Bruce Kaphan
From:
Fremont, California, USA
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Posted 10 Nov 2024 5:47 pm |
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Hi,
I've been playing for years and though I'm usually fairly well mechanically inclined, I've just never become expert in pedal steel mechanics. I've been playing a Zum Hybrid D-10 for years and generally don't need to work on the mechanics—it plays like a dream compared to every other steel I ever owned.
Recently I purchased a Williams U12. More than anything, I just wanted to experiment with the tuning, and also I wanted an instrument that might be easier/cheaper to travel with. I'm finding that the distance that pedals and knee levers have to travel in order to fully realize a change is uncomfortably longer than the comparable distance on my Zum D-10. I've been told that this is just the way it is with 12 strings. Can anyone tell me if there's a way to adjust the "throw" of a pedal or knee lever on a Williams 12 string or am I stuck with the longer travel? |
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Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
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Posted 10 Nov 2024 11:06 pm
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Bruce, I don't expect you're stuck with the long pedal travel. There is trade-off between length of travel and pedal/lever feel. The longer the travel, the softer and easier the pedals and levers operate. Shorter travel results in relatively stiffer pedal/lever feel. To alter that in either direction is just a matter of changing the pull rod leverage between the bell cranks and the changer. In general, the farther from the cross shaft a pull rod is connected to the bell crank, the shorter and stiffer it will pull. The opposite is true for the pull rod holes in the changer, the closer to the changer axle the pull rod is positioned, the shorter and stiffer the pull will be. The changes you need might require some of either or both.
With most modern steels, Williams included, there is a fairly broad range of leverage options between the changer and the bell cranks so most likely you'll be able to change it the way you want. The pedals and levers will just be a little stiffer to operate. It may require a require little (or a lot of) finagling to balance the pulls on different strings, to re-adjust the pedal and level travel to compensate for the decreased leverage, and re-route pull rods efficiently to avoid conflicts, etc. You may also face some limitations depending on which holes are currently being used at both ends of the rods, so making wholesale changes to all pedals and levers will likely require a bit of trial and error.
Williams has their stock U12 rodding chart posted online, it's here: https://www.williamsguitarcompany.com/Universal_Rodding_Chart.htm. It would be worthwhile to compare it to your guitar to determine if it has their normal setup. If so you might want to contact Bill or Tim Rudolph and ask if they have a different U12 rodding chart for shorter vs longer pulls, or at least some advice on how best to approach tweaking the setup the way you want. If you're nervous about making the changes yourself, Tom Bradshaw is just up the road, I'm sure he could help.
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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon |
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