The Steel Guitar Forum

Just returned from a 2 week vacation and needed a steel guitar fix but ended up fighting to stay tuned. My Zum which I have had for about 15 months and has never given me a problem with the10th string B to C# but now is returning sharp. Recently lubricvated (3 in 1 oil)and guitar seemed fine before trip. I lower this string to A on lever 0 to left of pedal A of the Emmoins stylr and also loewrr to Bb on LKV and no problem with those rreturning true. Something is causing the mechanism to hang up at the square cross shaft. When pedal released it does not return 100% but releasing real fast lets it snap back but that is not acceptable nor have I ever had this prob;lem before. I also have a compensator for string 7 that lowers the F# from its function in the E chord as a 9th to where it is slightly flat so as to sound right when used as the 6th of the pedal down chord position. (this also works better with the 9-7-6B-5A form of a D chord in open position). It doesn't seem to me that this tiny bit of a lower on a different string shoud hold up the return on the 10th string so what's up? Any ideas? I have the raise assist spring at the least amount of pull it can be set for but it does seem better with it detached but I hate to have stuff just dangle and don't understand why this just occurred. I did recently try my first set of Stainless strings but don't understand why that would make a difference but mention it as it is one of the variables.

Strings shouldn't cause that problem if close to same size. Sounds to me like a return spring has gotten weak. That's the ten springs on bottom of guitar changer. Or another problem could be that the nylon tuner is in too far and not letting string return to pitch. Make sure that that nylon tuner is not engaging changer with nothing pushed or pulled.

Never can get to much information, especially when trouble shooting a problem. I hope this is useful.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7247779.pdf

uhhhh...well....

removed the raise assist sprige as the nylon adjustment piece with the little bumpps to catch in the groove had previously been cut and cold not be lengthened. I may get a new one and reinstall putting extra slack in but fot now this seems to have done the job. Thanks for comments.