Knee Levers
Posted: 17 Dec 2002 4:55 pm
I recieved an Email asking me to explain "reversing" knee levers on an Emmons push pull guitar.
Since the thread on setting up an Emmons changer is getting so long, I thought it best to start a new one.
To start with,,, I don't know if "reversing lever" is the proper term for these levers. It's what I started calling them years ago and no one, yet, has told me any different.
In general and almost in all cases that I know of, it's the levers that move to the right when the guitar is in the upright or playing position. Unlike most of the "players" a lot of the guitar mechanics, including me, think more of the guitar upside down. So from that view, it would be the levers that move to the left. This applies not only to Emmons' push pulls, but to all of the "all pull" guitars that I'm aware of.
To further explain; in general, the "raise" changer fingers (actuators) of the guitar are moved (pulled) toward the left or keyhead end of the guitar. To put this into perspective, the "arc" of the raise bell (or puller) crank is moving away from the changer. You will also notice that the other side of the arc is moving to the right or toward the changer, thus resulting in a "push".
Now, in order for a knee lever that's moving to the right to cause the raise side of the arc to move to the left (away from the changer end), you have to have a way to "reverse" the energy (or motion) of that lever to cause the mechinizum to move in the proper direction. In the case of a push pull, that is accomplished by running a rod from the lever to the lower, or push, side of the bell crank. Thus, when you move the lever, you are causing the bell crank to move in the needed direction.
Hope this explains a little better and is not confusing. I just don't know the technical (institutions of higher learning) terms for this kind of geometry and physics.
BB
------------------
If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!
Since the thread on setting up an Emmons changer is getting so long, I thought it best to start a new one.
To start with,,, I don't know if "reversing lever" is the proper term for these levers. It's what I started calling them years ago and no one, yet, has told me any different.
In general and almost in all cases that I know of, it's the levers that move to the right when the guitar is in the upright or playing position. Unlike most of the "players" a lot of the guitar mechanics, including me, think more of the guitar upside down. So from that view, it would be the levers that move to the left. This applies not only to Emmons' push pulls, but to all of the "all pull" guitars that I'm aware of.
To further explain; in general, the "raise" changer fingers (actuators) of the guitar are moved (pulled) toward the left or keyhead end of the guitar. To put this into perspective, the "arc" of the raise bell (or puller) crank is moving away from the changer. You will also notice that the other side of the arc is moving to the right or toward the changer, thus resulting in a "push".
Now, in order for a knee lever that's moving to the right to cause the raise side of the arc to move to the left (away from the changer end), you have to have a way to "reverse" the energy (or motion) of that lever to cause the mechinizum to move in the proper direction. In the case of a push pull, that is accomplished by running a rod from the lever to the lower, or push, side of the bell crank. Thus, when you move the lever, you are causing the bell crank to move in the needed direction.
Hope this explains a little better and is not confusing. I just don't know the technical (institutions of higher learning) terms for this kind of geometry and physics.
BB
------------------
If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!
