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Author Topic:  Timing Pulls
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 10 Mar 2009 10:17 am    
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I try my best to have each pull on a particular pedal or knee-lever timed so that they start and stop at the same time. It's not always easy, though. I play a 12-string E9/B6 and have refined things to the point that even all three of the G# > A pulls start and stop at the same time, with no additional hardware.

Recently I've noticed a problem that may just be due to string gauge being off a hair. The A pedal, which raises two B's to C#'s, used to be timed just right. After a recent string change, they are not timed as well as they used to be. When I press the pedal I can feel where one string is being picked up slightly after the first one started raising. My Mullen has 5-hole bellcranks. If I move one of the pulls to a different hole, it's too much of a change. I need a hole that is somewhere in between the available holes. (I guess that's why Emmons came out with the 14-hole bellcranks.)

Are there any tricks to try when this happens? Perhaps a slight bend up or down at the end of the pull rod, before it attaches to the bellcrank?

As I said, it could just be a slight change in the gauge of the string, which is a Jagwire by the way.

Lee, from South Texas
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Robby Springfield


From:
Viola, AR, USA
Post  Posted 10 Mar 2009 11:02 am    
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Rumor has it that Del can fix you up with bell cranks with more holes. Give him a shout.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 10 Mar 2009 11:33 am    
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I never shout at Del. I do holler at Mike, though!

Laughing

Thanks!
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memphislim


From:
Austin, Texas
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2009 8:33 am    
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Have you tried a differnt raise hole on the changer? That will make a difference, one way or the other.
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2009 10:05 am    
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mslim - That would probably do it, but would create other problems. I play a Mullen U-12. It has 3 raise holes and 2 lower holes. On those strings, all the raise holes are being used. If I try to move one of my pulls, that means moving another pull and risking having that problem on another pedal or knee-lever.

I did hear back from Mike Mantey, at Mullen. He said he can make me a bellcrank with more holes. Before I do that, I'll probably try another string. I didn't have this problem before, so I'm thinking that maybe the string diameter is slightly different.

I'm still interested in hearing from other Forumites about ways to time pulls.

Lee
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2009 5:11 pm    
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Quote:
The A pedal, which raises two B's to C#'s, used to be timed just right. After a recent string change, they are not timed as well as they used to be. When I press the pedal I can feel where one string is being picked up slightly after the first one started raising.


My advice would be not to worry about it. Yes, ignore the little discrepancy and go on playing. Getting the two "B" pulls perfect can be a pain, and any time you change guages or string types, it's likely to recur. I don't consider the two "B" pulls to be as important in this aspect as others, as the octaves aren't as easily noticed in this respect as closer voicings (e.g., the "C" pedal 4th and 5th pulls).
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Doug Palmer


From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2009 6:08 pm     Travel
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If you changed string guages that's your problem for sure.

Doug
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bill dearmore


From:
Belton,Tx.,USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2009 8:32 pm    
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I agree with Doug
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Ulric Utsi-Åhlin

 

From:
Sweden
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2009 12:42 am    
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Strings make a GREAT difference,I´ll leave the brand-
debate for now,but even what we might regard a small
change in gauge(.17 to .18,for example)really
makes for a HUGE re-set of the system balance for
that string position ; it would be extremely bene-
ficial to have micro,in-between gauges for the
balancing act...but try to tell that to any of the
very few actual string producers...but,PSG-players
would have an extra,valuable adj-tool...McUtsi
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Michael Johnstone


From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2009 8:24 am    
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I remember seeing a bellcrank years ago that addressed that issue. It had a long continous vertical slot instead of a bunch of holes. There was a collar that slides along the slot and be secured at any point along it. The pullrod attaches to the collar giving you infinately variable leverage.I don't remember who had that gadget but it was a small company. I haven't seen anything about that for a long time but I thought it was a brilliant idea and if currently unavailable,it would be quite easy to replicate by milling out an existing bellcrank.
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