cabinet twist.

Mark Perrodin · From: Tucson Arizona, USA

i have an early 60’s pedal steel that has a twist in the cabinet. i can disregard the twist if i set it up exactly the same every time. wondering if there is a way to flatten it out with weight and time.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I defer to the experts here, but if the wood is warped, there's almost no hope of straightening it in my experience.

I once had an Emmons S8 with a warped deck. I tried wetting it, heating it, clamping it, let it sit for several weeks. It seemed better when I reassembled it, but it was back to where it was just a couple weeks later.

You may have a more successful experience however.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

What make; what configuration (S10, D-10, S8 - and number of pedals and levers);what species of wood; what thickness; how are the parts jointed; does it have a raised neck, and if so - made of what and how is it attached; how is the mechanism attached to the cabinet?

You're hopes of working in 7 or so dimensions at once are rather slim. 6-string necks can...sometimes...be straightened by removing frets and fretboard, steaming the maple or mahogany, applying pressure in a couple of directions gradually and taking the twist out - then installing a new fretboard and frets.

But with a pedal steel cabinet you are in most cases, dealing with a wood box with a metric sh....errr, a lot of parts attached. If it's a fairly valuable vintage piece it might be worth it.

But it's very difficult - in most cases the cabinet should simply (hah!) be replaced, as it takes advanced woodworking knowledge and specialized steam boxes and jigs to take out multiple twists - because, unless it's a body made of a single slab of wood with a metal rim around it like a Fender (with a thick, heavy slab of ash - which doesn't twist - even if it did the mechanical effect would be about zero).

But it's impossible to know, as an "early 1960's pedal steel" provides no useful information. "pedal steel" is a given based on the section where you posted , but the decade is irrelevant. A lot more detailed information (and preferably pictures) are essential in advising you about a technical problem this involved.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

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

How much twist are we talking about? If it's an eighth of an inch, or less, you could address the problem by gluing or tack welding a spacer or washer to the counter bore on the endplate. That would at least allow both rear legs to remain the same length, and it would also eliminate any chance of cracking the body by attempting to straighten it.

My experience tells me that the twist could be removed, but it would probably return over time. Oh Well

Mark Perrodin · From: Tucson Arizona, USA

the guitar is an early marlen single 8. it does not have endplates. it has two pieces of aluminum plate screwed at a slight angle to one another that have threaded holes that the legs attach to. if the cabinet is set on a flat surface two corners will touch and the other two corners will rock about 5/16”. i am not going to have a cabinet made for this one. just wanted to hear from woodworkers how it might be attempted.

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Wood always moves.

We always want to use the most figured and beautiful wood to build our instruments. Sad fact is, that beautiful, figured wood can be the most unpredictable. It can break your heart sometimes and there is often not much can be done to correct problems after the instrument is finished.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

When wood is installed into a item, An unknown, Controlled by stress, humidity, moisture, cold and heat is installed too.

Marlin Guitars from what I can find on the internet was built in Reidsville, North Carolina. Which gets quite a lot of rain, Cloudy high humidity days. Here on the forum you show you live in Arizona. A place know for dry, Low humidity, If your house has Air Conditioning would have lower humidity too.

Low humidity could be the cause of the twist.
Would be interesting to put the guitar in a humid area for a few days, And check the twist effect.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

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