The Steel Guitar Forum

I have a problem with all-pull SD-10 5th String when A pedal is pressed down. It worked fine for a while but I tuned it and the finger did not respond, nothing happened in pitch. I oiled the parts , no effect. I changed the string (.018) and the finger started to work but it just doesnt stay in tune, goes under pitch after one press on A pedal. The string should be correctly put on...
Any ideas what could be wrong?

Ok, the nylon screw does not stay in its place, it gives out. I have one replacement nylon screw but I guess I have to make the opening hole a bit bigger in the beginning because it does not go in??
The pitch only went down a bit and then nothing when I tried to tune it A pedal down.

Lean on the nylon as you thread it on. It'll be a little tight.
As an emergency thing, swap it with a nut off your least-used knee lever

Or turn the nylon nut around and thread it in from the other end. I have done this many times.

A quick, lasting fix. Remove the tuner from the rod. Place one and (one only) wrap of plumbers teflon tape on the rod threads. Replace the tuner. This Tightens the nylon tuner right up and lasts for years and is a cheap fix

Bill Ferguson wrote:Or turn the nylon nut around and thread it in from the other end. I have done this many times.

Not many guitars have nylon nuts with holes at both ends. At least, I have never seen one. Drilling out the solid end would be really difficult without a drill press and vise. Just do as suggested by others already, or buy new one's, although it sounds like you have a new one already.

Tell us what brand of guitar you have. If it is a US built guitar, I am sure someone with a similar guitar will send you a few nylon tuning nuts. If it is metric do you know the thread size

Most nylon tuners are not threaded when new and the threads on the pull rod cuts threads as you tighten it.


Marvin

Richard, both Sho-Bud and MSA used open-ended nuts.

I'm fairly sure my Super Pro didn't have them. But it's been a long time since I sold it.

Thanks for your help!

I replaced the nylon screw and adjusted the A pedal stop screw underneath the guitar ( not the screws that are on top of the pedal). I had to turn the stop screw clockwise to make the A pedal go nearer to the floor and raise the H string to C# instead of C.So there is now more stop screw visible on the bottom. I adjusted them so that A pedal allows H to go to C # and there is a small gap left between nylon screw and metal plate it hits. It seems to work now.
Jan Visser who made this steel was most helpful,great guy to deal with👍