The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey guys, I was fortunate this Christmas/Birthday season to receive a GFI Expo!

A little background on me:

I'm 38 years old and I've been playing regular six string guitar for close to 25 years and have always wanted to take the plunge on pedal steel. Well, I finally sold some guitars and scrapped up enough money for a GFI Expo. I have been a student of Jeff Rady for a few years and plan to use his website (and private lessons when COVID is over) to learn. The amp I am using is a '68 Fender Deluxe Reverb Re-issue (with a Red, White, and Blues speaker). Volume pedal is a Hilton.

I'm mostly a rock guy, but I've been listening to older country music for as long as I can remember as that's what I grew up on.

I haven't really got started yet because my GFI arrived a bit broken and have to get it fixed. One of the linkages for the far left pedal broke. Luckily there's a repair guy in town, so I don't have to ship it.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. I plan on doing lots of searching and researching on this forum to soak up some information first.

I'm not a huge Dead fan but I love that sweater! Welcome. There's a good handful of steel players here in CO.

Jim Bloomfield wrote:I'm not a huge Dead fan but I love that sweater! Welcome. There's a good handful of steel players here in CO.

Thanks, my wife hates it!

Anyway, I forgot to post what's broken on my GFI. If anyone can tell me what these parts are called that would really help when I call the repair guy. I'll do my best to describe the parts. Pardon my ignorance but I have no idea what everything is called on a pedal steel.

So there's a linkage from the far left pedal that goes to a little angle bracket that's screwed to a rotating square rod. The screws that hold the angle bracket that attaches to the linkage rod broke off. I am thinking it'll be pretty much impossible to extract those screws so I will need to order a new rotating piece and have the repair guy install it. Does anyone know what the rotating piece is called? I'd like to be as helpful as possible to the repair guy when I call him later today (as well as GFI when I order the part).

The square rod is a cross shaft. It's really strange that those screws would break. The cross shaft is probably aluminum. I would guess that you could get those out and at worst re-tap the holes for larger screws.
Welcome to pedal steel!!!
Great sweater

Eric Dahlhoff wrote:The square rod is a cross shaft. It's really strange that those screws would break. The cross shaft is probably aluminum. I would guess that you could get those out and at worst re-tap the holes for larger screws.
Welcome to pedal steel!!!
Great sweater

My thinking was that the repair guy has to take it all apart anyway, and it's probably easier for him just to replace the 'cross-shaft' than mess around trying to fix it. But who knows. Thank you for letting me know what it is called. I will give him a call around lunch and see what he says.

Well GFI is going to send me the crossrod for free. Stand up guys!

Now the question is, do I tackle this project myself or take it to the repair guy.

I'm pretty handy but I can't tell if I need to slide the cover off the apron and insert it from the side or if I can loosen the lock nut on the brass looking screw and replace it from the bottom.

What do y'all think?

Welcome to the club Blake!

I came to pedal steel via rock guys like Jerry (especially his playing on Dire Wolf, Candyman, High Time & The Wheel), John McFee (Pride of Cucamonga) Al Perkins with the Rolling Stones (Torn and Frayed) & Steve Howe from Yes (To Be Over). I don't really play like any of them though and do my own thing which is arrange/record for solo pedal steel. You might enjoy my take on Candyman at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-rEGK1dN7U&t=189s

As far as repairing your GFI on your own, I'm a firm believer in being able to setup and work on all my instruments, pedal steel included. It's a great skill to develop and will save you a ton of money - as well as being fun! Be aware though that it is a learning process and as a complete beginner I'd definitely wait until a fellow GFI owner jumps in this thread to get you headed in the right direction

Hi Blake. Welcome! GFI folks are great. They will help you. This will probably be a fairly easy fix. Seems like every steel I've owned had stuff break. Those little GFI guitars are nice. Enjoy the journey on this crazy machine. Oh yeah,nice sweater.

Blake, welcome and enjoy the journey!!! I started playing at the age of 30. I am almost 70.....

Hi Blake,

I'm 51, I've been going 3 years now and also play GFI Expo and like you have been a rock guy my whole life (VERY amateur on guitar, never gigged, I make my living playing tuba). And I love country and am glad to be performing on the instrument. It is such a challenge that you will love diving into.

If you are like me, you'll get into seeing what rock&roll you can play on the steel. Right now I'm working on Gimme Three Steps. Also Satriani "Always with You"-man it is so fun to see what you can do.

You are blessed to have someone who can teach you/start you off on the foot/stop bad habits etc. in your area. And this forum is a huge plus to be a part of.

You're in a beautiful area (I grew up in KS & vacationed in CO a lot). If I were there, I would consider a visit to Mullen factory. Anyways welcome to PSG and the forum and looking forward to good things to come from you-

Jon

Hi Blake. I was waiting for some GFI owners to give you some tips on replacing the cross shaft, but I'll give it a shot 'til someone more knowledgeable with the brand comes along. I have a bit of experience working on pedal steels, just not this one.

