Knee lever idea

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

With my limited movement issues I have been thinking of a way to use one lever for one change and flip a lever and it works another change.
I want to play a Universal tuning and gear the set up as to have E 9th changes flip lever or levers and have B 6th changes without having to shift my body .

Here is what I came up with and I am about to leave for work so I can't go into it the description too much now. It will use small heim joints like in one picture . It has a detent ball and can be used in 3 positions with either cross rod seperated from the other or both together. This is just a quick proto type and plans on a rod to select it with are in my head. They feel lonely because there is not much in there to keep them company.

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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Carl Dixon had an Excel that changed knee lever functions based on the position of a switch on his volume pedal. Click here for more info.
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Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

I have it on and hooked up as far as the cross rods. I am adding the pulls later today. It will have a longer switch button on the next one but this gives you the idea of how it works.

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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

What a great idea! What about trying to get the "switching button" more remote from the actual lever? Maybe in a more finger friendly spot? Like on the back apron?

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

John
That is in the works. I am thinking of a knob or lever on the back apron hooked to it but I wanted to get the actual lever working first. I have the pulls on and fixing to tune it up. On this guitar it is just seperating the C 6th and E 9th pulls .
On my Universal I will be having E 9th levers and B6th levers working on the same neck. I use 2 of the 6th pedals on knee levers because of my movement limitations. I am currently using standard pedal 6 on one leg and standard pedal 7 on the other leg .
With the vertical as the standard knee lever for the 6th , this keeps me able to play . In a way sort of a Semi - Crossover.
I can see countless uses for it like those pulls you don't use much but would like to have. Flip the lever and there it is. Flip it back and have another change.
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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

"like those pulls you don't use much but would like to have."

That's what I was thinkin' too! Great idea Scott!

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I played a Fulawka in the Fulawka room in St Louis this year and it had a change knob on the rear apron that could be pulled and change a knee lever from one thing to another on the C6th neck.

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

Jack
I played and looked at a Fulawka several years ago. He spilts the crossrod in the middle and makes it so you can use either the front or rear neck and also both by his lever .

Here is a you tube with a good view of his at about 5 minutes and 35 seconds into it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS16EEzN-3Q&feature=related

I am planning on a single neck guitar in the future and needed to make it work different crossrods. The end is the same but the route is different. I am working on the remote pull now and have already made a taller switching lever .
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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

richard burton · From: Britain

I like it

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

Thanks Richard

I am not good at explaining myself and you know what they say , A picture is worth a 1,000 words.

It is on and works great. I did not set this one up so both rods could be used together. However if it was tuned with the stops for both cross rods set the same it could use both together.

A example of this would be lower B's to A on one . Lower G# to F# on the other. Lower both and get the Franklin pedal. If effect you would have 3 changes on 1 lever or pedal as I also plan on doing 1 pedal on my universal. With a pedal it will have to use 3 cross rods but I have it worked out in my head.

Another thought is you could split the C pedal and have the 4 to F# on half and the 5 to C# on the other half. Pull it in the middle and you have the standard C pedal . This would allow the Mooney licks without the 5 th string in the way when needed.

I am planning on 6 to F# as one the other will be the 1 & 7 to G# and 2 to E all on the same lever later of the Universal.

There is countless uses and I have used the Crawford cluster in the past but now I am about as flexible as a concrete block , I need to get as much as possible with as little physical movement as I can.
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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

I have it changable by the rear apron. I need to go and get some jamb nuts and assorted little things but you get the idea. I left it long and plan on cutting it and threading it for a knob of some kind. Depends on if I find one I like or not. I may have to make one out of aluminum and polish it. By drilling a slightly larger hole it allows enough movement with no binding.

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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Excellent Scott. That's just what I was thinkin' also. Maybe a ball-shaped knob?

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

I am thinking of a 1/2 round bar stock cut to about 3/4 or 1" long. Mill a round groove on 2 sides to make sort of a hour glass shaped knob. Made out of aluminum and then polish it. I see some small changes for the next one but the idea is done.

I am sure a true machinist could make a lot nicer stuff and there is always rome for improvement but I just wanted to get the idea out and get some input.

As with everything , it seems there is some changes on the next one you do. However it seems to be working great and I plan on making a few drawings and will start on the pedal idea next. It is close but different. When I get all this worked out I will put my single neck together.
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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I'm enjoyin' watchin' your progress!

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

I bought 56 knobs exactly what I had in my mind for this . Got them on ebay with them already threaded to the same I was using on the other end. Just $8.50 and $5.00 shipping. They are made out of 1/2 " round stock aluminum and about 1/2 " long . What a deal!!

This lever is working great and other than just a few small changes in the changer rod , it is ready for me to start making them for my other guitar. It will have 4 knees and 1 pedal that can be changed.

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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

What a great idea!
I had a bad car wreck that left my right ankle fused together among other things. I am anxious to see how this works out for you. I may try something similar.

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

Justin

Nerve damage from arthritis and the fusing of my spine , has my left foot numb and unable to feel the pedals well enough to play , so I have been working at moving the pedals to the right end of the guitar and getting the guitar setup to have fewer pedals and knee levers but keep all the basic changes on a standard universal. I feel pretty sure that it is going to work for me .

But I also feel it has great possabilities for others as well. So many changes could be available with just pulling a knob.
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"The Oddball" A MSA Keyless with pedals to the right.

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

If there is anything I can do to help you let me know.

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