The Steel Guitar Forum

Is there any sources for repairing, setup, tweaking, tips for PP's? I have looked at:
http://www.cadvision.com/laceyj/guide.html

and it is a great start but some pictures or maybe a video would be helpful for someone like me

thx

bob

Bobbe Seymour sells a push-pull maintenance video. You can order it from his web site (http://www.steelguitar.net).

Here are some restoration videos done on a '64 push pull, although the information applies to push- pulls and other steels, including all-pull steels:

<CENTER><FONT SIZE=-2>www.steelguitarinfo.com/restoration/restorationindex.html
</FONT></CENTER>

<FONT SIZE=-1>Ann Fabian
Carter Steel Guitars
www.SteelGuitar.com</FONT>


 

Good point, Bob. My webmeister is a friend who does it for free and is a little slow on the draw for improvements. I'll talk to him and my other partner, Bruce Hamilton about accomodating you and many others. There's many other questions about PP's I'd like answered too, but it almost infringes on the area of real mechanics like Cass and Adams.

I'd like to say, though, that as a new p/p owner I am much indebted to you, John, for the info on your site. I spent some time reading and re-reading your field guide, studying and re-studying my undercarriage, and then I dove in and quite successfully added a couple of pulls and reassigned a few others to bring the coped into line with my needs. My thanks, John.

I'd like to see a step-by-step instructional guide to tuning both the E9 and C6 tunings. (Like the Tom Bradshaw method for E9 published in the Winnie Winston book.)

I'd like to see this for BOTH the All-Pull guitar mechanism and the Push-Pull guitar mechanism.

If this already exists, just point me to it!

If not, is anyone out there up to the task? I'm sure b0b could post it permanently somewhere here on the site.

Note: I realize there are many variations in the way people tune - I do it too - but at least I had a basic method (the Bradshaw method) to get me started in the right direction.

Jon Lacey

I am very grateful for the site! The more I read it, the more is sinking in. Not complaining, by any means

I would like to know what the little springs on the bellcranks really do, and how do you know when they have the right tension on them and how long they should be?

thx

bob

Jon, thanks for the kudos but much of it belongs to Bruce Hamilton from whom I bought my P/P 5 years ago. Without much consultation from experts in the States, he figured out the workings of the P/P and actually totally refurbished mine, including new formica. When I got the guitar I was scared shipless to touch it until I came up against a wall and had to. Thru numerous phone calls and two returns, Bruce got me happening where I could understand most of the setup philosophies. Then he said, Why don't you just publish some of these ideas on your website as no one else was doing it. So between Bruce, Bob Bowman, Buddy and myself, I started the Wilderness guide. Bob, I actually have an addendum coming on my site that will explain the shock springs to you. In short, they take the "shock" or notchiness out of the pushes and pulls so that the pedals and knees will operate more smoothly. The length and application of the springs are detemined by the leverage of the individual pull or push. I will sit on my webmaster and make sure he gets it onto my site as it makes quite a difference to the feel of the pedal or knee.

Put a tuning "How To" on there, too!

Bobbe's Push/Pull video would be a big help for you. Basics explained very clearly, along with tuning.

I say amen to Bobbe's video. It is very concise and clears up a lot of the P/P mystery.

What are the allen screws that thread into some of the collars on the bellcrank? Are those to adjust a second raise on a string?

thx

bob

Bob,
Yes. Most folks call them 'half tone tuners'. When you have multiple raises or lowers on a given string you can only tune the one that raises or lowers the most at the endplate. Others have to be adjusted from underneath the guitar using the half tone tuner. There's a knurled screw that sets the distance between the tuner and the bellcrank.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro