The Steel Guitar Forum

Tom, yOu should just call you closest GFI dealer. I am sure that they can help, if not shoot me an emaikl and I might be able to.
Quentin

I have just acquired an older GFI INIVERSAL and after sorting out the brass ferrules I am very impressed on just how well these steel are made and how well it plays and sounds.

I have a 1980 Emmons D2-10 8/4 and love it!! Its a push pull and haven't had any problems with it. I recently bought a GFI Ultra S10 3/4 and LOVE it too!! after having some surgeries I had to watch how much I lift and carry and this little baby had all the answers! Not only is it easy to move around it sounds great! I have not had any problems with it at all and it stays in tune really well...
Jeff Campbell

JUst got my first GFI last week, its a SD10 ultra, came from texas to az Fed-ex and I didnt even to tune it!!
I have had SEVERAL guitars in the past couple of years, and this is my LAST one, I am completely satisified, sound is great and it plays like MELTED Butter!!Best pedal action I have had , Try one, you will love it, besides its very pretty!!!

I just picked up my first GFI this year, a used Ultra SD10 from the forum. They ARE exactly as you read about here...lighter and great play-ability/tone. Used GFI's are worth more than they have been selling for.

I have a 2007 GFI Ultra, D10, Black and gold, for sale. It was toasted beyond recognition in the fire at my house a couple of weeks ago. Two bucks and it's yours. You pay shipping.

Richard

GFI builds a great guitar. I like the one I have very much; plays well, sounds good and is good to my 83 year old back. Thought I would include a picture of this very special guitar.

A question if I may, and I have tried to take a hard look at the pictures on the site to verify. I'm not seeing anything that would indicate the ability for split tuning (again the pictures aren't that clear for that), can a GFI do split tuning?

Thanks in advance for your time and effort.

Edited @ 6:05 PM EDST:

Well, this seemed like a simple question but I guess not.

Hi Dickey, you certainly can get tunable splits with a GFI. I had the tunable split on mine by dropping the 6th string a whole tone and than raising it a have, gave me some cool sounding licks.

Does anyone notice the brass bushings, that the tuning rod goes through, begin to squeak?
The squeak starts after grooves appear on the brass.
I'm talking about the brass insert that goes through the bell crank.
I flipped the bushings and the grooves are now on the opposite side and starting to squeak there also. I guess it's time for new brass inserts.
I'd like to find the same bushings made out or airplane aluminum or something harder than the brass.

Gary
Do you ever lube these? I know GFI say none required but I doubt they are made of pre-lubed sintered brass.
I found for brass on metal that a quality ATF (automatic transmission fluid) oil is one of the best. It's thin and penetrates well and seems to be brass friendly. Remember that brass very seldom actually wears (as off in a powder) it just peens to another shape. Might as well pee on it as use some cheap thin oil from the supermarket.
I can't see any wear on any of mine at all and I doubt Aluminium would work in that situation.

Jim
I have used high quality fan oil, that Bob at GFI said was good.
Bob claims the grooves are a normal happening and to keep a spare bushing around.
He also suggested flipping them around when wearing appears.
The squeak is the issue.
Maybe ATF will do it and possibly slow the grooving.
Thanks
PS: I wonder if peening can cause a binding effect.

I guess there is a certain amount of percussion on these as well as rotary wear so brass may peen. I know they are fine with what I am using. Brass is a very forgiving mixture as long as it is treated right. Any bearing that simply oscillates rather than circulates is much more prone to wear as they are harder to lube eg. nut rollers and changers. Players who are 'pedal stompers' may make things worse - not saying you are but I have seen players that do.
I'm no metallurgist but I know from years in the motorcycle trade that certain metals running on another specific type of metal needed pretty specific types of lube etc. Possibly filing a tiny oil groove across the main wearing area could help the lube getting to the right area - but when you think about it there would be so little rotation of these bushes I think the play is more from the percussive forces there.

(@ Gary Reed)
The problem lies most likely in the fact that there is too much play between the bell-crank, and the brass bushing. I developed my own cheap, simple, little fix for it. I installed a series of these in 07', when I purchased my guitar, (new) and haven't had any of the problems that you've described. It's still every bit as quiet, and true as the day I added them. It sounds like some of your bushings might be 'too far gone' to do any good, at this point. I'd recommend getting some replacements from GFI, first - Then, try these nylon buffers. If you want to get them yourself, they are a 1/4" (ID) x 1/2'(OD) and roughly 1/32", in thickness.
Or, I have them available, cheaper than you can get em', and they're already pre-cut - ready to install.
($3.00 per neck - If, You send me a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope)


You can get another, closer look at it here, too. > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TriNEV7ZOCg

Your pal, DH

Jim & Dale,
Thanks for the help.
I'll work with suggestions posted.
I'm confident the problem will be solved now.

G'day

I have a GFI Ultra (D-10, 8 Pedals, 5 levers) about 5 years old. (Keyless tuners have caused a bit of concern when a tuning cradle snapped off) - I wonder if I have to remove the whole E9 neck to fix this, GFI sent me the part really quickly.

The other issue is the pickups - they are standard GFI-II but as I do not use picks at all I cannot get any "tops" out of them thru any amp - Steel King, Nashville 112 etc. Does anyone have any replacement suggestions?

Regards 1BAR PHILL

Perhaps 705s. Or a ToneAligner.
Or picks.

Phillip

Actually there's no 'tops' in cockroach country ha ha.
Seriously I have a GFI lll pick up I took out and will never use. If it won't give you tops there are none available. It is VERY bright. You are welcome to try/have it - just send me a PM.
priebs (in toadland)

george L E 66 is very bright.
GFI III is almost as bright, definately more defined than the GFI II
wallace true tone is brigt enough and sounds pretty on GFI

picks make a better sound in my opinion

good luck

Dale Hansen's nylon bushing mod is great. Worked for me. Unfortunately, I sold my S12U GFI two years ago and now have seller's remorse! I want it back!

I'd like to hear from anyone playing the gearless models. They look great on the website and I think Gene only makes 12 strings gearless. Also I like the bold colors that they say are no longer available.

I did have an alignment issue with tuning gears for strings 6 and 7. I took one tuner out (not too easily done) and put a spacer to create more space between the spindles. It may be why 12 stringers are only available with gearless tuners.

Also I found several sharp corners I smoothed out with a file, particularly the pedals.

That said, the guitar was great playing, sounding and well designed. I recently saw Merle Haggard and Norm was playing a GFI. Sounded just like Norm Hamlett ; ~). Good chance I'll own another GFI some day.

john
I guess you mean keyless
I have a s10 and can see no negatives at all tone is fine
no nut rollers required no string hysterisys less cab drop from shorter body (it is still there) string changing is easier and tuning is fine although a finer thread on the screws would make it better and less sensitive.
my u12 has normal tuners so I get to compare all the time.

Thanks for that input.

The GFI keyless looks easier to use than others I've seen--i.e.--you turn a knob by hand; don't need to use a tool. I was just wondering if the mechanism is as reliable and sturdy as conventional tuners.

How thick are GFI crossrods?

John, GFI crossrods are 5/16" square.

Thanks, Bob Tuttle. Any steel maker making bell cranks for crossrods 3/8" in width?