The Steel Guitar Forum

I have an 80’s push pull Emmons that’s having an issue with one the raises. I live in DFW and am having a hard time finding someone to work on it. Does anyone here happen to know of somebody out this way?

Hunter - Have you tried Steve Lamb @ Lamb's music?

Jim Cooley wrote:Hunter - Have you tried Steve Lamb @ Lamb's music?

I have not! That’s not far from me. I’ll have to give him a call.

It’s not far from you to Texarkana where one of the best lives, Henry Matthews. That’s who I go to and I live near Denton. Worth the drive.

Is it the high E string ? Only asking because I have never been able to get mine working 100% .

The timing and amount of slack on the 4th string or any string that raises and lowers for that matter has to be right to get them to tune properly.
What string you having problem with?

Henry Matthews wrote:The timing and amount of slack on the 4th string or any string that raises and lowers for that matter has to be right to get them to tune properly.
What string you having problem with?

It’s the first string. Seems like no matter how high I adjust it, the first string raise won’t get close to the full step raise. It’s like half a step off. Think maybe it has to do with the pull hook maybe.

It’s really hard to get first string to raise whole step unless you have a longer bell crank. Also another way is to hook the little wire hook down where the lower rod usually goes. Activate you knee and adjust collar to where pulls all way to guitar body or stop. You can do this by sight, then set guitar back up, activate knee and using key head, tune string to G# with knee activated. Let off knee and tune open back to F# with the lower screw on end plate. You can just remove the screw or Allen head that usually tunes opens.
The first pic is without knee activated, 2nd is with knee activated.

I use the lower finger to raise that one. Long travel, but works great.

Henry Matthews wrote:
It’s really hard to get first string to raise whole step unless you have a longer bell crank. Also another way is to hook the little wire hook down where the lower rod usually goes. Activate you knee and adjust collar to where pulls all way to guitar body or stop. You can do this by sight, then set guitar back up, activate knee and using key head, tune string to G# with knee activated. Let off knee and tune open back to F# with the lower screw on end plate. You can just remove the screw or Allen head that usually tunes opens.
The first pic is without knee activated, 2nd is with knee activated.

Alright guys I have solved my problem. The set screw on the locking collar had just loosened and caused it to move further down towards the bell crank. Just moved it back up and it’s back in tune!

Jody Cameron wrote:I use the lower finger to raise that one. Long travel, but works great.

I have a problem getting my first string to raise a fill tone, too. Do you get a full tone or half tone raise by doing that?

Jim Cooley wrote:

Jody Cameron wrote:I use the lower finger to raise that one. Long travel, but works great.

I have a problem getting my first string to raise a fill tone, too. Do you get a full tone or half tone raise by doing that?

Jim, I think in the pictures that I posted is what Jody was talking about. Using the lower finger for the raise and yes, you can raise a whole tone easily.