Vintage Marlen Refurb HELP!

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 8 Aug 2015 7:05 am

Hi all
I just picked up a 1970 Marlen 210 in Nashville.
I repair guitars but have never done a steel refurb.
Suggestions/info/contacts for parts will all be greatly appreciated.
So looking forward to this project.
Thanks, in advance...
Tim

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 8 Aug 2015 7:32 am

Congratulations. You just beat me to this one by a few minutes.

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 8 Aug 2015 7:38 am

Sorry Bobby!
I've been searching for something just like this for quite a while.
It really has seen better days.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Aug 2015 8:00 am

Scott Duckworth and Bob Carlucci rebuilt Marlens.
For parts, I think Chris Lucker or Paul Redmond might be the first call.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 8 Aug 2015 8:14 am

Lane, all my Marlen parts, except knee levers, are gone.
The bellcranks are easy to make, if you use Emmons swivels, which are readily available. In fact, there are are s few places under s Marlen where you want longer than factory cranks.
I may have s few of those seesaw stops that fit on cross shafts. You have one, it appears, in the center of a cross shaft so it operates in the center of the guitar. That makes for mush and a bad stop. Pressure against the cabinet will bend the cross shaft. Try to keep your stops at the ends of the cross shafts.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 8 Aug 2015 10:17 am

What particularly are you needing to do to it?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Aug 2015 10:34 am

It looks like it just needs taking apart and cleaning.
Unless you were wanting to add more.
Gorgeous guitars.

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 8 Aug 2015 11:29 am

Yes Tim, the biggest thing that appears to be missing is strings! I wish every project I had was as complete.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 8 Aug 2015 12:41 pm

Tim Mech wrote: It really has seen better days

No it hasn't, it's been like that since the day it was made.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Aug 2015 12:58 pm

I agree with Richard. Clean it up.
It looks unmolested, just a bit gungy.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 8 Aug 2015 10:12 pm

Lane Gray wrote:It looks like it just needs taking apart and cleaning.
Unless you were wanting to add more.
Gorgeous guitars.

agreed.. It looks really complete.. I doubt it needs any parts.. Just a good cleaning/lubrication/setup.. I have a pull release Marlen, but your mechanism is much earlier than mine is.. Many of the parts are different, and I recently sold my Marlen parts.. They don't wear much anyhow, and I doubt you need anything from what I can see.. Your Marlen once set up and adjusted will stay that way for years.. They are rock solid, and super stable,, Oh yeah, they also play soft and sound like fine old gold.. I spent days with mine learning how it worked.. Once I acquired the knack, it wasn't that big a deal.. There's a guy in Virginia that worked for Marlen, has some parts, and knows them very well.. I got some parts and good advice from him, but have forgotten his name I am ashamed to say.. Several guys here do know who he is... bob

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 9 Aug 2015 2:49 am

The only parts I'd throw at it, assuming those are â…›" rods, would be going to stainless steel rods, so it'd have some visual pop.
It DEFINITELY needs a proper setup: see those barrels on some of the rods? They tune the open notes on strings that both raise and lower (that's why they're only on some rods: they go on lowering rods if that string also has a raise: if you plan on raising 1&2, you'll need a threaded lowering rod on 2). I'm seeing them holding fingers against the body. That's just silly, even without strings on it.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 9 Aug 2015 5:03 am

It's very similar to my Marlen.

I vastly improved the pedal 'feel' by installing some simple brackets which stop the cross-shafts flexing (arrowed red in images)

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 9 Aug 2015 5:15 am

Richard, your clever constantly astounds me.
If I wore a hat, I'd doff it.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 9 Aug 2015 8:17 am

Lane Gray wrote:Richard, your clever constantly astounds me.
If I wore a hat, I'd doff it.

