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Topic: Sneakycaster III ! |
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2015 6:46 pm |
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Tom Wolverton was kind enough to make me a great deal on a long-scale 400 (I'm thinking 60's as it's a black frame). Because of health problems I can't cart the steel around and needed one to "park" where I play the most - plus one at home.
It's an unusual 8-pedal 400...came that way. I just need to add the knees and one pickup (if anyone has a spare early-400 pickup cover...Jazzmaster style... I have the pickup but no cover! I've already starting working on installing the electronics.
Pics will be posted as soon as I have something fairly complete. This one will be the easiest one - it took a LONG time to work out Sneakycaster I - I was using a short-scale, not knowing the difference at the time (now owned by Steve Gambrell). Sneakycaster II was build literally from a box of parts, so it was built from scratch. Now I know what to expect!
More to follow.....
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2015 7:33 pm
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Looking forward to seeing how it turns out, Jim. Best of luck with it.
_________________
Best regards,
Mike |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2015 11:53 pm
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Can't wait to see it Jim! Getting more and more interested in Pete and his guitars.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 10:27 am
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First picture or the work-in-progress below. B6 copedent (see the Sneaky Pete" , and Tom Wolverton is the FIRST guy I have encountered who owned a Fender pedal steel where the large pulley discs were not frozen together and the changer fingers "scissor" freely, with no gunk - might be due to Jim Palenscar having worked on it, but who wants to give Jim credit (snicker)? Saved me 4 hours work!
Also visible are Sneaky's old bar #2 (3"x 1 1/4" -> 1 1/8". Weighs one pound even!) and the usually-lost "ashtray" bridge cover.
The wood goes next to the rear apron bottom to provide a larger surface for Dual-Lok Velcro - all the micro-effects will be attached under the front apron upside-down, easily "kicked" in with knee - Mooer bass Auto wah; Xotic SP compressor; Mooer hustle Drive overdrive; Mooer Grey Faze fuzz; Mooer "Ninety" Phase 90 clone; and Seven Sisters Violet analog delay.
The tuner is temporary until I can afford a used Tubo-flip with bracket, or the new Turbo Tuner (if it's ever released!).
Output goes to a BMI volume pedal (rarely used), sometimes a Sireko Echoplex and a Noise Gate on top of whatever amp I feel like using.
There will be a 1000 top plate and a Tele control plate with pickup blend pot; volume; tone; and Artec dual-stage active clean boost under it.
All pedals are very low draw, so I'll use a One-Spot power supply and custom power rig running along the inside of the front apron; signal wires in and out will be inside the back apron (run them next to each other and things hum like mad - in any situation).
The body is raised an inch already but Tom installed 1000 legs on the back so I can raise it about another half-inch, which fits my Jolly Green Giant legs.
One knee lever assembly (RKR) - with homage to Red Rhodes' "barn door" levers - is laying on the strings - the other is also complete and in the garage waiting for some JB Weld holding a stop-pin insertion to dry.
ShoBud barrel tuners over two cables will allow one double-raise and one double-lower.
Now I am trying hard to find a spare pickup so I can install the second one I always use, or at least a cover (I have a broken pickup with no cover plus the working one in the guitar.
Everything but electronics and Nylon cable guide posts (to straighten the pulls) should be done today - I hope!
One odd note - on my other one the roller bridge had to be reversed for proper intonation, as I've had to do on several others. This one is fine. Go figure.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 11:23 am
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This is most excellent. To see to improvements being made. I believe that steel came into Pali's shop via Jim Soldi (San Diego guitarist who played with Johnny Cash for a bit). I think it was his uncle's or neighbor's guitar. Now it's gonna really sing.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 1:58 pm
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Thanks Tom - it's all due to you!
Here are the one levers and my preliminary placement thoughts (in relation to the pedals). I've played some guitars with LKL about parallel to rod #3 - I'd have to be double-jointed! Can't even reach, much less roll on/off, pedal 1!
(The white thingies are plastic hooks for the pedals' power cable).
Still need to measure/make the cables, install stops and nylon cable guides (plus finish the pedal mounting platform)
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 3:13 pm
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I was in a store called Pitbull Audio yesterday. They had a huge display of those half size pedals, like the mini HOF and the Mooger pedals. But now I see these new minis that are square shaped in footprint. I thought, gosh Jim might like those up under his Fender 400.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 3:27 pm
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Jim... I don't know about that Bud lever on a 400...kinda made me twitch a little...
Pete had a couple chrome 400 pedals hanging down for his levers...didn't he? Red's 800 had black Fender pedals as KL's.
C'mon, now...
btw...very cool.
Last edited by Skip Edwards on 17 Jul 2015 3:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 3:29 pm
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Yeah Skip,,,, but the Bud levers are very comfortable.
Jim! Great job! I love it!
JB
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 3:34 pm
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| I know they're comfy, John. It's just an aesthetic thing...call me nutz. |
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Stephen Williams
From:
from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 4:11 pm
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| love the pedal idea |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 7:44 pm
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| I do enjoy watching you brave fellows put this stuff together. Jim, this is cool. Can't wait to see more. |
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