The Steel Guitar Forum

After months of watching for a decent E9 PSG in my price range, I bought a used Dekley student model in September. I'm very happy with it. I got a great deal, and I've begun learning to play E9 for real.

Here's my question: My Dekley has 3 pedals and 2 knee levers. Were some of them made this way, or did mine have lever(s) removed? I've scoured past Dekley threads on the Forum, and they all suggest 3+3 or 3+4 for the student model.

More importantly, can I add knee levers to this one? I'd like to add one or two, so I need to know if the mechanism can accommodate that. I'm posting pictures below (from the ebay auction I won). If I need to take a better picture of the underside, let me know.

Jim Smith, if you are reading this, I'd value your input in particular.

Thank you,
Eric McEuen

I'd like to know about avail parts also, since this is a lot like my Dekley Pioneer, except I have plactic leg supports.

Eric, check the right endplate, there are holes for each pedal tunning rods per row, count how many rows of holes it has, if there are 20 holes in the upper position and 20 holes in the lower position this would be called a two raise two lower, if you have this you can add more knee levers, if you have only 10 rows of holes on top and on bottom it is a single raise single lower, you can probably still add if there is room, if there is only one row of ten holes you will be limited to what it has unless you modify it someway.

Cross shaft mounting is not like any of my three Dekleys.

Eric, it would help if you could get us better pics of the undercarriage and changer. Maybe two pics of the underside...one of the left half and one of the right half. And a pic of the changer end plate. It's hard to see the details in these pics.

You might want to contact Jim Palenscar. He could probably do some of his magic on this guitar and get you what you want.

Eric, that looks like it may be a single finger changer to me, you are limited to what you can do with those, but I play that type of guitar all the time & have added knee levers to them. I am using a Marlen ST-10 this sunday in church, it had one knee lever when I got it, & it was raising the E' to F. That of course just didn't get it for me. I added 3 other levers and have lowering E's on LR, raising E' on LL, lowering 2nd & 10th on RR and Raising 9th B to D on RL and 1st F# to G#. I do use a tuning that I call 'more bass' & will attach it here
click here

Most of the stuff I use to make levers come from hardware stores, but it is possible.

Ernie http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm

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Sorry, forgot something, I used to know a fellow who lived here in Maryland that worked on steels & built a few. His name I Alan Douglas, last I heard, he lives in you city, look him up, he can help with this

Ernie

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It's been 26 years since I left Dekley and moved to Texas. As I recall, the student guitars were machined for 3&3. That's not to say someone couldn't add more, just that they weren't designed for more.

Keep in mind that this is a pull-release changer, so raising and lowering the same string will require a spring, such as was used on the fourth string.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@comcast.net
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 9&9=-
-=Emmons D-12 push pull 9&9=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-1080

Thank you all for your input. I'll go home, look at the endplate, and get better pictures of the undercarriage.

My two KLs raise & lower the Es. If I'm limited to one more, I guess I'll lower the second string. Hmm...I wonder if a half-stop is possible?

Fred, if you're looking for Dekley parts, I suggest this thread. I hope the contact info is still valid. <font size=2>(Just don't take the last of anything, because I may be in line behind you! )</font><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Eric McEuen on 22 November 2006 at 05:11 PM.]</p></FONT>

Eric, this is Fred, yes I was looking,thanks for the Thread, I had seen it before. Jim, I would like to Raise and Lower the same string and I also have the Pull Release changer, any info would be great. Also, Hardware Store parts for Knee Levers, fess up, I could use a few, I will also be buying some Bicycle Spokes soon also.

There was a Dekley in the for sale area of this forum that looked like this one a few weeks back and it had a double raise double lower changer system on it, and the owner was asking $400 for it, and the guitar looked new, I do not know why he was selling it so cheap, it is not there now but maybe on e-Bay, it had 4 knee levers and three pedals.

Any more info on parts for Dekley ? Knee lever parts ? I would love to replace the plastic Leg Supports with metal like in the pics.

Fred, have you spoken to Jim Palenscar? He could possibly make the parts you need. I know he can put together knee lever kits for the pro model Dekleys. Jim is good people and will go to great lengths to help you.

I do know Dekley parts are hard to come by. Many MSA parts are compatible on the pro models, too.

Tom Bradshaw has Dekley parts!

With what it looks like to need to add more changes, and the absence of any pre-machined locations for additional crossrods, I'd say the cost (and headaches) for upgrades could be more than finding a good Dekley S-10 for about $500-$600.
Just my humble opinion...