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Help with split tuning
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 5:08 am
by Billy Murdoch
I cannot quite get My tuning correct with regard to the fifth string.
I have a 2007 Zum which has a Franklin pedal and also a vertical knee lever which both lower the fifth string.
As stated in the manual I tune the string at the keyhead and then tune the raise with the adjuster at the endplate.
I then activate the vertical lever at the same time as the raise pedal and tune the resultant note to "C" with the nylon "lower" tuner.I then operate the vertical lever on it's own and adjust the resultant "b flat" note with the hex screw behind the changer.
I now have a raised tone,a split tone and a lowered tone on the fifth string.
When I depress the Franklin pedal I cannot get the whole tone lower on the string due to the changer being held at the position for the half tone lower.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The manual only refers to one fully lowered note.
Billy
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 5:30 am
by Jerry Jones
Tune your Franklin change with the cap screw and tune the knee with the "blue" nylon hex nut. There's a note in the manual about this special case where you have two lowers.
I'll add:
After you tune your A pedal:
...tune Franklin with active white nylon nut that lowers 5th
...tune split A pedal/knee with active white nylon nut that lowers 5th
...tune knee with blue nylon nut
Hope I've got that right. I rarely have to touch my Zum
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 5:40 am
by Joe Babb
Hi Billy,
I'm not so familiar with Zum but your process is similar to what we use with our Emmons. But on our guitar the vertical lever is not intended to lower 5 and 10 a full tone but only a half tone. For grins you might try backing off the allen screw that defines the lowest low and see if the Franklin pedal can be made to work. Get it working and then go back to your tuning on the vertical.
Hope this helps.
Joe
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 6:35 am
by Billy Murdoch
Thanks Joe and Jerry for Your replies.
Jerry,I have the manual which I got from Bruce at Dallas when I picked up My Zum and there is no mention of a second lower,I guess Bruce has now added this to the manual.
Thanks for Putting Me right.
I rarely,if ever, use the Franklin pedal and really must get something done about learning how to use it.
I have probably caused the tuning discrepancy by performing the set up for one lower only.
I am not at My guitar just now but will certainly put Your knowledge to use soon.
Thanks for Your help Gents.
Best regards
Billy
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 7:56 am
by Jerry Overstreet
Look at Pat Laffrat's entry from an earlier topic here:
I'm not familiar with later Zums, but I wasn't aware they had the capability to fine tune
both the A pedal/knee split
and the Franklin/knee split.
Unless something is different on these models, you cannot tune both. Usually the A pedal/knee split is the one most players find more useful.
You first must have adequate travel in the changer to make your lowest change, in this case A.
If you are using the set screws behind the changer to set your half tone lower, that's all you're going to get. The changer finger cannot lower any further than the screw will allow.
Looking at the manual, it appears to me that the blue nylon tuner would be used with the second method of splits where the set screws behind the changer are not installed.
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:16 am
by Billy Murdoch
Thanks Jerry
I have been successful in tuning thanks to the method described in the post by Jerry Jones.
When I got the guitar new from Bruce Zumsteg it had the franklin pedal fitted so I knew that Bruce would not have built a guitar which was incapable of tuning.It had to be user error
As I said earlier,I do not use the Franklin pedal so the question of tuning two lowers never occurred until now.I am very grateful to Jerry for His answer.
Billy
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:18 am
by Jerry Jones
Jerry is correct and actually, there is no need for a Franklin/knee split as the knee tends to override perfectly even with the Franklin engaged. Zums usually use the cap screw method for splits except where there are two lowers on the same string, then the second rod (with blue nut) method is required on the 1/2 step lower.
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:20 am
by Billy Murdoch
Jerry
If I ever manage another trip to Nashville I'll buy You a beer or two. 
Billy
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:21 am
by Jerry Jones
And if I visit you, you can buy me a pint!
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:25 am
by Billy Murdoch
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 8:27 am
by Jerry Overstreet
Glad you got it working. Splits are one of the most useful mechanisms on pedal steels and possibly the least understood. I'd like to see that diagram from Pat's post become a sticky, with permissions from whoever, of course.
Posted: 11 Feb 2013 12:36 pm
by Paddy Long
Hi Billy glad you got that sorted mate -- I have splits on the B-Bb and also the 5th string F# lower -- which I have separately on a knee lever as well as the Franklin pedal ... so I have the option of using the "blue" tuners with extra rods, and also the cap screws in the back of the changer ! if you download the latest users manual off the Zum website it will give you the updated procedure.
This system works for both standard and Hybrid changers - of which I have both
http://www.zumsteel.net/
