Trouble tuning E lower

[SteelieAJK]

Appreciate any advice from any of you pedal steel mechanics gurus.

I took my Thomas SD10 to a rehearsal last night and could not get my E lowers correct. The lower is sharp. When I screw in the hex nut to flatten the lower, my open E has flattened, then when I correct open the lower is sharp again. Tried backing off the hex a few turns and retrying but still no joy.

Wasn't having this trouble earlier, heat or transportation to studio seems to have done something.

Ideas, advice anyone?

[bob adams]

Check if any raise actions on those changes are over cranked at the finger, it could be one is sitting sharp. if not your course of action is:

Not sure what the Thomas looks like underneath Allan but there should be a pedal stop near where the pedal rod connects or somewhere on the shaft. ease that off to allow more travel on that change then bring your two changer hex's back to sit sweet to the finger and no more then tune them both from there.

You should be sorted!!

[SteelieAJK]

Thanks for advice Bob

I was approaching the same conclusion after reading a post on US Forum

I backed off 4 & 8 hex until lower had no action, then gradually screwed hex in a little at a time and sure enough I get the finger not ending up in line and the open changing pitch with hex adjustment (overtuned!) before the lower is tuned.

My problem now is that the lever stop screw is already adjusted as far as it can go so I may have to find a way to increase the lever action (it is a rather short movement compared with my GFI) I think my options are replace the stop (looks like allen) bolt, lord only knows what thread issues that'll cause, or change hole in crank.

I'm sure the lever was tuning ok a few days ago not sure when I last checked, I don't adjust hex until I hear their tuning wander or change strings. Didn't hear the problem until last night. Strings are rather old, maybe stretched out, so first pass is new strings.

[SteelieAJK]

Oh well new strings didn't help.

Reckon it's a temperature problem, how much do pull rods expand when it's 10 deg too hot

Looks like I gotta figure a way of changing lever travel, gonna be interesting, my tool kit is approximately a Clarkson kit, I've got a couple of hammers.

[Jason Lynch]

Allan, I'm not too far from you. I've a few more tools here, if you want a fresh pair of eyes on the problem?

[SteelieAJK]

Thanks for the offer Jason.

I think I have managed to effect a heath-robinson fix.
I have managed to removed the adjustable stop bolt and the lever now stops when it hits the bracket, travel seems ok and I can now tune lowers. Panic over.

Tool kit turned out to be a Clarkson plus, which had a 1/16 allen key, so I could undo the locking grub screw, and a pair of pliers to undo the allen bolt (there was no way of getting an allen key into the head of this bolt.. tricky design I). If the allen bolt had been 1/8 inch longer I could not have got it out as it abutted the lever bracket when wound out ..( tricky design II) in which case I think I would have had to remove half the under carriage to get to the parts I needed to move, axles and brackets covered fixing screws.. nightmare (tricky design III)

Didn't need hammer

Thank goodness I still have GFI as main axe

Now if I can only find a way to lessen the pull rod clatter.... but that's another story for another day I think...

[elparkirio]

Allan, I've had problems like this before....the last time it happened all i had to do was spray a bit of GT85 in the changer mech...if the changer gets gunked up with dirt or whatever it can stick, causing the mech to not recall all the way and making your notes flat or sharp....glad you got it sorted anyway...bloody steel guitars!!!!

[Will C]

Alan,

Sounds like you may not have enough movement at the changer finger. You just got away with it before the high temperatures lengthened your pullrods.

I'm betting your changer finger and the hex nut were in hard contact before you start the pull. The finger may even have been held off its end-stop. If you can't get more travel at the bellcrank by moving the pedal/lever limit stop, you can move the pivot, where the pullrod engages the bellcrank, so it's further away from the cross-shaft. That gives you more travel.

Or you can put your pullrod through a different hole at the changer finger (physically lower, closer to the bottom of the finger) to get more movement from the same travel. But both of these options will increase the effort needed somewhat - a tiny percentage, still worth doing.

You should be able to just lean on the knee lever and see no change in pitch on the tuner, to verify that the hex nut is not quite in contact with the finger when it is "at rest". Happy fiddling!

Will C

[john roche]

Check the return spring, if loose you won't get the note right.