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Topic: Buying a Used Steel Guitar |
Mickey Adams
From:
Bandera Texas
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Posted 19 Sep 2011 7:08 am |
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In the last 2 years some 80 guitars have now passed through my shop here in Dallas. Ive been busy learning as much as I can about as many different brands of steel guitars as I can get my hands on. I have saved the PPs for last..LOL.
We (Del Walters and I) have purchased several guitars sight unseen in order to keep the creek flowing so to speak. Weve purchased most of the popular brands, and models of all-pull guitars now.
Many of the guitars that I have serviced look extremely good in pictures, and for the most part, they've been well represented in all honesty.
The biggest issue that I have found with most of these guitars has been the condition of the changers, which you are NOT going to see in pictures. Ive tried to keep my prices low when it comes to overhauling these greasy machines, and I am continuing to do so for several reasons.
The reason for this post was due to a recent purchase of a high-end well equipped guitar.
The first thing I always do is set the guitar up and play it before I begin to dissect it, and disinfect it. This guitar played...fair at best..Some of the strings were not coming back to pitch, unless the return springs were so tight that the action began to suffer. Upon disassembling the changer (completely) I found the culprit.
After removing the petro contaminants which I believed had solidified (and they had) the changer fingers still were not free enough to keep from increasing friction and affecting the rest of the pull train's action.
The raise/lower fingers are connected with a brass (usually)rivet, and must be compressed in an arbor press just enough to flatten the rivet, without impeding the movement, and creating friction at the joint. This particluar guitar, had 16 out of 20 changer fingers that were compressed to the point that the movement was severley hindered. The fact is that, this is easily remedied...As long as you dont mind disassembling the ENTIRE guitar to get to them. And how many of us really want to, or know how to do this???
Most of the all pull guitars, have a few "gotchas" when it comes to reassembling..Like neck screws underneath cross-rods, that require a specific sequence to get all the parts back in, where they came out!..This can be a very time consuming learning process...Learning from your past mistakes..and believe me...I have..
I look back several years when I can honestly say, I would NEVER have attempted tearing up my Mullen to experiment on it. On the other hand, now Im at a point where I will tear it to pieces once a year just to make sure, shes running as efficiently as she can.
A steel guitar is a big purchase. We all want to make sure we get the MOST, and the BEST guitar for our hard earned money. This is not really a pitch for business on my part. Its a pitch to allow me to continue to help the community which I spend so much time interacting with, and learning from..
I REALLY enjoy teaching, working with Mullen as a rep, and making hordes of new contacts in the Steel guitar world. One of the most gratifying aspects of this, is overhauling someones cherished instrument, and seeing the look on their faces when it plays like new again. Like this: 
We are still in the buying mode for just about any all-pull guitar...The worse shape its in, the better..Or consider turning that decrepid old junker into a new shiny penny..I have a 24 hour mailing address for all guitars and turn-around time is usually about 10 days..
thanks for reading my rambling...!!
_________________
ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders!
Last edited by Mickey Adams on 19 Sep 2011 1:45 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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John Turbeville
From:
Carlsbad, ca
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Posted 19 Sep 2011 7:39 am
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| I just took apart and cleaned the changer for my 69 sho-bud. It wasn't very hard if you have good mechanical skills and are patient, BUT its a lot of work and takes a few hours. It was really gunked up, and took some of the kinks out of the guitar. |
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David Beckner
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2011 7:46 am Thanks
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Mickey Thanks for the info .very helpful thread 
_________________
WILCOX SD10 (love the white mica)
WALKER SEAT
NASHVILLE 400
BEHRINGER RACK TUNER
CUSH CASE RACK
PEAVEY DELTA FEX
PARTS CASTER.Gospel and Classic Country Music
http://www.dbupholstery.yolasite.com |
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Don Brown, Sr.
From:
New Jersey
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Posted 19 Sep 2011 8:11 am
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Mickey,
I'm really glad you posted this article. I've been telling forum members how it's impossible to clean a Changer without removing it and taking it apart, for at least a couple of years. As well as, telling them that most all steels, regardless of age, are in need of a good Changer cleaning, when they aren't returning right, and NOT to tighten up their return springs in order to force it to. But I'm also just as sure you know how that went down.
I've purchased two D-10 steels, that were in absolute mint condition on the outside, while on the inside of their Changers, they were both in very bad shape. Mostly from sitting idle of a long time, and the dried lube turning to crust.
