New Steel Tuning Issues (E Lever) - Zum Steel

Matthew Brown · From: Washington, USA

Hey folks!

I'm new here and I just got my first pedal steel. I've been playing lap steel for awhile and I'm excited to take the jump into the pedal world.

I've been getting to know my new Zum Steel. Apparently it's the budget Zum Steel that the new Stage One's are based on. Mine was made in the 90's and is a three pedal, three lever set up. The guy I bought it from, got it from someone here on the SGF. It's a red one!

So far so good, but there's a few issues I'm having. The first and most important is concerning the second lever (the E lever). While most the other strings and pedals/levers tune up in their open and pushed positions, the E lever (moving the E down to an Eb) doesn't seem to work properly.

Here's what happens. I tune the E strings (both of them) to E. I tune the F lever to F and it returns to open E just fine. When I tune the E lever to Eb, the open E is now tuned to something around F.

I can't for the life of me figure out how to make this work.

I've loosened the hex tuners and started from scratch, but I get the same problem.

Any advice would be appreciated! I live in Germany now so I'd otherwise just take it to a local tech, but there aren't any around here.

Thanks
Matt

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The hex nuts in the window tune the Es. The D#s are tuned with the recessed set screws above the window.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Doug Earnest · From: Branson, MO USA

Matthew, I sent an email to you through the forum explaining how to take care of your problem. Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Matthew Brown · From: Washington, USA

Thanks Doug! Working through your email right now. I will let you know how it goes..

Matthew Brown · From: Washington, USA

Hey Doug! Two things:

1) The mounting tab is making contact, but the nylon stop was broken (missing a small piece, making it flat on that end) on the end making contact. I rotated the nylon stop so that the unbroken end is now in contact.

2) I'm not sure if my model has the "Red Tuning Nut" to adjust as mentioned in the notes. Am I missing something or might it be different in my model. (Picture attached to clarify which model I have).

Thanks so much for you help with this!

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Pictures should include the changer end window. After this many years, the red Sharpie may have faded.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The nylon nuts may have lost their red, but here's a picture of a Stage One endplate.

_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Norman Watson · From: Broken Arrow,Ok.

Norman Watson · From: Broken Arrow,Ok.

Also----or is this unique to the Stage One?

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The screws tune final lowers on all-pull guitars.
It's the normal way to tune lowers in pull-release guitars.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Norman Watson · From: Broken Arrow,Ok.

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