The Steel Guitar Forum

I am about to come into possession of a 75 push pull pull that has been sitting for around 20 years. I notice that the under carriage looks like someone used motor oil for lube. Someone suggested carburetor cleaner but this is totally uncharted territory for me. Would like some thoughts. How to clean or send to a professional? If I do manage to clean it I may still need to send to someone for rebuild. Thanks. Roy

Contact Jerry Roller in Van Buren, AR., he is our (my Push/Push go to - Guru) man for working on Emmons guitars in this area. He's probably an hour from you and can get you up and going. He is also a forum member.

I say yes. Take it to one of the guys who do this kind of work. They know how to get it right. Once it's properly set-up by somebody who has had plenty of experience working on Emmons push/pull guitars, it will be money well spent. It has to be RIGHT, from the start, or you will never get it right. It can be frustrating, and over time it will start crushing the compression springs, and breaking itself. Thanks, Tommy.....

Forumite Rick Campbell put together a handy how-to video on cleaning a steel guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H-I7Jv9Aww

That's so funny! I've seen it before. A long time ago, I showed it to my brother Mike, and he laughed so much i thought he was gonna' fall out of his chair. Thanks, for reminding me on that. Tommy.....

Hello John. Good to hear from you. Thanks for the info. Yes I will take it to Jerry. Gonna have to be creative when my wife wants to know why the checkbook won't balance.

Well Roy, that's easy . . . . "It's Christmas" and that is the perfect Christmas present". Just what I wanted! Hopefully, that might work, ha!

I also vote for taking it to Mr. Roller. When you pick it up have him show you how to make minor adjustments you may or may not need in the future. I’d get a little kit with a couple of collars, a compression spring or two, and a return spring and keep it in my seat. Along with a 5/64 Allen wrench.

The best way to deal with guitars like this is to completely pull them down, clean/polish, reassemble and tune in. This is not an easy task if you have not done this before and have that experience. Good luck and congrats on your new project

John. That's good. Will start preparing now. For other replies. Thanks to all and a very merry Christmas.

I know I’ll get scolded for my suggestion but like Mike said take her or him apart completely down too the last screw. Then get some oven cleaner an coat the parts with a generous amount of this toxic stuff. It’s best to coat the parts in a minnow bucket or a good cricket basket. Ok know let this oven toxic cleaner do its job for a few minutes then use your water hose spray devise too spray a way fifty years of rear end grease Its the best degreaser an cleaner I’ve found it works like a charm an will not damage your parts.
When u stop Laughing go get you a couple cans of oven cleaner an a cricket basket.
If you have never molested one of these Emmons push pulls before it might be a good idea to take some pictures before you strip her down. Don’t for get too rotate all your push pull axels an set the timing with a good timing light. 😂

I think that guitar spent most of its life in a smoke filled bar or night club, I played some clubs back in the 70s and this is what happens, the tar and nicotine from cigarette smoke collects on every thing, some times the smoke was so heavy you couldn't see across the room. I agree it must be taken apart to clean it. It also will collect inside your amp. Jim.

Some years ago I bought a Sho~Bud that was a bar guitar.
I threw one of those pine tree air fresheners in the case just to get rid of the stink!
Erv

Justin Griffith wrote:I’d get a little kit with a couple of collars, a compression spring or two, and a return spring and keep it in my seat. Along with a 5/64 Allen wrench.

Great advice! I go so far as to also carry a few snap rings and a pair of snap ring pliers. If one of those rascals flies off at a gig it will make you hate life

Why is it automatic that the guitar NEEDS a total take down??.. Supposing, just maybe consider for a second that the guitar is actually fairly well adjusted as it sits?.. Personally I would tune it up, see if it plays well and reasonably in tune , and how the pedals and levers feel.
Might just need to be tuned, restrung, and have the underside cleaned and wiped down, and lightly lubricated.

I personally would make sure it NEEDS a tear down before I went into debt obtaining one.
I have been at this a long time, and really have seen VERY few guitars in such bad shape mechanically that they had to be torn down before even being played..
A couple of tuning adjustments and some greasy residue underneath don't always mean a $1000 teardown is needed..

Would one rebuild an entire automatic transmission when all it really needs is a trans filter and trans oil change?.. Never made sense to me this "complete teardown" business, before the guy even plays the guitar... bob

Any interest in selling it?

RE: Total take down. Bob C, I don't think anyone was inferring you must do a total take down/reassemble. But, I've worked on many PP Emmons that were so far out of adjustment, over or under lubed with parts bent and home made parts put on that got in the way etc. that in certain cases it's needed. Again, I'd say certain cases it would be best to have it done. Other cases, yep, some tweaking and cleaning of the existing guitar would be perfectly fine.
I have seen some of these total rebuilds and if done correctly, the guitar looks and feels like a brand new instrument. It can be expensive though.

This little booklet and the various DVDs from Clem Schmitz would be be a wise investment. Available on eBay or straight from Clem.