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Post new topic Pull-Release Lowering Mechanism
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Author Topic:  Pull-Release Lowering Mechanism
Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 11:59 am    
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I have an pull-release marlen that I want to set up for C6 and need to develop a linkage to lower to of the strings. From what I understand this is normally done with springs holding the single finger in the tension position and the pedal mechanism releases the tension on the finger lowering the string. The guitar has three pedals on it and I was thinking about designing some linkage like this that pivots on a cross rod. Right now the guitar is E9 with A, B and C pedals

Any pointers or comments are very much appreciated.

What do you think about this:


http://www.proutyworld.150m.com/pullreleaselower.htm

M.
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richard burton


From:
Britain
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:08 pm    
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As long as you only want to lower the string, and not raise it as well, your idea will work fine.
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:13 pm    
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Yeah I am planning on pedals 5, 6, and 7 for this guitar and from what I take these single finger set ups are "one way only".

M.
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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:20 pm    
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They're not necessarily one-way only: you can use a spring to hold the lower linkage in an "unlowered" position, which is your open tuning, and have a separate raise rod going through the same finger, with a little slack in it so that there is room for the lower to travel. If you have a tuning nut on the raise rod and a tuning nut on the lower rod, you can tune the open at the key head. Otherwise, with no tuning nut on the raise rod, you can tune the raise at the keyhead, tune the open string with a nut on the lower rod, and tune the lower with a stop screw. Or...
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:26 pm    
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Here is what the changer looks like now:



It does have several holes in the finger to accept rods, however its travel is tuned with a screw on the outside where you would find nylon nuts these days.
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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:46 pm    
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Do the screws on the outside tune the open string, with pedals off? If so, they can tune the lower on strings that are lowered. You can leave those hex nuts on the raise rods, but would have to put something a little easier to reach under and tune, like knurled nuts, on any lowering rods (those would then tune the open note on strings that are lowered).
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:52 pm    
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Jack,

Right now the guitar is at my dad's house in Massachusetts and I am in São Paulo, Brazil and have not laid hands on it yet. I will be picking it up in April when I go up to my brothers wedding, which will be in Wells! I am under the impression that it tunes like a Sho-Bud Permanent, but could be wrong.

M.
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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 2:08 pm    
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You're welcome to bring it on up to Scarborough and mess with it in my workshop, if you don't have better facilities somewhere else!

BTW, you can also have more than one pedal or knee lever raise on the same string with a changer like that, and you can even have more than one lower on the same string, although it isn't quite as convenient to tune all of those changes as it is on a modern, all-pull changer (some may have to be tuned with pedal or knee lever stops, although I wouldn't rule out moving those pots and adding end plate tuning nuts).

And if someone says "why bother with all that?" I say "why not?"
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Charlie McDonald


From:
out of the blue
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 2:31 pm    
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I like it; a new push-pull. Going to need stiff rods.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons
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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 8 Feb 2007 2:51 pm    
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It's really still pull-release, I would say, but what you call it (and how stiff the lower rods need to be) depends on where you put the springs that hold the lowers up. In the ones that I have built, which had lowering knee levers, those springs were on the knee levers, holding them in their "neutral" positions, so the lower rods weren't "pushed" so much as they were "pulled" by the string tension, once your knee overcame the force of the spring and "released" the lower rod and the finger.

So is that "pull-release" or "all pull?" Laughing
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 9 Feb 2007 6:09 am    
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Jack,

Thanks for the advice and the offer to come up to Scarborough, but I think I will be in the dog house with the family if I run off to work on my guitar before or after the wedding. Lets see how it goes and if time permitting...

M.
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Bob Simmons

 

From:
Trafford, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 9 Feb 2007 7:25 pm     pull/release
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Hi, Matt - I use a simular system on my econo models - have them ship that thing to me and I'll set it up for you. Hope all is well with you. your friend, Bob
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 10 Feb 2007 2:07 am    
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Bob,

I will email you with the details.

Thanks,
Matt
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Bob Simmons

 

From:
Trafford, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 10 Feb 2007 7:49 pm     thanks
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Enjoyed our conversation this morning. Look forward to fixing up the ole lefty for you. Post us a pic of your pro model if you can. Bob www.simmonspedalsteel.com
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Matthew Prouty


From:
Warsaw, Poland
Post  Posted 11 Feb 2007 11:30 am    
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Here are some more pictures of the guitar. Unfortunately the are not the best in the world, but I think they do show a hint at the beauty this guitar will be one day.




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