Half stops on strings 1 & 7 (to G)- how many are needed?

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I know of some people who raise strings 1 & 7 to G#, with a half stop at G. Are two separate half stops needed to accomplish this, or can the timing of both strings be adjusted with just one?

I don't know if there are different half-stop methods out there.... but I am using the extra rod/ spring method.

John Swain · From: Winchester, Va

Dave, with a lot of guitars(Carter,Rains and Emmons Legrande) if you raise string 2 with 1+7, you can time it so 2 starts to move as 1+7 reach G, giving you a "feel stop".

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

Dave, I installed a single ShoBud type, feel stop which I purchased from PSG parts. Works real well. I personally don't like John's method because I like the sound of the raising of string 1and 2 to both be raising smoothly till they reach their final destination of being in unison with strings 4 and 3. RP
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Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

John, I have a disagreement with that philosophy.
The 1st and 2nd string raise sounds best (to me, anyway) if they go together, with 1 going twice as fast as the 2nd, as if you were slanting the bar.
I'd try to time the two F# strings the same, then time the 2nd string to go half as fast. Hopefully the two F#s will move in lockstep, and set the half-stop at G. If they're not at G together, then I'd choose to set it when the 1st string hits G.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

So, for the timing of two strings, is just one half stop usually installed?

Or is the timing of a half stop not feasible for two strings at the same time, and people usually just pick one of them?

I'd like to have a half stop for both strings 1 and 7 for a F#-G raise on the way to G#.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

The more I think about this, the more I realize having two halfstops on one change doesn't make any sense...

And it's impossible to have two strings "bottom out" at G together if they're set to bottom out at G# together, since they're climbing in pitch at different rates. Unless that change in rate is compensated for by correct placement of the rods on the rod pullers...

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Two different half stops will give you a mushy and 'notchy' feel.
If you can't get the two timed together, I recommend choosing one string
EDIT (because I just used my brain for something besides a hat stand): if one goes faster than the other, try to get the faster one to start later so that they arrive at G together, but the faster one will overshoot G#. Add a rod to the lowering scissor of the faster string, and pull it back to G#; in the same manner as the second rod method of tuning splits.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I see how that could work, although I'm not sure how I feel about having an extra rod tugging on me right at the end of the travel.

However... I plan to conduct some tests and collect data to help me pin point exactly what rodding positions will get me as close as possible to the perfect setup for my copedent.

I should be able to figure out which rodding positions will get the two strings closest to intersecting at both the G half point, as well as the G# end result. Hopefully, adding another rod at that point will just be a means of fine tuning string 7, and its impact will be minimal.

The only disadvantage to this is that strings 1 and 7 won't be able to start together, but that's ok.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Since the full travel is almost always going all the way to the stop, a small Notch at the end of the travel isn't likely to be objectionable, because you are squeezing it all the way to the stop
_________________
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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