It appears to me that the cross shaft has a brass stud that threads back up into the shaft. Loosenening the lock nut and screwing it in should reduce the length so that it will clear the cabinet and you can lift it out.

The 2 bell cranks that bolt to that shaft might be removable simply by removing the screws that hold them to the shaft. I try to remove as few components as possible, but it may be necessary to remove the pull rods that pass through the brass barrels to access the screws that mount the 2 bell cranks to the shaft.

I would mark the location of the components or take photos for reference to install them in the same position.

This should be an easy repair. It's located where you have lots of room to manuever parts without having to deal with unrelated adjacent parts.

Once you have the new cross shaft in place, you'll have to tweak the nylon tuners at the right end plate to tune the pedal.

Tools are pretty basic. Open end wrenches or adjustable jaw for the locking nut and stud, and the proper size allen wrench for the pull rod/bellcrank set screws if that is necessary, and perhaps some needle nose pliers to wiggle those bell cranks off the cross shaft. They fit pretty tight from the tension from the mounting screws.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Hi Blake
I have 2 GFI S12U guitars, They are easy and straight forward to work on.
It would not be hard to replace the cross rod in your guitar.
You lucked out, The problem is on the 1st pedal left so the pull rods are not running under other parts. This will make for an easy change of the broken cross rod.

1. Remove the screw from 1 of the bell cranks that holds the bell crank to the square of the cross rod. Wiggle the bell crank and slide it off cross rod. (MAY HAVE TO USE A THIN SCREWDRIVER TO PERSWADE IT TO SLIP OFF THE SQUARE SHAFT.
2. Remove the 2nd bell crank from the square of the cross shaft.

3. Using 2 open end or adjustable wrenches, Hold the brass hex on the end of the cross shaft, With 1 wrench, And with the 2nd wrench loosen the lock nut that is contacting the end of the square of the rod.
Turn the lock nut on the brass shaft back close to the brass hex on the shaft.
4. Now apply a wrench to the square part of the cross shaft. Counter clock wise, With wrench on brass hex, Screw the brass shaft into the square of the shaft till it touches the lock nut. You should be able to pick the cross shaft free of the guitar.

5. If the new cross shaft does not have the brass screw insert and lock nut, Remover the lock nut and brass from the cross rod and screw it completely into the new one.

6. Carefully, Watching the position of the Pedal Rod Lever. Insert the pedal rod end of the rod into the front Apron Bushing. Holding the square of the cross rod with hand or wrench if needed, Screw the brass end Clockwise out till the tip of the brass shaft enters the back Apron Bushing. Adjust cross rod this it is snug, But moves free.

7.(HERE YOU NEED HELP OR A 3RD HAND.) Place a wrench on the Brass Hex of the shaft, and a wrench on the shaft square to hold them exact, While tightening the lock nut against the end of the square shaft.

ONCE THE LOCK NUT IS TIGHTENED, CHECK THE CROSS SHAFT MOVES EASY AND SMOOTHLY IN THE APRON BUSHINGS.

8. Next place 1 bell crank on the cross rod, Insert screw. Check alignment of the pull rod so it runs straight as possible to the Changer finger touching as little as possible. Tighten bell crank screw to firmly attach the bell crank to the cross shaft.
Check and be sure the pull rod to changer has a little free play in its travel.

9. Install the 2nd bell crank on shaft in same way.
Check the pull rod for free play.

Keep the cross shaft and remove the broken screw. A spare cross rod is always handy to around.

Good Luck on this project, Happy Steelin.

Welcome aboard, Blake!

You're already discovering that GFIs are simple to maintain and that their customer service is excellent. But in any case, like Dennis says, it's good to be your own mechanic as there isn't a repairer in every town.

Musically, I was attracted to the steel by its country character but I've ended up playing mostly rock anyway! And blues, and soul, and latin, and reggae... It's a much more versatile instrument than Joe Public realises.

It's also extremely addictive. Does your wife realise that she's unlikely to see you again?

Ian Rae wrote:It's a much more versatile instrument than Joe Public realises.

This!!!

I know we often debate the future of pedal steel, but like any instrument stereotyped into a particular style, the future lies in expansion into other areas. The challenge is how to get guitar players in those other styles to recognize and decide to learn PSG? One big issue I've noticed is in the world of those non traditional styles there's a huge and common mis-identification of pedal steel as "steel guitar". It's only when those players try to learn a PSG part with just a slide that they discover it's not just a "steel guitar" but something much more complex - and fun

Just an update. I was able to replace the crossrod myself. It took all of about 10 minutes. Now it's time to get to learning!

Glad you was able to get the cross Rod replaced and now can get to learning on your guitar.

I suggest you get a Mel Bay Steel guitar chord chart for the E9th tuning. They have them for sale on the internet and here on the Steel Guitar
Forum under instructions on about the 3rd or 4th page.
The chord chart will allow you to take your 6 string knowledge and transpose the chords and patterns to the steel guitar neck.

Good Luck and Happy Steelin.