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Topic: Fender 800 problem |
Michael Stover
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 12 Dec 2015 8:20 pm |
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I picked up a clean, stock sunburst 800 last week (six pedals). Trying to set it up as a standard E9, with pedal 1 raising the E's, pedal 4 lowering the E's, and A-B on two and three.
The B-C# pull on pedal two is REALLY long and takes a ton of force, making the A-B rocking thing really awkward & difficult. Is a whole-step pull out of the question on these Fenders? I see that the "recommended" setup in the manual is an A6 tuning with all 1/2-step raises & lowers.
I also have a 400 with the same setup (minus the 'chromatic' strings). On this one the B-C# pull doesn't cause any problems. Wondering if there's an adjustment to be made that I'm not seeing?
Also wondering if it matter which cables I use? Do the ones that "hinge" closer to the changer require more or less force? |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Dec 2015 8:48 pm
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Hi Michael,
A Fender 800 was my first and only steel for nearly 20 years. Don't recall ever having the problem you describe. Disconnect the cables from the changer fingers and make sure the pulley is rotating freely in the yoke. If they don't rotate easily, it may cause drag. Those guitars incorporate several genius designs. Enjoy it.
All the best,
Craig
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
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Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
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Posted 12 Dec 2015 11:31 pm
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My first PSG was an 800 too. I still have it, though it doesn't get much love these days. It's tuned to C6 right now.
800s/2000s have two sets of raise and lower arms in the changers. The one closest to the top of the guitar (the one on the bottom when looking at the guitar upside down) is closer to the pivot, so it will pull farther than the lower one with the same amount of cable travel. The pull will also be a little stiffer. I never had any trouble with whole step raises on mine.
I found this a while back: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3352188.pdf
It's the patent for the 800/2000 changer. There are some good drawings in the doc. The second page is a cross section that shows how the raise/lower levers actuate the fingers. Quite different than a modern guitar. As Craig suggested, it may just be gunked up.
I think the the different length cables were just intended to separate the yokes so they weren't all piled one on top of another and hanging up on each other. Mine has ten pedals so there are five different length of yoke cables. The yoke cables on pedals 1/2 are the longest, 9/10 the shortest. Doesn't seem like that would affect leverage. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 13 Dec 2015 1:48 am
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Michael.. My 2 Fender 800 steels played smooth and easy.. Easier in fact than many modern steels I have had. Short soft throws on the pedals.. You need to check the grooved rotating drum that the cables go around at the front of the guitar.. They get dirty or dry and cause a LOT of friction.. Probably needs dis assembly, cleaning and lube... Check your pedal height as well.. Mine played easier when I position the pedals as close to the floor as possible without hitting it.
Fender steels are VERY dependent on a lot of lubrication.. Mine were doused regularly with ATF in the changer, the pedals, and on any and all contact areas, especially that big rotating monstrosity underneath the guitar, and the pull mechanisms that the pedal rods attach to.. I also used white grease on the hook of the pedal rods...
My Fender 800 guitars played badly when I first got them, but some lubrication and careful adjustment turned both into really nice playing steels that were very dependable, and accurate besides having that very cool Fender sound... 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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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 13 Dec 2015 1:52 am
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Hate to hijack this thread, but someone might read it that has an 800 they would part with... I am in the market for one if there any decent ones available... 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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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 13 Dec 2015 7:38 am
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| Fenders have notoriously short throws. So if you're experiencing a very long throw, there's probably too much slack in the cables. Have you oiled or lubed the guitar? Being 50 years old, it probably needs it! Make sure the cables aren't binding at the large pulley block at the end of the guitar. I drilled a very large hole in the bracket that allows me to see the (largely hidden) side. |
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Michael Stover
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 13 Dec 2015 2:33 pm
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Thanks for all the posts & advice--especially the changer patent pics! VERY helpful.
I pulled all the cables & applied teflon lube to the changer & pulley. A couple of the cables were mismatched (shorter cables attached to pedals farther away). Not sure if it's the lube, the cable switch or both, but the guitar plays great!
Like the rest of you, I love the sound & feel of these guitars. Happy to know it just needed a little TLC. Thanks again. |
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