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Topic: Adjusting MSA Sidekick S10 |
Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 12:57 pm |
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I just bought an MSA Maveric S10, and am a complete beginner. It's set up E9 with Emmons? setup for the 3 pedals and RKL. After playing around with it, I find that when I push the A pedal, it raises the 5th and 10th string a whole step. 3 problems are showing up:
1) when it's in tune, with the pedal depressed, the 10th string is almost a quarter tone sharp while the #5 string is just right. I tried adjusting the set screws on the side and if I get the #10 string correct, then that setscrew is limiting the travel in such a way that #5 is now almost a quarter tone flat when the pedal is depressed.
2) when I let go of the pedal, it goes back to tune, but if I push the pedal lightly up, the #5 string then goes slightly flat. While playing consistantly, the pedal on the up stroke seems to stick part way up, which is in tune, but not at the end of it's travel. If left for a while, I think the string tension over time overcomes the sticky spot in the pedal, and then the string is slightly flat.
3) seems like the A pedal resting state is 1/2" or 3/4" higher than the B and C pedal resting states. Is that correct?
Are there good tutorials for this sort of thing? I'm very mechanically inclined, but wanted to ask around before I mess things up out of my own ignorance.
-Tom
Last edited by Tom Frisch on 22 Mar 2011 7:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 1:35 pm
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I'm pretty sure that Sho-Bud made the Maverick. 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 2:13 pm
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Oops, I mean Sidekick. MSA Sidekick S10.
My questions remain.
-Tom |
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Henry Brooks
From:
Los Gatos, California, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 2:35 pm
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It's most likely a pull release changer. To adjust the 10th string turn the tuning key with the pedal down to C# release the pedal and adjust the 10th string to B at the end plate. On pull release guitars you adjust the raises with the tuning keys and the open tuning at the end plate. For lowers adjust the tuning key for the open tuning and the lower at the end plate. Hope this helps and enjoy your new guitar.
Henry |
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Chris Dorch
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 6:03 pm
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It is a pull-release... The Carter website has the Owners Manual available for free download. If that guitar gets cleaned and setup, it should work and sound great!
Good luck! Happy steelin'! |
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 7:13 pm
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After several "oops, RTFM you idiot" thoughts, I'm still stuck on the problem where Pedal A doesn't return all the way to the top of it's travel, thus the #5 string ends up getting 'stuck' a little sharp, and never hits the set screw that holds it's pitch when no pedal is depressed.
Any thoughts?
-Tom |
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David Griffin
From:
Jimmy Creek,Arkansas via Cowtown, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 9:02 pm
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My first steel was a Sidekick.They are great little guitars. I wish I had kept mine. Have you checked for a stringball end stuck in the changer? Could be binding it. If nothings binding,well... I can't remember exactly how the changer was built,but I think there is a "helper" spring attached to the finger. If it is,cut a little off the spring & reattach it. It should be strong enough then to return it to pitch.  One more thing to check would be the roller at the nut. Make sure it is turning freely.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/davidagriffin |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 20 Mar 2011 11:42 pm
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Tom, the guitar needs to be properly set up by an experienced technician. You should send it to somebody who will do it right.
There are several member here who live in Oregon who can recommend someone who does this sort of work. You also have the option of shipping the guitar to Tom Bradshaw or Jim Palenscar here in California. Either of these men will set it up to play perfectly.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Henry Brooks
From:
Los Gatos, California, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2011 7:55 am
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Tom, I agree with Mike have tech get the guitar working for you. It's not that you couldn't do it yourself it's the frustration and time may cause you to loose interest.
Henry |
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Chris Dorch
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2011 9:30 am
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The changer is probably in dire need of cleaning and lubricating.
Whatever you do, do NOT use WD40 on it... Find someone who will take it apart and cleaning and then set it up for you.
I did it to mine.. It's not hard.. but it's time intensive... |
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2011 5:18 pm
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WD-40 is really not a lubricant. It's a moisture remover (hence the acronym W.ater D.ryer formula 40).
I poked around some more after work today, and while I didn't find anything binding up, I did notice that the little white shaft collar on the pull rod that Pedal A connects to was installed opposite all the others. There is a 45' chamfer on there, which I think is there to keep it from getting hung up during it's travel. Now that I reversed it, things are working much better.
Next I've got to figure out why the knee lever isn't able to drop #4 and #8 the required 1/2 step. |
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2011 5:14 pm
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Well, I thought I had everything working, but have come to realize that I can't get the knee lever to work quite right- it works fine on lowering #8, but won't lower #4 at all. I found that if I moved the shaft collar indicated in the photo to the left it would fix the problem with the knee lever, but then pedal 3's raise on that string wouldn't work.
Is there a photo or measurements of where these shaft collars should be properly set? |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 9:20 am Fixed?
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| Tom Frisch wrote: |
Well, I thought I had everything working, but have come to realize that I can't get the knee lever to work quite right- it works fine on lowering #8, but won't lower #4 at all. I found that if I moved the shaft collar indicated in the photo to the left it would fix the problem with the knee lever, but then pedal 3's raise on that string wouldn't work.
Is there a photo or measurements of where these shaft collars should be properly set? |
Hey Tom - did you ever get your KL on the Sidekick to work correctly, in conjunction with having the P3 pedal work right, too? Mine is the same situation. I did get some great advice from Michael Hutchison regarding the rod being able to get 'hung up' in the changer finger, and which I still have to check and try to fix. I need to release both stops on that rod (#4 string) and see if I can get that finger to go back to it's proper position.
I had the same issue with string #4. I could either have the knee work, and lower 4&8, and NOT raise #4 with P3, or vice-versa. I will get to it this week, though. I just wondered what you discovered with your similar situation?
Thanks!
TJW |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 10:21 am
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| sending a sidekick to a tech for repair/set-up would cost more than the guitar is worth. find a local steel player with a brain to help. |
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Tom Frisch
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 2:22 pm
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Yes, I brought it to a friend, and he was able to dial it in. Nothing was getting hung up, we just had to move those shaft collars till we found a spot where it was good enough for both KL and pedal 3. He also told me that some PSG's have a threaded offset on the shaft collar, which lets you micro-adjust without moving the whole collar, but the Sidekick doesn't have those.
-Tom |
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