Sho~Bud Lever Not Lowering Enough: Help?

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

I feel like I should be able to figure this out, but I just can't. That's frustrating! My lever lowering the 2nd string to D hits the feel-stop, and I can easily feel where it is, but the note will not lower enough, it's about 30 cents sharp. If I tune the barrel and release the lever my open Eb is flat by 20 cents. I cannot have the open and the lower in tune at the same time. Could the stop be set wrong? Can I fix that? I can lower it further with the lever, to pitch, but that's risky at speed!

1970 Professional, rack and barrel, like new, fresh strings.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Before you go futzing with the stops, make sure that the raise scissor (or, on a single/single bud, you might call it a bar instead) isn't pulling off the stop bar.
This is often the cause of incomplete lowers.
If the return spring is too tight, as you pull the lowering bar farther, the spring gets even tighter, and the raise bar offers less resistance.

If the raise bar is staying on the stop bar (it doesn't move when you lower the string), then add travel at the lever stop; if the raise bar moves, reduce the tension on the return spring.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Rick, it doesn't sound like your problem is related to what I am about to describe, but here's something odd to check. In 2013, while I owned that guitar, a problem developed with that rack. The axle beneath the baskets had come loose from one of the side braces that hold the whole basket mechanism together. Turns out James Morehead had epoxied it in place when he had the guitar, and his epoxy job didn't hold. I took it to a local welder who fixed it in about 20 seconds. Felt hard as a rock when he handed it back to me, and I never had another problem with it. But, if this is what is happening, clearly the fix was only good for five years. To check whether this is the problem, activate the change on RKR and watch the baskets. If they are "twisting," if one side of basket keeps moving back while the other does not, maybe this problem has resurfaced. That basket is a pain in the butt to remove (since it is closest to the changer, so you'd have to pull every rod on both necks to get it out). I hope this isn't the problem.

I don't remember why James had to construct the basket: probably to add the necessary linkage to turn it into a reversing one.

One last (unrelated) thing: are the new strings the same gauges you've always been using with this axe?

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

Lane! You were right. I loosened the spring about 3 turns and it is on the money.

I had this happen with my '66 Sho~Bud on the 4th string lower about 10 years ago. I had completely forgotten the fix. Thanks so much.

Dan, the rack is rock-solid. I love this guitar like it's family! I am regularly amazed by the tone it can produce, even in MY hands. I'm about to start gigging a lot with it. I play with two groups now and am auditioning for another one tomorrow. With my Session 400, this rig has the shizzle! If only I had the chops to match! haha.

Thanks for your reply. I'll keep an eye on that.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer 1963 Gibson Falcon

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Yeah, that Bud is the proverbial tone monster. Needless to say, I'm sorry I gave it up (although, as I struggle with three gigs this week on a sore back, I know it was the right thing to do). Glad it's still making great music.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

Lane......I had a similar lowering problem on a used Zum I bought years ago, but in this case, the culprit turned out to be the raise-helper spring. The previous owner had over-tightened it, in attempt to get pedals 1&2 to be feather-light. I wound up backing off all the helper springs, which not only fixed the lowering problem but also made the pedal action more suitable to my taste.

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

All good comments! There are a number of guitars that do not have adjustable lowering springs and in those consider Tony's comment about the raise helpers- a real common cause of the raise scissor coming along w the lowering scissor making it near impossible to lower to the desired note. In many cases where the raise helper is not adjustable I simply remove them.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The really frustrating thing is the MSA, with its overly strong unadjustable springs. For strings that the raise scissor won't stay on the stop bar when lowered, I've put a spring on the back side of a raise rod so that the raise scissor is held against the stop bar UNLESS you engage the raise, in which case, the other side of the spring also moves. So no pull is made harder, unless you have two different raises on a string. On the string pictured, I didn't use a raise, as this string (low E on an extended E9th) doesn't raise, but has two lowers.
EDIT: in the middle of the neck, you can see another one on the 6th string, on the B pedal rod. It does make the 'split tuning' extra rod pull a little stiffer, but not too bad.

_________________
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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