The Steel Guitar Forum

I am a newbie with minimum PS skills, and strange ideas, so I'd like to run something by you pros.

To make strings last longer, what do you think of the idea of a precision "Slacker Latch" that would move the changer assembly 1/4 inch to the left when PSG is not in use.

When the latch is put in PLAY mode the tuning would default back to the last used tensions.

The strings would last (24/hours unslacked) times longer.

For instance, if you played 4 hours a day the strings would last 6 times longer, and 8 hours a day, 3 times longer.

Does anyone see a problem with this?

PF's dad could make him a prototype to check this out!

In my opinion you would be doing just the
opposite just like bending a wire back and
fort it would hasten the breaking of the strings JMHO
russ

There is no real reason to release the tension on the strings on a Pedal Steel Guitar. There is no "neck" stress like a 6 string guitar.

As mentioned releasing the tension and then tuning it back up will ultimately help with string fatigue and string failure (breakage).

Dave; Get yourself some Jagwire strings. When one breaks it't time to change them anyhow IMHO

FWIW, The entire steel industry is ever searching for greater stability in the Changer area. On first impression, I think this would introduce an amount of Changer instability that would cause endless tuning stability problems.
With that said, one thing I saw on a Stienberg guitar that I thought would be cool on steel is, they have a knob at the end of the guitar that allows you to microtune the guitar (moves the entire bridge) sharp or flat (as a means of getting in tune with things that are slighty sharp or flat I guess). While it would also introduce more error into PSG changer stability, it would make it easy to get in tune with music that your are playing along with that is slightly sharp or flat of your tuning. I have Cassette and MiniDisk players with pitch control, which solves this issue. I remember Jeff Newman saying to place coins on top of the needle of your record player to solve the pitch issue. Ah the good ol' days .
~pb

Also,

9 times out of 10, strings break when you tune down, at least on inferior 6 string guitars... go figger.

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Steelin' for the Dark Side
Carter-U12, a Bar, and some Picks

Dave read paul franklins artical on replacing strings, go to links then at the bottom go to articles. I would not modify my steel to get extra life out of strings when they cost only $7.80! And I go through strings maybe every 3 weeks, I think string replacement has alot to do with how aggresive you play. This is truly the nature of the beast.

Thanks for the viewpoint, gentlemen. I was concerned with string brightness rather than breakage.

I think it would be causing tuning problems. Kind of like when you switched necks on the old Sho-Bud crossovers. Any time you move something like that something can go wrong.

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Colby Tipton
Crosby, Texas

There are several techincal problems with this idea:

1. Stable strings don't "wear out" sooner. your steel could sit for YEARS, and assuming you keep it clean and don't let things corrode the strings will still be fine.

2. The looseing/tightening process creates wear at the bridge (changer) and nut every time you would do it.

3. You're actually putting MORE wear on the strings by adding uneccesary loosening and stretching.

4. Due to varying tensions, numbers of wraps at the tuning keys, etc it would be almost impossible to detune and tune everything back up in one "pull" accurately. Example - the dreaded Floyd Rose, Kahler, Rockinger, Bigsby and other 6-string vibrato units. It takes an act of God to be able to dive-bomb the arm and have thing come back in tune - and that's only SIX strings!

5. Most omportantly - there's absolutely no reason to do it. this statement: "The strings would last (24/hours unslacked) times longer." - is based on...what? It makes no sense.

Sorry - completely useless.

I thought the main reason people changed strings every few weeks was because the "brightness" (and I don't mean the shine)disappeared after being stretched for 24 hrs a day for that long.

PF says:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>They can't take the constant stretching from the pedals over a long period, and still keep their sustain and tuning.
(snip)
In the studio I change every 3 to 7 days. Guitarists change generally every day. Acoustic guitarists change for every 3 hr session. Sometimes they get a good set that lasts all day. That's how important strings are to the tuning and tonality of the instruments you hear on records. </SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/steelstr.htm

I also read somewhere that you can let a PSG with new strings sit unplayed for a couple of weeks and you still have to change the strings at the next playing session. If they were slack during that time they would be ok and not require changing.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Dave Marshall on 22 April 2006 at 12:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

I was mistaken in believing tension was the main cause of loss of string tonality. Therefore my equation for string life, as Jim Sliff says, "makes no sense".

Here's a clip from a Spanish style guitar site:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>
There are a couple of reasons why strings need to be changed.
...

Being under tension for an extended period of time causes all that metal to fatigue. That's one factor that cause strings to lose their original tone...but not a biggest one. The two main cuprites that cause the sound to deteriorate are wear and dirt.

Wear is caused by pressing the strings against the frets. When a string is new the diameter of the string is round from one end to the other. As we play the guitar the strings rub against the frets. That causes the strings to flatten out.
...

As flat spots develop on the string it doesn't vibrate evenly and becomes more and more difficult to tune. If you can see fret marks on the strings they are well past needing to be changed. Change them now!

The other thing that kills string tone is dirt. As we play, our skin oil gets all over the strings. This makes it easy for microscopic dust and dirt particles to begin sticking to the strings and filling in the little grooves in the string wrappings. This is a big tone killer.

Some things to increase string life: Wash your hand before you play. Don't play with unabsorbed skin cream or any kind of sticky goo or salt on your hands. Wipe off your strings with a cotton cloth after playing. Keep your guitar in the case to minimize exposure to dust in the air.
</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
http://playtheguitar.com/articles/topic50.html?PHPSESSID=efc6bd94289a9c19ed855b2eac3e1576