The Steel Guitar Forum

I have a fairly 'Frankenstein' old PSG, with only A & B pedals and 3 levers.
The levers have a good 'hard stop' and bends hit pitch just fine.
The pedals are kinda stiff and it's very hard to feel a 'stop'. It feels like there's sort of a stop but if you push a bit harder, which is getting crazy hard, there are another 15 or 20 cents that squeeze out. It's manageable on one pedal but changing between single pedal and both it's really difficult for me to hold both pedals at pedal pitch because of the 'mush' and amount of pressure needed.
I have never played another PSG and here in the UK, especially in my area of the UK, it’s hard to get access to another to compare.
Is this a common learners problem, a common guitar problem, any in any case folks:
do you please have any advice?
The mechanism is the Sho-Bud style that has barrel adjusters whose spring spikes out against the rod lever to stop it spinning when you adjust the lever/pedal knurled tuning rod ends. I'm up for making adjustments but would ideally appreciate advice or at least encouragement before I do
Thank you from Eastbourne, South Coast, UK

Robert Fawcett wrote: if you push a bit harder, which is getting crazy hard, there are another 15 or 20 cents that squeeze out.

That is an uncommon problem, caused by poor design. It may be possible to fix it. Can you tell which part is bending or giving way when you push hard?

I'm very grateful for the steer.
I'll certainly try to figure where the mechanical issues are...

The idea is to only press the pedals as hard as necessary. Even on some more modern steels, pressing the pedal harder may not make the note raise another 15 cents, but it will likely cause other things to go out of tune (flat). That's called "cabinet drop", by most.

It's likely something is bending or flexing on your guitar, and that's causing the problem. Sometimes it's the pedal stops, but it could be elsewhere, too. Check the stops first, but also the changer, nut, and pedalboard.

Hopefully, someone in the U.K., like forum member Richard Burton will reach out to help you.

Thank you, Donny

The reality check has itself been very useful. *Thank you again*

I realised the pedals were kinda drooping, unpressed hanging about as low as adjustment allowed, with the stop screws in the corresponding chassis mechanism backed all the way out.
I've reset them to pretty much the opposite end of their adjustment range.
In the process I *finally* figured how the pedal connecting rods come off: those sprung sleeves pull back and they unhook <facepalm>
Also the A pedal connecting up-rod was connected to the middle of the lever it pulls on, moved it to the end position and it seems much less stiff.
After a *very* quick test, unplugged, overall things seem a lot better!
I'll check it out properly in a few hours... need a rest right now

Oh yeah, it’s a *lot* better. I'll have to live with it to figure whether it’s 60% or 90% better, but way better for sure