The Steel Guitar Forum

I use my 9th string as my half stop for my 2nd string. It has always been a bit hit and miss with getting the tuning spot on. Then I discovered a way to do it using an additional rod on the 9th string raise, it is so simple that it must be common knowledge amongst steel builders, yet neither Mullen or Carter fit this as standard. For the sake of an additional rod, which can be fitted in no time, it solves a minor problem on 'all pull' guitars. Why don't steel makers incorporate this method as standard?

At Dekley, we used the extra rod on the 9th string. Nowadays, most guitars use split tuner screws at the changer which does essentially the same thing, and saves a rod. I agree though, that guitars that don't have the split screws, should ship with the extra rod.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@attbi.com
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden Ext. E9/U-13 8&8=-

There are other ways that work as well or better. If you have enough choices of holes or slots on your rod pullers, you can usually find a pair that is almost perfectly in tune. Also if you have screws on the top of the changer (like Zum and others) that let you adjust the lower limit of finger lowering, then you can tune it there. In fact this method lets me get half stops on 2 and 7, using the feel of the 9th string kicking in.

Richard- Why should they? They are already selling all the guitars they can make. Most of them have a long waiting list.

Pedal Steel is alive and well!...al