1/2 tone tuners on PP lower?

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Has anybody used 1/2 tone tuners on a lower on a push-pull? I have two on raises and they work fine, but I have never tried them on lowers. It would seem they would be pretty hard to get to for tuning purposes. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

If you're looking to lower a string in half steps....and the string doesn't have any raises you can:

1] Use a spring to pull the raise finger against the body at rest and tune open with the key.....2] then tune the full step lower at the lowering screw on the endplate (upper row socket screw)...3] lastly, tune the lower row socket screw (the one that you normally use for tuning the open string) to the desired 1/2 stop.

Voila!.....you tune the open string at the key head and both lowers at the end plate.....TIP: you can adjust the feel of the 1/2 step by tightening the lower finger return spring.

NOTE: Using this method precludes having any raises on the string.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Tony, I should have stated, I am contemplating using 1/2 tone tuners to lower strings that will definitely have raises as well.

Specifically, I am thinking about lowering the fifth string (E9th) both a 1/2 tone (on a vertical knee lever) and a whole tone (on the 4th floor pedal, Paul Franklin change). Then on the sixth string lowering both a 1/2 tone and a whole tone on two separate knee levers. The sixth string would probably also be lowered a whole tone on the PF floor pedal, but that redundancy is no big deal on a push-pull.

So two of those little 1/2 tone tuners would have to be employed to accomplish all this. Is this a good idea? Has anyone ever done this?

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

Hi Paul. Long time no see! I have done it and it works just fine except that it is a real bear to get to as they tend to get buried under the raises.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

I had some on my Emmons P/P U-12 and, as Jim mentioned, they can be quite difficult to access; however, that guitar stayed in tune so well that I rarely ever had to adjust them.

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I use a 1/2 tone tuner on E9 9th string for lowering the 2nd string D# to D & C#. This allows you to also raise the D# to E on another lever or pedal. Also on my 7th string as a compensator for a slight lower at the bottom of my A pedal. I can't fit one on the 1st string of my D10, where I set a collar to slightly lower at the bottom of the B pedal.

I would think guys who lower the C6 G string to F would use one.

Peter Freiberger

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Thanks for all the input. I'm convinced it will work.

Jim, it certainly has been a long time. What year did we meet at Jeff Newman's college? Was it '76 or '77? Hope the business is going well. Paul

richard burton · From: Britain

Instead of a half-tone tuner on a lower (because of the difficulty adjusting it with all the other rods in the way), I would put adjustable stops on the knee levers, and do the tuning there.

In fact, because of my ZB's mechanical limitations, I tune my 6th string full-tone drop with a knee lever travel adjustment screw

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