Slight Sticking at Half Stop Return

Nathan Burns · From: Alberta, Canada

Hey all,

I'm a player that spends the vast majority of my time looking at the top of my guitar and very little at the undercarriage and was looking for some advice. I've been having a slight issue with my RKL lever that raises my 1st string a full tone. After I raise and then release it (which I do for a couple particular licks) it seems to be slow to return to it's open pitch. I can almost hear sticking for a brief millisecond about half way, which I think is where there may be a half stop (although I never use that half stop). Anyways it just makes a few of those licks unusable because it throws of the the timing.

What would your first move be for this? Tightening the return screw? Changing the strings? Oiling the changer?

Perhaps this is a common issue but I couldn't find anything on it in the search.

Thanks for your help.
_________________
Mullen G2 through Fender Steel King

Rayco 6 string curly maple reso

Petingill Southern Belle through Fender 68 Princeton Reverb reissue.

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I would lube the roller nut first and see if that helped.

If there's a half-stop tuner involved on that raise, try unscrewing the tuning nut so that it isn't involved. See if that fixes it.

Next, I would work the knee lever while watching the lower-return spring on the 1st string. It should not move, since this is a raise you're doing rather than a lower. If it is stretching slightly, then you have a 'corrupted' raise happening, and that might affect how smoothly it returns to pitch. In that case, the spring needs to be slightly tightened. Some guitars have an adjustment screws. Others require cutting one loop off of it and reinstalling. You want it just tight enough so that the spring doesn't stretch on a raise.

If it's still not behaving, do a test to see if the hang-up is with the changer itself. You'll need to unscrew the turning nut so that it isn't engaging (thereby removing the rest of the pull-train from the investigation), then use a screwdriver or pen and manually push on the changer (the area near the nut) to raise the pitch. Does it return OK?

If it does return correctly, then the problem is elsewhere, namely in the pull train. You'll need to turn the guitar over and work the knee lever by hand, watching the moving parts; hopefully, you can spot the area where something is binding or catching and correct it.

On the other hand, if manually changing the pitch by pushing on the finger does not return correctly, the problem is with the changer. I would lube the changer (finger and rivets).

To lube the changer correctly, you would need to loosen that 1st string to release pressure on the top of the axle -- you want to oil on both sides of the finger, then manually move the finger back and forth so some migrates under the finger. It wouldn't hurt to even tilt the steel to one side, then the other, then upside down; the object is to get the lube to flow all over the axle, but also to where the action is, the top of the axle which is tricky since it's under the finger.

Then, you'll want to get a tiny bit of lube on the rivets holding the scissors, together down in the changer. You'll need a long spout (or run some down a coat-hanger wire or something) to direct one drop to both sides of those rivets. You'll need a good light to see your work.

Nathan Burns · From: Alberta, Canada

This is a fantastic walk through. Thank you. I'll let you know what the fix is!
_________________
Mullen G2 through Fender Steel King

Rayco 6 string curly maple reso

Petingill Southern Belle through Fender 68 Princeton Reverb reissue.

Dale Rivard · From: Ontario, Canada

Hi Nathan, I see you play a Mullen G2. Is this the guitar you're talking about? If so, I had a similar issue on the half stop on my G2. It was sticking(binding) and almost grinding, as I could hear it. All I needed to do was, put a drop of oil on the rod on each side of the bracket for the half stop. This may not be your problem but I thought I'd share as it was a simple fix.

Nathan Burns · From: Alberta, Canada

It's actually on another guitar I have that's a Mullen "pre-G2" D10. I'll give that a shot!
_________________
Mullen G2 through Fender Steel King

Rayco 6 string curly maple reso

Petingill Southern Belle through Fender 68 Princeton Reverb reissue.

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Nathan..If the lever also involves raising string#2 a half and lowering string#6 a whole tone may want to check them also, one or both may be causing the problem as well.

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