The Magnum is very light and plays and sounds great but I still play my push pull here at home and on special gigs and also what little recording I do, I use the push pull. It’s just better.

[Eric Philippsen]

Well, here’s my two cents.

I’ve played push-pulls for 40 years and owned maybe 20-30 of them during that time. The reason for that was I liked them a lot and would often run across them at little music stores in the Midwest here. Pre-internet. Then it kind of got out-of-hand. Downsized in the past few years which is a good thing.

I can agree with what other old-timers have said about them. I like all-pulls, too. Those are easier to set up, adjust and change. As for push-pulls, one shouldn’t go messing with the undercarriage at first, even if you firmly believe you’re mechanically-minded. They’re just different animals. Most used push-pulls are out of adjustment to one degree or another. Best to have one of the 5-6 guys in the US go thru the steel. A well-adjusted push-pull is nice. I’m always amazed how I can set one up and, gig after gig after gig, it holds its tune.

Should you own one? Well, they got the tone. Yep. I also think that they have what I call “cut-thru”. That is, the tone and timbre that doesn’t get lost in the mix.

[Tab Tabscott]

I told my mother I was dropping out of high school to go on the road playing steel.

She asked me “what will it take to get you to finish high school?”.

I said “we’ll take me to Scotty’s and buy me a D-10 push pull and a Peavey Session 400…”.

I finished high school. Still have the push pull. Still amazes me just how great it sounds. Even after almost 47 years. I’ve been through several wives but my PP is the love of my life.

But a “mistress” Resound ‘65 might be fun to have.

[Tab Tabscott]

I told my mother I was dropping out of high school to go on the road playing steel.

She asked me “what will it take to get you to finish high school?”.

I said “we’ll take me to Scotty’s and buy me a D-10 push pull and a Peavey Session 400…”.

I finished high school. Still have the push pull. Still amazes me just how great it sounds. Even after almost 47 years. I’ve been through several wives but my PP is the love of my life.

But a “mistress” Resound ‘65 might be fun to have.

[Glenn Suchan]

My first steel was a PP bought used in 1972, S/N 2772D….

Greg, from what I can find D10 serial numbers for 1972 are 1589 through 1720. My D10 is serial number 2411D and it was most likely built in December of 1977. Nonetheless, I’ll bet your D10 sounds just as fabulous as mine.

Keep on pickin!
Glenn