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Topic: Marlen pedal steel S-10, I NEED HELP! |
Omar Oyoque
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2015 10:55 pm |
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I just bought this marlen guitar, and I noticed that the pedals were way more to the center than they should be, can someone tell me how I can modify the guitar to be able to relocate the pedals further to towards the left of the guitar? Oh and what kind of mechanics is this guitar? I want to add a lower to it but I wouldn't know how! Any advice helps and is highly appreciated as I am new to psg! Thanks you!
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Tim Russell
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 2:29 am
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Nice looking Marlen!
My Sierra D-10 is set up that way, with the pedals more to the center of the guitar. It looks odd at first, and I was thinking of moving them more to the left, but the more I played the guitar I decided to let them where they are.
Most of the steels I have played in the past had the standard "pedals to the left" arraignment, but I find this just as comfortable, if not more so.
That being said, it looks like the cross shafts are already mounted as far left as possible, so the way to move the pedals on this guitar would be to re-mount both of those long aluminum angles to the left, which would require longer rods to accommodate the move, as well as relocating the left knee to a different slot.
Odd that Marlen didn't just run the angles the length of the body, seems like the logical thing to do.
I can't see any pre-drilled holes in those angles either, which means you would need to do that to add more knees/pedals.
Not impossible, but this will require some engineering/work on your part.
I say try it out as it is, you may find that you like the setup more than you think.
Cheers, Tim
_________________
Sierra Crown D-10 |
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Omar Oyoque
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 3:14 am
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| Thanks Tim! I really appreciate it! 👠|
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 4:46 am
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That is a pull-release guitar, strings can be both raised and lowered, but the raises have to have enough slack to allow the finger to drop the lowers, and there needs to be a second rod dedicated to the lowers, and that rod needs a stout return spring (usually, to make them look better, those rods run the length of the guitar and the return spring is under the keyhead).
When you do that, the resting place of the lowers before you actuate them has to tune the open note. I like the way Sho-Bud did it on the Permanent, seen in this picture:
Pull-release does have some limitations like the lack of splits, but they have a VERY nice tone. Even though most modern guitars have moved on, there are two people still making pull-release guitars.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 5:27 am
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I don't think that's a Marlen guitar. It looks like it's home-built, with a Marlen emblem. The bellcranks and maybe the changer fingers look like Marlen parts. The keyhead might be Marlen, too. I have never seen a steel guitar with, what looks like, travel adjustment screws in front of the changer, like this one. It looks like these screws function as stops for the pedals and levers. I'd take them off and make some adjustable stops for each pedal and lever.
There should be screws on the end of the changer, one behind each changer finger, for tuning. As far as moving the pedals, just unscrew the aluminum angles and move the whole assembly over. You will have to make some new rods. I don't think it would be worth it to do too much work on this guitar, but you should be able to make it functional and it will probably sound OK too. Good luck with it. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 5:44 am
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I wonder if it got the cabinet replaced. Good catch on those screws. A silly idea.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Omar Oyoque
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 7:32 am
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| Bill I also wondered the same about its authenticity, I didn't spend much on it and it plays great, but the changer and those travel screws threw me way off when I saw some real marlens. |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 25 Jun 2015 10:31 am
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I think the changer, sans the adjustable travel screws, is Marlen. The bell cranks are probably Marlen. The pull rods and stop collars are standard hardware / welding rod stuff, which was the same on the Marlen.
Head stock and nut... not too sure. The shafts are shop made, not Marlen. Main thing is if it is serviceable, stays in tune, sounds and plays good, you got a bargain.
Below are some pictures of the 1979 Marlen D-10 I had for comparison... and yes Lane, I still kick myself...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 27 Jun 2015 7:56 am
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Bump To The Top
Can any of you pull/release gurus help this young man? This is his first pedal steel guitar.
If the basic guitar is sound, perhaps there is someone he could send it to, to be set up properly. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 28 Jun 2015 5:06 am
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| I agree with Bill, I seem to recall seeing that guitar before, and I really don't think that's a Marlen. I'd rather think it's a home-build. Now, that said, you could disassemble the whole thing, move the rack to the left, and even add another lever or two. But unless you can do all the work yourself, I don't see the guitar as being worthy of that kind of investment. I'd sell it for a few hundred (or whatever I could get out of it) and then get something that you don't have to redesign and rebuild. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2015 8:35 am
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I own and play a Marlen.. It might be a Marlen student model, might not.. There are mostly orginal Marlen parts there, and Mr Stadtler DID use a similar aluminum frame that need to be unscrewed and moved to take the cross shafts out, although mine has a smaller frame and mine is a pro model.. Looks like someone copied a Marlen mechanism, and did a decent job. It would take a LOT of work to alter it, and believe me its no piece of cake.. You would have to put the pedal cross shaft where the left knee lever is now, and then put the lever elsewhere.. Believe me, its an undertaking you might regret if you aren't very good at pedal steel mechanics... I would sell it, its a nice little steel, and probably worth a decent buck to someone as a student steel. and get something thats easier to set up the way you want... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Jun 2015 9:23 am
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I would call Bob Simmons of Simmons steel guitars. He still makes custom pull-release guitars. He would be able to do it. I don't know how much he'd charge, though.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Charley Bond
From:
Inola, OK, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2015 7:56 am Sierra Knee pedals.... moved to the right
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| Tim Russell wrote: |
Nice looking Marlen!
My Sierra D-10 is set up that way, with the pedals more to the center of the guitar. It looks odd at first, and I was thinking of moving them more to the left, but the more I played the guitar I decided to let them where they are.
Most of the steels I have played in the past had the standard "pedals to the left" arraignment, but I find this just as comfortable, if not more so.
That being said, it looks like the cross shafts are already mounted as far left as possible, so the way to move the pedals on this guitar would be to re-mount both of those long aluminum angles to the left, which would require longer rods to accommodate the move, as well as relocating the left knee to a different slot.
Odd that Marlen didn't just run the angles the length of the body, seems like the logical thing to do.
I can't see any pre-drilled holes in those angles either, which means you would need to do that to add more knees/pedals.
Not impossible, but this will require some engineering/work on your part.
I say try it out as it is, you may find that you like the setup more than you think.
Cheers, Tim |
I just decided to move my two (2) Left Knee levers to the right by two holes. That way the three (3) foot pedals will be in-line with my Left Hip. The original way, might have worked for a tall man, but I'm only 5'9"
I will post more pictures in time, after the fact..
It's an easy task...
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