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Topic: Steel Guitar Rodding Chart? |
Jim Florence
From:
wilburton, Ok. US * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Jan 2008 9:29 am |
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At my tender age of 75, it has occured to me that I don't know how to properly rod a modern guitar. Questions such as which pull at the changer to Which hole on the bellcrank. Seems to me there used to be a standard rodding chart. Help is needed.
Jim |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2008 9:49 am
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When I'm tearing down a guitar, I put a rodding designation on each change on the copedent chart. I give the changer holes letter names ABCDEF starting from the top of the guitar, and number the bell crank slots 123456. So, a raise pull might be marked "B4" and a lower might be marked "F3".
I learned this method from Tom Baker at Sierra. I looked over his shoulder once when he totally re-rodded my guitar. Tom is a master!
As for a "standard" rodding chart, I think it would be different for each brand of guitar. It also varies by string gauges.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 19 Jan 2008 9:57 am
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b0b is certainly correct that a chart needs to be specific to the guitar and the strings. But for general info, Carter has their rodding chart here (as well as a blank chart)--
http://www.steelguitarinfo.com/infoindex.html
--under "rodding". |
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Jim Florence
From:
wilburton, Ok. US * R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Jan 2008 6:18 pm
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Thanks guys, That system will help a lot, My problem is that I still have and play my 1967 ZB custom, and I can work on it just fine, but the later ones with nylon tuners have so many variations, to me it's something like a kid in a candy store, Thanks again.
Jim |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Jan 2008 5:16 pm
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Whenever I begin changing the rodding on a PSG, I make my chart in the form of a fraction. If the changer is a triple-raise, double-lower, I number the holes starting at body-level 1~2~3~4~5 and from body-level away on the bellcrank, depending on the number of holes, 1~2~3~4~etc. Then a Raise might read 1/2 and a Lower might read 5/3. The top-munber being the changer and the bottom-number being the bellcrank. Since the guitar is normally up-side-down when working on it, always count ‘up’ from the body level. (1,2,3,etc.)
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster |
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Doug Seymour
From:
Jamestown NY USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jan 2008 2:36 pm rodding
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Remember the shaft the changer fingers are on is the pivot point.....the hole farthest away is the easiest
pull (and also the most travel) The rods always go in the farthest hole from the pivot first, then if there's need for a second rod the next hole and so on! At the bell crank the shaft is the pivot point so the closer your rod is fastened to the shaft the easier the pull and the longer the travel of the pedal or knee lever) Why is this so confusing to steelers! Check the Carter web site for a great rodding chart! (even if they don't know what the proper names are??) A bell crank by any other name is still a............bell crank isn't it?
Last edited by Doug Seymour on 24 Jan 2008 2:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 24 Jan 2008 2:48 pm
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Go to the Sierra web site and download the manual for the Sierra steel ,there is a good explanation in it,
Bob spoke of it above...^^^^ |
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David LeBlanc
From:
New Brunswick, Canada
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Posted 24 Jan 2008 4:08 pm
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I don`t want to steel this thread but I want to set my MSA better than it is.I looked at the Sierra web page and I think the bellcrank is the same logic. What about a MSA classic changer. There are 4 holes at the changer(2raise- 2lower),Which would be the hardest and which would be the lightest? Also if you have to route the rods in the same slots of different bellcranks,like 4-8,how do you know which goes lowest-highest  Sorry for my ignorance  |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 24 Jan 2008 4:22 pm
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| The Sierra chart although is upside down, would apply to most steel guitars, study it and learn... |
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Skip Cole
From:
North Mississippi
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Posted 26 Jan 2008 7:02 pm
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After i bought my Legrande 3 i called Ron Jr at Emmons and he was nice enough to email me the rodding chart that is used for that particular steel. Before i started any changes i took digital pictures of the undercarriage changer and b/c's.
Skip  |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 1:36 pm
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| In general, on the bellcranks- the further you put the rod from the cabinet- the faster and harder the pull will be and the opposite is true at the changer end. A rule of thumb for an all pull guitar is to set the raises 1st and the lowers 2nd (push pull guitars are done in the opposite order). Thinner strings require a farther pull than thicker strings (for a given half step) and wound strings require a further pull than plain strings. I try to avoid bending rods whenever possible because frequently bent rods give a bit of a softer/mushier (is that a word?) feel to the pull however there are times that it is very difficult to avoid a bend and- when necessary- I try to make the bend gentle as opposed to a right angle. |
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