Stiff ZUM pedals

Charles Tilley · Posted 30 Mar 2006 2:16 pm

Has anyone had any experience with ZUM pedals being stiff and hard to press down?
My A and B pedals are that way and just don't match up pressure wise so therefore when I press to get a 4 chord, I really have to apply the pressure.

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GOD is your best fishing buddy. You catch 'em and HE cleans 'em

Charles Tilley ,
ETSGA Events Director
Princeton, Texas
972-736-2664
1994 Carter D-10, RV3, Nashville 1000

Dag Wolf · From: Bergen, Norway

Somethings wrong.

Zums are some of the best playable steels out there and easy to work on. Less than an hour ago I changed three knee levers around on a friends Zum. So easy and done within the hour. 7 rods and bell cranks and retuning.

How old is your Zum?
Have it been this way since you bought it?
Have you owned it since it was new?

If you bought it used maybe the prevoius owner did some rerodding and didn`t put the rods were it play best.

If you don`t know how to work on your steel it should be easy to get in contact with a steel player close to you who should be able to help you out.

Just ask here on the forum.

If you can`t get help, send me som pics of the changer (nylon tuners)and closeups of the bellcranks of pedal A and B.

I`m out of town this weekend playing but will be back on my computer Sunday.

Good luck.

Dag

Bill Simmons · From: Keller, Texas/Birmingham, AL, R.I.P.

Hey Charles...trust you're doing well. Dag said it correct. If the pedals are hard to push, someone adjusted the Zum who is not familiar with proper adjustments is my bet. My '79 Zum plays like butter...in that area, I'd call Johnny Cox...he's great with the Zum steels.

John Hawkins · From: Onalaska, Tx. on Lake Livingston * R.I.P.

What Dag and Bill said !

There is no such thing as stiff pedal action on a Zum if it adjusted properly !

Something has got to be wrong ! If you are unable to contact Johnny Cox as suggested , call Bruce Zumsteg ! He will always help a Zum owner ! My Zum is like Bill's --plays like butter !

Good luck !
John

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

Some people set the pedals for a fast action, which makes them stiffer. Generally, you get the easiest action with a longer throw, and any steel made today can be set up accordingly. There really aren't any major brands of steels built today that aren't easy to play.

Tim Bridges · From: Hoover, Alabama, USA

Check out where the rod is located on the bellcrank. The closer the rod is located in the slots, in reference to the cabinet, the shorter the pull. Consequently, the action becomes stiff. If you locate the rod in the slot furthest from the cabinet, it gets real "buttery". Hope this helps.

Charles Tilley · Posted 31 Mar 2006 6:26 am

All of you had some very positive suggestions and I thank you for them. I bought the guitar about a week ago. It is in the late 70's but was virtually restored by Jerry Roller about 8 or 10 years ago. It has been owned by others since and there is a possibility that changes were made that made the difference. Some of you might have seen this on the forum (the blue and grey front). It is a beautiful guitar and under the right person, it can be the great guitar it was. I did call Bruce and he gave me some suggestions on location of rods on the bellcranks plus.
Upon looking, the rods were not positioned right on the bellcranks. I have made the proper connections and it helped 80%. Just a bit more and this will be a cream puff guitar. Mark Tulbert lives very close and Bruce said he was good on ZUM so after I do all I can do from Bruce's suggestions, I will go see him (he has already suggested that to me but he is in Switzerland right now).
By the way, I have been confused about bellcranks a long time but Bruce set me straight. The closer to rod on the bellcrank, the easier and shorter the pull. I thought the opposite.

Again, thanks to all who responded to me. Maybe some other guitar owner having problems will learn something from this post and your comments.

------------------
GOD is your best fishing buddy. You catch 'em and HE cleans 'em

Charles Tilley ,
ETSGA Events Director
Princeton, Texas
972-736-2664
1994 Carter D-10, RV3, Nashville 1000

Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

"was virtually restored by Jerry Roller about 8 or 10 years ago. It has been owned by others since and there is a possibility that changes were made that made the difference."

Charles, it is much more than a possibility that something has changed in the 5 or 6 years since I sold the guitar. If it doesn't play right now, it is a fact that something has happened to it. You are the 4th owner since me. If the pedals are free on the pedal bar, the cross rods work freely, the guitar lube is not dried out, there is no string end caught in the changer, the changer is not overtuned, it has correct gauge strings, the pullrods are "close" to being in the right slots on the bellcranks, the guitar should play fine. You can move a pullrod to a slot closer to the crossrod for a softer pull but you will increase required pedal travel or you can move the pullrods to a slot further from the crossrod for a shorter travel but harder pull. Please get someone to check it out and then be sure and post what the problem was.
Jerry

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

I just had my 91 SD-12 gone through by Jim P of Steel Guitars of North County and the difference was night and day! It was so out of adjustment when I got it, that it did play "hard", but now it's a dream to play.
JE:-)>

Charles Tilley · Posted 1 Apr 2006 5:30 am

Everyone that doesn't know already should know that Jerry Roller knows his business about ZUM. His suggestions to me (a very novice tech. on steels) and my following his directions has given me one of the greatest playing steels I have ever had.

I would relate the problem I had to the location of the rods on the bellcranks and the location of the connecting ball on the pedals. I had to move the balls to the hole closest to the pedal bar.After solving these two areas, I WILL play the Zum tonight in Kaufman, Texas.
I had decided to take my Carter but now that the Zum plays like butter, I will use it for the first time out of the house.

Many thanks to the FORUM for the availability to discuss this with you and all of you who helped. JERRY, YOU ARE SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!!!!

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