The Steel Guitar Forum

I need info on where I can purchase Some pull rods for me PP emmons thanks Jack

Steel Guitar Nashville should be able to help you.

The last time I needed some (a long time ago) for my PP, I bought some stainless steel rod at a model airplane shop. You have to grind a flat spot on the end for the hook so you can drill a hole (and being it's stainless steel you need special drills).

Actually it's pretty easy to flatten the end of the rods with a hammer then drill out the holes. The rod is available at most any welding shop.

Jack,
Go to your local welding supply and ask for 1/8th stainless rod. It comes in 36 inch lengths and is purchased by the pound in most places. You should get about 6 rods to the pound.
As Jim said, you can flatten the end of the rod with a hammer, but I find you need a small drill press to drill the hole. I'm not that good with a hand drill.
Hope this helps!
Cheers!
Benton

I got the steel rods at a welding shop and they worked OK. I could whack 'em with a hammer and drill a hole but the steel is kinda hard to work with. So I went back and got aluminum rods. Aluminum is much easier to whack and drill. I don't even have to drill the aluminum; I can just push a nail to make the hole.

I refrain from using aluminum rods on a p/p guitar due to the alloy's reputation for expansion and contraction. I know of another player who's p/p guitar was set up with aluminium rods and he regretted it considerably. Push/pull raise rods are available from Emmons Guitars in Burlington, NC. 336-227-2782, just as they have been since 1964.
I order them frequently and have them stamped and drilled on both ends so I can use the remnant for pulls installed closer to the changer. Good luck.

Mike Cass wrote: Push/pull raise rods are available from Emmons Guitars ... stamped and drilled on both ends ...

Yes, great money-saving tip. Do you remember their price?

Mike Cass wrote:I refrain from using aluminum rods on a p/p guitar due to the alloy's reputation for expansion and contraction.

Seems to me this would matter on an all pull guitar where every pull depends precisely on the length of the pull rod. But on a push /pull, the tuning is done at the changer, and a little expansion/contraction would only affect how much you compress a tiny spring after the changer has stopped at pitch. It would however affect tuning on those pulls that are tuned under the guitar (such as 4th string half step raise on a typical E9.)

It has been my experience that aluminum pull rods generally are poor replacements for steel as not only do holes for the pull hooks elongate and break but also the screws for the collars tend to loosen due to the soft nature of aluminum.

Jim Palenscar wrote:It has been my experience that aluminum pull rods generally are poor replacements for steel as not only do holes for the pull hooks elongate and break ..

I expected that to happen, and planned to use aluminum only temporarily. But after a couple of years, the aluminum is still OK. One of the pulls is a whole step pull-release on two strings, meaning there is quite a lot of tension on those little holes, 24 hours a day.
Still I will probably change it to steel some day.

JUST GOT THE 1/8 STAINLESS AT A WELDING
SUPPLY ,AND THEY WERE ALREADY FLAT ON THE ENDS
I ASK WHY, THEY TOLD ME THEY FIT THE WELDER
BETTER ALL I HAD TO DO WAS CUT THE END ABOUT
AN INCH THAT LEFT ABOUT I/8 INCH TO THE FLAT PART
DRILLED A HOLE THEY LOOKED JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL

Thanks Fellowas thanks again one other thing how big do I drill the hole in the end .. thanks again Jack

if it wasn't for the forum I would have to stop pickin

I just checked a rod here and the hole appears to be 5/64".