Lowering with a Left Lever?

Andrew Lodge · From: Wisconsin, USA

This may be common knowledge…but there’s not a lot of detailed information online describing or depicting the fundamental mechanics (at least that I can find).

How, mechanically speaking, does a left lever (meaning LKL or RKL) lower a string—or in some cases both lower and raise different strings?

It’s clear, looking at my guitar, how a left lever pulls the attached rod, which pulls the bottom of the finger, rotating it clockwise (from the perspective of the player) which raises pitch.

It’s clear how a right lever pushes the attached rod, which pushes the bottom of the finger back, rotating it counterclockwise and thus lowering pitch.

I’m guessing there must be a hinge mechanism on some guitars that transfers the pulling force on the lever-end to a push on the changer-end (or vice versa)?

Jon Voth · From: Virginia, USA

Since most all new guitars are all pull, it's in the changer mechanism. Change the rod from the top section to the bottom and it will lower instead of raise (or vice versa IDK). I don't understand it, but I would guess there is a diagram somewhere that could show us how that works. Someone will probably post that here.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

First, What brand and which model do you have?

Most steels have what is called a Single/Double Tree, Transfer Bar or Reverser Bar attached to the body.

MSA Classics has them on the back apron.

Some guitars have a plate attached to the underbody of the guitar, With pivot in the center, When the pull rod from the lever pulls on one end, The bar pivots and makes the rod going to the changer pull.

If you happen to have a GFI ULTRA model. The knee lever can be attached to a cross rod. Knee Left, Knee Right or Vertical just by how the pivots are set in the knee lever unit.

GFI Lever for RKL The lever is hooked to the cross shaft closest to changer. The rod runs from the knee lever to a bell crank on bottom edge of picture.

This is a MSA Classic, The upright bar, Above LK sign, Between the Left knee levers is the Transfer Bar/Single Tree Bar. The rod from the Transfer bar goes to the 3rd cross rod from the left. That holds bell cranks for pulls.

Hope this helps you in your search of understanding reversing pull.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

This website shows animated graphics of how an all-pull changer finger works.
http://steelguitar.com/maps/changer.html#
Once you get past the mechanics outlined in Bobby’s post, the magic of lowering and raising the pitch of the string is in the brilliant way those fingers are designed.

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