The Steel Guitar Forum

JD:

See my reply to Rhino - the other 'lower' on the 6th is occupied by that static compensator. (I'm not sure that 'static' is the right word, but it seems pretty rigid to me.)

Rob suggests that I 'can remove it' and free up that slot. I wonder if doing so would affect something in the stability of the guitar: I suppose I can always put it back if it all goes pear-shaped.

(I bet my pal Junior Mercer would know.)

Roger Rettig wrote:JD:

See my reply to Rhino - the other 'lower' on the 6th is occupied by that static compensator. (I'm not sure that 'static' is the right word, but it seems pretty rigid to me.)

Rob suggests that I 'can remove it' and free up that slot. I wonder if doing so would affect something in the stability of the guitar: I suppose I can always put it back if it all goes pear-shaped.

(I bet my pal Junior Mercer would know.)

I personally don't see a the need for a lowering compensator on the E's.
IF you were to tune JI, with a JI-flatted E (being the Major 3d to the C.Major chord), you might need to raise it to ET value with some changes (the A.M6th resulting with the C-to-C# raised combined with P5 for one).

Frankly, and this is another subject we debated recently here, I would suggest that PEDALED C6th tends to need to be tuned as close as possible to ET, specially when you aim to combine certain pedal and lever changes, which can create completely different chords. The resulting mis-matches from JI lowered M3rds and JI raised m3rds finding themselves in a completely different degree with these changes would require a never ending army of compensation pulls. But that's veering off topic.

Unless you depend on that somewhat obscure to me compensation pull, there's your slot to instal the -in my opinion- more useful E-whole step-drop.

... J-D.

All I was concerned with was making a mechanical blunder, thus creating a snafu above which I'd be unable to rise.

I just had a nice chat with my friend, Junior Mercer, who knows these guitars inside-out. On his advice, I rolled off the compensator to see if there was any ill-effect. There wasn't.

I've now put a lower on the E (to D) and added a raise to the 1st string (to Eb); I have a feeling this will work. These changes are now on P4. That pedal used to be my 'reverse P6); I've moved that change to MKV.

Now to go and tune everything up!

while it makes a lot of sense to lose the 10th (C) string, it would play havoc with my grips.

I'd think that adding the D string between C & E ( and losing the low C ) would actually make the grips a bit more congruent with those of your D13, which has that added 9th tone...

'Reverse P6' on my MKV is an unqualified success. A useful change, and easy to reach.

My lowering of the E to D, while it works and reaches the target, it's way too stiff, and almost unwilling to go there. That change needs to be brisk with a light touch.

I've consulted Jon Light about what may be going on; back under the guitar tomorrow (dialysis today ) to check on return-spring tensions, etc.

I actually enjoyed just playing my guitar this morning (whilst avoiding P4). All this switching things around does take time when I'd rather be practicing.