The Steel Guitar Forum

A fellow steel player here in town plays a ProII. It's a mid seventy's Sho~Bud with the wide pedals and the nylon tuners on the end. He wants to raise the first string to G#,and he says that he can get it to a flat G#,and the changer hits the bottom of the cabinet. At the same time the 7th string starts to go flat. I told him he should try to reposition the rods in different holes to obtain more leverage. Any input would be appreciated. I'll go ahead and post his phone number. His name is Gary Preston,and his # is 614-491-7379. He's here in Columbus,O. I think he'd appreciate input from anyone that can help. Thanks.

^^^

Well I'm not Johnny or Duanne or Bobbe....but I may can shed some light.
I take it he is raising the 7th string a whole tone on the same knee lever???
Ok first of all(oh and these are my strong opinions only..ha) he should use a .013 on the 24" scale ShoBud(which is what that is)for the 1st string.
He should take the raise springs OFF that guitar(at least those two strings in question) and those are the springs that are close to the body of the guitar underneath.
He should tighten the lower springs a couple of turns(those are the springs right under the changer nylon tuners)and there are phillip head screws there for that.
Take the nylon tuners off the ends of the 1st & 7th strings rods. Put the 1st & 7th string Rods in the second hole down from the top of the guitar in the changer. Put the 1st string rod on the pulling finger(bell crank) in the hole furthest from the body of the guitar underneath....and put the 7th string rod in the hole closest to the body of the guitar on the puller finger.
Now put the nylon tuner on the 1st string only....and adjust so it pulls up a whole tone....now if it doesn't quite...than adjust the knee lever stop screw...out further; so the knee lever travels further....and it will go up a whole tone now; no problem.
Now put the 7th string nylon tuner on and adjust so it does what it does...yeee haaa.....have fun.
Ricky

Make sure there's a little slack there...