The Steel Guitar Forum

Dear Steelers,

Can someone please tell me where I can find some info on converting a GFI S-10 3 floors and 4 knees, from Emmons to Day tuning?

I appreciate all the help and Happy Thanksgiving...

Mark

I have changed 2 GFI Ultra's from Emmons to Day Set Up.
First you will need a secure padded way to set the guitar upside down to work on it. And pick strings.

Now to reverse the A and C pedals. Make a diagram of pull rods hole location in the changer and bell cranks on the cross rods. Also take pictures with markings of the rods.

Remove the pull rods from 5th and 10th string on A pedal by loosening the set screw in the brass barrel on the bell crank on the A pedal cross rod. Lay rods aside put a note A pedal on them.
Go to C pedal remove the 4th and 5th string pulls rods as you removed A pedal. Lay rods aside Put a note on them C pedal.

Check the adjustment of the pedal stop screws on the A and C pedals and reverse their height.
Next move the Bell Cranks on the 1st cross shaft to pull on the 4th and 5th strings, On the pedal cross shaft making it the C pedal pulls.(Use marked A pedal rods) Unscrew the nylon tuning nuts about 3 turns. Insert the pull rods in proper holes on strings 4 and 5 into the changer and into brass barrel on Bell Cranks. Bring the nylon nut up to just touch the changer finger and tighten set screw in the proper brass barrel on the bell crank.

Now to the 3rd cross rod for the A pedal. Move the bell cranks on 3rd cross rod to align with 5th and 10th string.
(Using Rods marked C) Loosen nylon tuning screw 3 turns. Insert in proper changer hole for strings 5 and 10, and into into the brass barrel, Shove rod till tuning nut just touches changer finger and tighten the set screw in each brass barrel.

Now work 1 string at a time, On New C Pedal Starting with string 4, then 5, Adjust pull to tune. Then go to New A Pedal adjust pull on string 5 then string 10. once you have these tuned proper, Now to the Knee Levers.

Make a diagram of the pulls and pictures as on pedals.
The raise and lower on strings 4 and 8 on knee levers will need to be reversed also. You will need the E to F raise moved to LKR so you can roll your foot on pedal A and raise 4 & 8 with your knee in one smooth motion to right. E to D# on LKL to roll your foot and knee left for 7th chord. Same procedure as for pedals. Remove rods, Move bell cranks on cross rods move barrels in bell cranks like the pedals. The knee levers have the stops right on the bell cranks to adjust pulls and lowers. Tune string 4 then string 8.

Send me private message with phone number and we can discuss this adventure before you start.
Good Luck and Happy Steelin. bj

Thank You Bobby very much for detailed description on my change over...

It is a challenge to get a knee lever that lowers going left if it is a student model w a pull-release changer.

Here is the standard GFI E9th rodding chart. Its for Emmons setup but may help on the conversion.

Thank You Jack... This rod chart will be useful for sure... I have saved it to print...

Mark

Glad to help another Pennsylvanian

I read the instructions I wrote, I went through and changed a couple things to make them easier to follow in my first post. Bj

Mark - These photos or diagrams may also assist you.

Also - In the chart that Jack provided for you, the left of the numbers is the changer hole, and the right one is the bell crank hole. As in 4/4 - 4th changer hole, 4th bell crank hole.

These photos are from the GFI web page. They are not mine, but I added some numbers to make them clearer to me.

That reminds me, if you have the older 6 hole bell cranks and the chart calls for the 7 hole, Bob at GFI says to use 6 hole.