The Steel Guitar Forum

I heard Paul talking about having compensators on his PSG but he said they were a different type of compensators, does any one know what he was talking about ??

There are Tuning Compensators
and
there are Return Compensators.

What might a third type
of Compensator be?

~Rw

Paul has both.

" Paul has both. "

Yes, Paul has both, so if
"they were a different type",
what type would that be?

. . or is the OP only trying to
say that Return and Tuning
Compensators are different
from one another?
~Rw

Russ Wever wrote:There are Tuning Compensators
and
there are Return Compensators.

What might a third type
of Compensator be?

~Rw

Coming soon to a theater near you...

“COMPENSATORS OF THE THIRD KIND”

-t

Can't wait to see that. !!

Let’s see some compensators talk is cheap.

Paul recommends "tuning compensators" to lower strings 1 and 7 very slightly when the A pedal, or B pedal, are touched.
This allows the F#s and C#(A pedal) to be beatless.
He has adjustments for this on the nylon tuner end of the guitar.

PF tunes by ear using Just Intonation.

They can be added to any modern all pull guitar.

Users of tuning compensators include Tommy White and Bruce Bouton.
Reese Anderson has been quoted as saying, "Tuning compensators eliminate the reasons to have to tune to equal temperment."

Return compensators are something different. They are to get a lowered string to return to its neutral pitch.
If your steel has them, it is not something that should need regular adjustment.

John

Thanks, John, this is what I was what I was looking 4

The only “other” type of compensator (if these are even considered compensators) would be the mechanism on an Emmons Legrande III or Zumsteel ACS. I think these are considered Detuning or anti-Detuning compensator systems, and are not used by Franklin as far as I know.

I would be tickled pink if someone would draw a diagram of a return to pitch compensater showing o rings and the whole shabang. Must you have a three hole lowering changer if you all ready have two holes being used? I've read detailed descriptions on how to adjust. Ron

Here are some notes on Return compensators from Paul Franklin which may be helpful !!!

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Return Compensators and how to use them !!
Paul Franklin

I was talking about return compensators. A return compensator deals with a string that is both raised and lowered. After the lower is
activated it returns sharp from where it was after the raise was released. This problem exists until some sort of counterforce is applied.
The returning sharp problem will vary from guitar to guitar and from brand to brand...Some need it more, some less...Because the return
compensator completely resolves this issue, I have them installed on all strings that raise and lower. I love, not having to split the
difference at the keyhead, because a string is returning incorrectly to pitch after it is lowered........My compensators are there, if I
need them....how often I activate them depends on the strings, which can vary, set to set.

Folks will come down on all sides of this issue......Cabinet drop drives some guys crazy. It really bothers me when the lowers return a tad
sharp to the raise.....Some players are comfortable with splitting the differences at the key head. I'm not comfortable with that solution.

If this is what you have on your guitar, learn the correct way to tune them....I think a lot of players shy away from this option because
tuning them is a little confusing at first.

When putting on a new set of strings, first back off the return compensator. Tune it open, than tune the raise, it should come back to
pitch.....Than proceed to tune the lower, when, or if, depending on the string, it returns sharp to pitch, you should lower the string
again and start slowly activating the nylon tuner designated to the return compensator.....Do this slowly and incrementally, a quarter
turn at a time is almost too much.....Now release the lower to see if the string is returning closer to pitch......If its still sharp,
continue repeating this slow process until it returns perfectly, and it will...

Be careful not to over tune the compensator. As it gets closer to being perfect to pitch barely nudge the tuner until its returning exactly
to pitch.....The good thing about this tedious tuning process, when it is tuned correctly, the compensators tuning generally lasts the life
of the string..... Although you will have to tune the raises and lowers each time you play, the compensators generally do not have to be
touched......Sometimes compensators don't have to be retuned for the life of many sets of strings.

Paul


Franklin posted 16 May 2006 08:19 PM

Glad to. On my guitars almost every string that raises and lowers has one. E9th: strings 1,2,4,5,6,8,10
C6th: strings 2,3,5,10

Paul

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