He is a pretty crafty dude, isn't he?..
In my case, being my Marlen is an S10, I didn't experience those issues.. My cross shafts are shorter and very stout,I think they are 3/8 as opposed to 5/16 which looks like what is on Richards guitar.. That being said, I too cobbed up a few engineering marvel "improvements"on the Marlen design that helped playability and tunability - most notably the fact that thinner changer pull rods helped greatly on some changes, especially on strings that were raised and lowered a full tone or had 2 raises and a lower on the same string.. Those thick factory rods would actually bind in the holes they were designed to fit by mr Stadler himself.. It took a while to find out what was going on, lots of close observation underneath the guitar.. Thinner rods allowed more freedom of movement in the changer fingers themselves, and resolved a host of tuning and playability issues all at once...bob

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 9 Aug 2015 8:50 am

Richard is held in great esteem by members on the British Forum, his technical solutions never cease to amaze us.I have never had the pleasure of seeing him play live, but can only say that from the recordings I have heard of him ,he is a class player as well as a great engineer.

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 9 Aug 2015 3:12 pm

Great looking steel!
Those aluminum necks look great against the blue. Good luck restoring it!

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 10 Aug 2015 4:24 am

Wow.
I can't believe how much great info and support you guys have given me.
I am out on tour and haven't had time to check in here, the first day off (today) and all these replies, thank you.

As I have been checking out the steel, it really does look like just a few things seem problematic.
I need new knee levers.
One of the pins where the ball end of the string attaches is broken off. (see photo)
And it looks like There is a spot for a 4th knee lever, not sure if one was ever there.
Any body have a clue about this paint job? Did Marlen custom paint?

Shipping the steel back to Canada today and I'll be home on the 13th for some time off and I'm going to get to work on this beauty.

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 10 Aug 2015 4:37 am

richard burton wrote:
Tim Mech wrote: It really has seen better days
No it hasn't, it's been like that since the day it was made.

I was a bit worried when I first saw it and was deciding how much to pay for it but the more i do research on older steels, it does look like my Marlen is in pretty good condition and just needs some time put in to get it in working order.

Thanks for the good eye and honesty Richard.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 10 Aug 2015 4:42 am

Until he started doing mica guitars, ALL of Len's guitars featured custom lacquer.

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 10 Aug 2015 4:47 am

Scott Duckworth wrote:What particularly are you needing to do to it?

My initial fears was that it needed more that it does.
At this point...

Clean it.
Fix a couple of the mechanical problems: one cross shaft has popped out of one side of the body, the knee levers need replacing/repair.
Re-string and set up.

I believe that once it gets up and running I'll figure the rest of the "issues" that need to be addressed.
And I'll post my progress here and absolutely ask for help from anyone willing to pipe in.
Thanks!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 10 Aug 2015 4:52 am

The Perm that I'm working on ended up needing more.
Make sure that all fingers pivot on the axle, mine had two fingers frozen to the axle.
It'll probably be easiest to press new pins into the fingers if they're off the guitar.

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 10 Aug 2015 4:53 am

Lane Gray wrote:Until he started doing mica guitars, ALL of Len's guitars featured custom lacquer.

So this blue sparkle, 70's airbrush logo finish is how it came from Marlen?
Incredible.
There isn't any Marlen logo, stamping or I.D. plate on this, which kind of worried me a bit when I first checked it out.
But I had done a bit of Marlen research and recognized things that put my mind to rest.
Thanks Lane.

Tim Mech · Post by **Tim Mech** » 10 Aug 2015 4:55 am

Lane Gray wrote:The Perm that I'm working on ended up needing more.
Make sure that all fingers pivot on the axle, mine had two fingers frozen to the axle.
It'll probably be easiest to press new pins into the fingers if they're off the guitar.

Gotcha Lane.
Do I buy the pins somewhere special?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 10 Aug 2015 4:59 am

I'm not a metalworking whiz. I'd take a good finger and the broken finger to a machine shop and say "make this one look like the other one, and that pin will have to restrain 30 pounds of tension for many years."
I believe they're steel spring pins, but I know nothing about how to make them.