The Springfield resurrection

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

I sent a couple of pics to someone showing the underside of this guitar and they said it was unplayable! now I admit its a bit untidy and has a collection of USA odds and sods underneath but unplayable?! I think not...... Therefore I will sell this Lightweight D/B S10 for the massive price of 950 quid plus shipping and include in that price a Peterson HD tuner AND a seven day return it for a full refund if not entirely satisfied, I think that is being fair and reasonable. The guitar comes in a fairly large flight case, the tuner is used but in perfect working order.

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

John
Could you please post some of the pictures of the undercarriage on this unplayable guitar that you have just played, I like the tone you are getting from it, is that the original pickup or a replacement ?
Being a member of the underprivileged classes, I like the Springfield for style and sound, but the mechanics leave room for improvement! ( or replacement)
This post has managed to get my finger out after 3 months retirement from guitar playing and posting, as I can't get out (at least 10 miles a day on a bike doesn't count ) I've got all the catchup jobs to do around the happy home and guitar playing is a bigger danger to my health than any virus, hopefully soon I can clear out my shed and start rebuilding last year's impulsive purchase a Springfield S10 .
I have already started work on it but someone else's clever ideas can never go amiss!

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Cannot offer any clever ideas Robert but if you want any genuine Springfield parts they are free (but you have to pay postage)

My take on the mechanics was first lose all that weight as I understand it Mr Kerr took advice from Mr Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built it to last the cross irons I think 10 mm but weighed in like 12 and it took two men and a boy to lift it. so I moved it down to 8m sq. for cross shafts and 8mm round for lever bars cos that is what I had in "Leftovers". Where you have two pulls on the same shaft I cater first for the thinner string cos it moves the most so i set the pedal travel stop to set that movement, as my travel stops are not substantial due to thin skirt this guitar and I have square shafts I find I can devise a further stop for the thinner strings on the cross shaft itself, this not only makes a more positive stop but if i fit a small spring around the thread of the protruding shaft stop it acts as a return spring for the pedal and a better feel on the pedals, The thicker string movement is just controlled by the old brass Shobud adjusters.
So, what I have ended up with is an extremely light double bodied "unplayable" guitar.
Standard GeorgeL E66 pick up

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[Mcneilwaeasteel]

John
Regards the Springfield parts, I will need to pass on your kind offer, as I've been reliably informed that no more rubbish has to enter this marital home!
Your modifications are a vast improvement over the original cross shafts and stops ( or lack of them! ) the bushes on the shaft ends are a big improvement on the original " hole in the wall " set up.
The difference is apparent in the photo I've posted below showing the travel stops and rod adjusters on the 3/8" steel cross shafts, I have already made up travel stops similar to yours for the levers, for the pedal stops I have done the same and made up return springs for all the shafts.
I was thinking of making rod adjusters similar to Blanton ones but have put things on hold while I re invent the wheel!
Thanks for your input, that's a sturdy good,mechanicaly smooth, guitar for someone.
Cheers Robert

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[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Robert I would call it innovation and although engineered to a high standard it still came second to other tried and tested ways of making a steel guitar work,who knows what a tweak or two might have done to improve it. We need people who think outside of the box to take our beloved instrument forward but, on the whole I still think Emmons got it right.....push pull....push pull....push pull....push pull....push pull...push pull....push pull....push pull.... .

[Jimmy Gibson]

Hi John,how is this steel tuned,if I remember Springfield steels were all tuned with turnbuckles under the steel?And I could be interested if I sell my Bud.


Jimmy.

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

John
I agree with thinking outside the box, it will be to late when I'm in it!
A lot of progress has been made in engineering since the conception of the pedal steel guitar 60-80 years ago, who knows where technology will take us in the future, I have a mental picture of Calum and Jeff both in self isolation, a bottle of whisky each, surrounded by stepper motors and switches trying to get 14 strings to raise and lower as well as sound right!

The Springfield was a product of its time made available in this country 50 years ago and who knows what future technology will bring, meanwhile you've improved this guitar and got it right, J D you can continue to push pull - push pull, choo-choo, choo-choo, Wh eeee ze

Last edited by Mcneilwaeasteel on Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Hi Jimmy, its explained best I can in my second post here, only crude nothing clever but if I can get a tune out of it ....then so can someone else and maybe improve it if their engineering is better than mine. I include the Peterson as it is essential IMHO even for my Emmons as I don't have the ear to do without it.
The guitar is the lightest double body guitar I have ever come across and the enormous Flight case it comes in is total overkill....but it is priced for a beginner and we do need more steel players....

[Jimmy Gibson]

Cheers John,I am still interested in the old Springfield parts,so if you let me know what you want for them I will order some more strings and add payment to them.


Jimmy.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Jimmy i dont have the audacity to charge you for the Springfield parts, you will have to pay postage but if you really want them they are yours.