It wasn't the fault of the folks I bought them from, as I'm sure they didn't know that. Nor would it have made any difference. I wouldn't have complained anyway.
Just maybe your post will sink in, where mine seemed to always fail. Hey! What do us NJ people know about Pedal Steel's anyway.. 
I'm glad to see someone taking an interest into getting steels to play as they should. And that's with the least amount of return spring tension needed to do the correct job on a Changer system.
I now have, two D-10 Carters, that are among the best playing steels ever made. And play as smooth as silk. It's too bad the player isn't as good as the steels are. At this time. 
Congrats for an honest post in exactly what's needed in order to really clean one, to have it play as good as it possibly can.
I wouldn't be afraid to buy any pedal steel off of you. You're doing a great service....
Adding I'll bet there are a whole bunch of those flood steels that got washed away during that Nashville disaster, along with many other disasters that has taken place of late, that will be showing up somewhere along the line for sale, if they haven't already.
Just a thought!........... Don |
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Mickey Adams
From:
Bandera Texas
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Posted 19 Sep 2011 9:47 am
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Don thanks for your support on this posted topic...I hope to see a lot of those unfortuante victims of the Nashville deluge...that would keep me in my shop, and off the streets, and out of trouble.
_________________
ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders! |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 20 Sep 2011 12:34 pm Re: Buying a Used Steel Guitar
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| Mickey Adams wrote: |
| ...Most of the all pull guitars, have a few "gotchas" when it comes to reassembling..Like neck screws underneath cross-rods, that require a specific sequence to get all the parts back in, where they came out!..This can be a very time consuming learning process...Learning from your past mistakes..and believe me...I have... |
I laughed when reading this. I bought a U12 8X5 Fessy used from M. Perlowin, but it was just setup for C6 with a bag of assorted remaining parts. I had already successfully added a vertical lever to my Mullen S10, which was actually a fairly simple deal, so I was feeling confident about tinkering. I disassembled it to clean the changer and rerod it. I must have reassembled it numerous times! Every time I had it just about all together, Id scratch my head and wonder how to get that last piece or screw in. Needless to say, it was a learning experience! I still havent done anything else to the Mullen (its perfect now), or my Carter D10. The Fessenden (now Ext E9 5X5) is easier now for me to experiment on changes and tunings, but one day I may need to send it to you in parts. 
Clete |
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Mickey Adams
From:
Bandera Texas
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Posted 20 Sep 2011 9:50 pm
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Send it on bro!!....better yet, Ill be in San Antonio Oct 31st for a week, so you and I need to do some woodshedding together...You game?
_________________
ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders! |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 21 Sep 2011 10:40 am
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You betcha! Thats good news, since I missed you last time you were here by just a few hours.
I better start woodshedding now
Clete |
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Igor Fiksman
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 21 Sep 2011 6:21 pm
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When I posted a question about de_gunking my changer without tear down, a number of folks wisely talked me into biting the bullet and disassembling my D10 pro III. I am surely glad I listened. The yellowness of the fingers you see in these pics is not metal aging. It's hard as a rock congealed WD-40. The fingers did not move at all at the pivot points until i soaked them 3 times in break cleaner, brush cleaned them and re-lubed with Tri-flow. As you can imagine, there's no way you can have a properly playing and tuning guitar with fingers totally seized up. All other metal components had a similar covering of yellow dry film. It took many late nights to sit and manually remove all of the grime to reveal shiny metal under it all. There are countless parts, hours of cleaning, polishing and adjusting, and that is all before reassembling, changing the copedent, re-stringing and tuning everything. And that is providing, there were no mistakes and everything is put back together in proper order. Plus $50 for cleaning, polishing supplies. And after finding out that a huge amount of play in the return to pitch was due to half worn brass rollers in the bell cranks that would cause the strings to return to pitch about 50% of the time, and waiting patiently for replacements just to be able to ply a few notes.
At the beginning of my project Mickey Adams offered to do all this work for $300.00. I thanked him and told him my wife wouldn't let me spend $300 plus $200 shipping both ways to adjust and setup the guitar I had to save up to buy. I did the job myself and it blows my mind how little Mickey charges for the amount of work this takes. He ain't in this to get rich. There's a thousand other easier ways to make money, he obviously does this out of generous nature, same nature that drives him to educate countless people for free on youtube. Hat's off to Mickey again.
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SHO-BUD Professional SD-10 Black, SHO-BUD Pro III Custom D-10 Red, Goodrich Matchbox 6A, Steeler's Choice seat, Quilter Steelaire Amps. |
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