MSA pull rod collar

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

What exactly are msa pull rod collars. I know it’s not a proprietary part. I’m just trying to scource some locally.
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D.S. Rigsby

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

You won't have much luck where you live Laughing

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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Gerald Smith · From: Tennessee, USA

Dustin, the only collar I know are the ones on the reversing knee lever, they go on pull rod about a quarter inch behind the changer finger, this stops the rods from coming out when you fold the reversing lever. Hope this helps.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

No I’m talking about the collar that holds the pull rod in the bell crank
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D.S. Rigsby

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

The name some suppliers call the part you are talking about is (Barrel, Locking Rod, Brass 5/16" Long.) Some people refer to them as Rod connector.
There is another guitar company that uses the same type of connector but it is 3/8" Long.
I have made them to fit in the 2 MSA's I own.
If you have access to a miniature lathe and drill press they are easy to make.
Good Luck

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

https://www.psgparts.com/Barrel-Locking-Rod-Brass-BBL-250.htm

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Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Don Poland · From: Hanover, PA.

Would this work?
https://www.mcmaster.com/set-screw-shaft-collars

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

I checked those out Dan but those aren’t what I need. They’d do in a pinch with a little modification. Google is your friend and what I’ve found so far is the pull rod collars are actually barrel cable clamps, mostly used on carburetors and bicycle brakes. I’m sure there are other uses as well. They have slotted grub screws vs. the hex head screws that are used on the MSA guitars. It just dawned on me that most of the builders/repair techs for PSG are well their way to being octogenarians. Sooner or later, younger generations are going to have to learn this stuff in order to keep steel guitar going... I guess I’m trying to think ahead...
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D.S. Rigsby

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I understand perfectly, Dustin! I used to make these myself with just a drill press, and I'd get the 1/4" stock from volume control shafts I'd cut off to install in various guitars.

We're all happy when we find a generic/cheaper item that will work in a pedal steel application. That said, the ones Michael sells are the right size and they have the correct socket screws, and the price of $9 (for a quantity of 4) seems reasonable. I've found other things that would work, but all the alternatives are also around $2 each, so it winds up pretty much a wash.

Matthew Walton · From: Fort Worth, Texas

I looked into this a while ago. I think your best bet other than the barrel cable clamp (which I haven't found in drop-in replacement dimensions) is to buy a 5/16" round brass 8-32 standoff from McMaster or wherever and drill a hole through the side. I'm not a machinist though, so I don't know the best way to drill the hole centered through the shaft.

Then I just went and bought some barrels from Michael. Smile

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If something I wrote can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, I meant the other one.

1981 MSA "The Universal" Bb6 S-12 9/5 | 2024 Excel Robostar Bb6 S-12 8/5 | 2009 MSA SuperSlide C6 S-12 | Peavey Nashville 112

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Matthew Walton · From: Fort Worth, Texas

It slipped my mind to talk about this in my original comment, but I 100% agree. Whenever I take my steel to get worked on, I start thinking I should just quit my day job and badger my way into an apprenticeship.

I have friends my age who are machiningly proficient, and I more or less understand how my MSA goes together and is set up. But the kind of understanding someone like Mitchell Smithy has of timing pulls and creating a butter-smooth playing experience is just a whole other level.

I think about it a lot as well, and no, I don’t think you’re thinking too much. There was a thread recently about how old the forum members are, and I took all that data and created a histogram. The mean age is 66.
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If something I wrote can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, I meant the other one.

1981 MSA "The Universal" Bb6 S-12 9/5 | 2024 Excel Robostar Bb6 S-12 8/5 | 2009 MSA SuperSlide C6 S-12 | Peavey Nashville 112

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

I don’t know about quitting your day job. Ain’t nobody gettin fat on psg Very Happy

. I’m just talking about all pull guitars. I know oh maybe 5 guys that really know their way around a push pull or pull release guitar.... For the sake of the instrument it’s time to pass on those trade secrets to Gen X so that we may be able to teach and inspire those that will come after us.
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D.S. Rigsby

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

I consider myself lucky to have the background I have to work on steel guitars.

I went to machinist school out of high school. Then went to the Army, When I returned from the Army I worked for Westinghouse, On Light bulb assembly machines that make under side of a steel guitar look simple. In about 1968 I built a steel guitar, Got A-B-C pedals to work, Started trying to play it.

A few months ago I helped a friend work on his steel. He had a Mickey Adams lesson on steel setup. From watching his video, I found some points to set up a pedal or lever in a certain order to go quicker and easier.
The guitar I am gigging is a GFI which makes me happy, If I have a problem I can get new parts in just 2 or 3 days from the company, And get it back serviceable quickly.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

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