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Topic: Keith/Scruggs tuners for Dobro......... |
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 20 Aug 2008 5:18 am |
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On another thread I mentioned about using Keith/Scruggs banjo tuners on a Dobro for multiple tunings. Here's a couple of shots of the one I have them on. It's tuned to a G6th which is low to high B*D*E*G*B*D I have the pegs on strings one and three. By raising the first string D to E and the 3rd string G to G# I get a very usable E7th tuning which is great for rock and blues and also some steel guitar pieces such as "Steel Guitar Rag" in the right key.
As you can see, on the solid headstock you have to reach under the guitar to activate them but that's really not a problem. It can be done in mid song so you can use both tunings in a single tune.
With the slotted headstock, most of them don't have enough wood to properly seat the tuners but I'm thinking of adding them to my other slotted headstock Dobro by making some wooden washers of the proper thickness to put on the outside of the headstock so I'd be able to tighten down the tuners with the nut. As you can see in the shot of the slotted headstock, there's not enough wood to properly seat the tuner through the side without adding to the width of the side piece as the metal part of the tuner which goes through the wood is wider than the outside wood strip on the headstock.....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2008 7:33 am
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| My first Scruggs Tuners were a gadget that clamped on to the peghead. It had little adjustable cams that pushed strings 2 and 3. When I got a set of Scruggs-Keith tuners I was somewhat disappointed. They looked much better, but were actually harder to use! |
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Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 20 Aug 2008 9:06 am
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John, my first ever Scruggs type tuner was one I made to lower my 6th string E to D on an old Mosrite guitar. I made it from a straight water faucet handle which had a hole in the end of it in which I put a screw. The thing would push the string sideways to the E note and I'd run the string through the slot on the head of the screw. I added a couple of strap pegs for stops and when I'd push the handle sideways the string would lower to D. You'd have to tune the string to D first with it disengaged and then push the lever to raise the string to E. It actually was pretty acurate and tunable..........JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2008 9:06 am
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| Lost in the mists of time Greg! It was almost 50 years ago! I did make my first set, then bought some at a music store that's now long gone also. As I recall, I may have gotten the plans from Earl Scruggs' amazing 5-string banjo book.Or maybe they were in the Pete Segger book. I made my first 5-string when I was 14. I used the rim/pot from my Grandfather's old Bruno tenor. I made the neck from a piece of maple, using a pre-fretted guitar fingerboard. Wish I still had it! That was the one with the homemade Scruggs' Tuners. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2008 9:09 am
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| Yup Jerry! That's how they worked. There were somewhat similar devices for steel guitars too. And Paul Bigsby used that same sort of system on his very first pedal steels! |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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