| Author |
Topic: Old Marlen Pull -Release.. any experts around??? |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 8 Apr 2007 12:53 pm |
|
Looked it over for a local guy that wants to learn to play....This one is in need of a very good tech that is very familiar with these old beasts..
I got the a b c pedals up and running, but its a hard player, needing 3 good men and pack mule to push pedals and levers and nothing is right, half the changes don't work.. stops feel awful, changer pull rods are bent up and crossed, everything is way out of whack, and the "balancing act" thats required on this system has been messed with so bad, that it looks like it needs a serious tech with LOTS of knowledge on old Marlens.. Its a real tanker too.. Double 12!!!!
Nice tone in a Bud kind of way, but an old Bud is a way better guitar as far as playability and ease of setup are concerned.. This is NOT a guitar for an amateur IMHO.. anyway, I am going to let the owner know it needs some serious help.. Can any one recommend a very good tech with lots of old Marlen hands on????..
BB maybe??? bob |
|
|
 |
Bob Simmons
From:
Trafford, Alabama, USA
|
Posted 8 Apr 2007 2:38 pm marlen
|
|
| call me or write |
|
|
|
David Collins
From:
Madison, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 10:17 am
|
|
Bob,
I have worked on several of the old Pull Release Marlen Guitar, mechanics especially. I also have a neighbor and dear friend who worked for Leonard for a couple of years during the Pull Release days and into the All Pull days.
If your friend wants to send it to me, I'll be glad to look it over and see what we can do. No Promises other than I will not charge him a penny if I can't make it playable. He will have to pay shipping and insurance BOTH ways.
I am not trying to solicit business, I am NOT a full time steel tech by any means, just love the old Marlen Guitars.
My neighbor spent a lot of time working for Leonard building steels and setting them up and test playing before shipment. I'm sure that he will help to do the final set up on it. He even has a few parts that were left over from the changers.
If your guy is interested, shoot me an e-mail, I'll provide you with a ship to address and full contact info.
I'm in agreement with you that this is probably NOT the best guitar for a begginer, especially for modern playing, setups, etc.
It sounds like someone has already tried to change the setup, which was never intended to happen on these old guitars.
Let me know!
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com |
|
|
|
Ben Godard
From:
Jamesville NC
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 11:14 am
|
|
My first steel was an old D10 MArlen pull release. I stayed under it more than over it playing. It was in about the same conditoin as yours, a mechanical nightmare compared to an all pull. It will take a good amount of time to get your set up right. They don't make the parts anymore as Mr STadler is passed and so is his business. I met him twice back in the 90's. He made the most beutiful guitars ever and great tone, but I think his first guitars were a little crude which is the category of your guitar. It would probrably be better to invest in a more modern guitar. A carter starter would probrably be a good start. Your best deal though will come through waiting a up to a few months to find a good used one. The forum is a good place to find one and ebay lately has had a lot of reasonable prices. I suggest if you mainly like the mainstream type music, just get a single neck (E9th).
I've been playing E9th for 10 yrs now and still haven't got a double neck which has the C6th. However I have my lap steels to play all the C6th stuff I want to. Good luck. Think about htis. If you get a double neck, the C6th neck will always have to be C6 only. If you get you a lap steel, you can have any tuning you want. My stringmaster D8 is E13 (Hank Williams style) and C#m7. |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 11:48 am
|
|
Well Ben, you are preaching to the choir  .. This thing is crude compared to ANY decent all pull guitar, and it will take a lot get it right, and since the owner knows nothing about steels, he'll have it messed up again in NO time.. I am pretty good with all pull guitars, having done a lot of work over the years on Buds,MSA,Dekley,cable Fenders, Williams,but this thing is just too weird, and its more than I want to deal with... I feel he should sell it for whatever he can get for it, and get a decent all pull guitar that will stay in tune like an MSA Classic or something.. This Marlen is retro cool but it kind of crys out to me..
"Im a headache- steer clear"!....
I will let him know a few guys will tackle it, and see if he wants to persue it any further... bob |
|
|
|
Dave Burr
From:
League City, TX
|
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 1:37 pm
|
|
Yeah I forgot Ricky was a Marlen fan and knew them very well.. I remember most of these posts now that I see them again.. I will let the owner know.....
Its really a cool guitar this Marlen, but that being said, I think a comparable old Bud blows its doors off.. Lighter, a million times esaier to work on, change copedent, and tune,...better tone too IMHO.. its not my bag,.. also not crazy about the square pedals.. incredible wood and inlays though!!!!!
the coil tapped pickups are VERY cool and are tapped at 10K and 20K,, just like the old Bud coil taps... The 20 K position is more usable than the Bud 20 K,, but the Bud 10K position is much nicer sounding to my ear.... bob |
|
|
|
Mike Shockley
From:
Lufkin, Texas, USA
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 4:19 pm
|
|
| Bob, What does this Marlen look like. I had a D-12 that went to San Francisco some years back. It was curly maple and zebra wood and had 8 & 5 if I remember right. I think Leonard built it for me in 1971. I played it until 1984 when I bought a new all pull from him which I still have. That old d-12 was a good guitar then. |
|
|
|
Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 5:35 pm
|
|
I owned that SD-10 that's on Ricky's website for a while. With the help of Charles Reece, we got my setup on it, it stayed in tune, and wasn't very heavy--Certainly not as heavy as the Sho-Bud I replaced it with. Pretty good tone, too.
All that being said, I don't think these are beginner's guitars, either. There's a lot of stuff underneath that's in weird places, and tuning one of these can be a challenge. But a lot of good craftsmanship, for sure! |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 5:42 pm
|
|
| Mike this is a D 12 w/ 8-6.. It has a few different styles of kness on it.. Looks like maple w/some mahogany... Inlay everywhere.. It must have been gorgeous but its been abused.. I really hope the owner sells it so a Marlen fan can bring it back to where it deserves to be... bob |
|
|
|
Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Apr 2007 7:37 pm Marlen pull release
|
|
| That's one of the three I don't and won't even consider on trades. I RUN from those! |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 10 Apr 2007 3:42 am
|
|
10-4 Billy, I can dig that!! LOL...hey what are the other two you won't take???
You would probably take a clean later model all pull Marlen no???
Yeah this set up is not for everyone..I am pretty fair with most steels, but this is just too tough to deal with.. I guess if you really took the time to learn all the ins and outs of the setup, it would be easier, but from what I can see, even a very good tech like Ricky ,that knows mechanicals of the old Marlen, would need a LOT of time and patience to do it right..
I can see how this works.. The finger has to be "balanced" in the middle of its "travel zone" to allow raises and lowers, but TRY getting it there it the maze of springs,rods, bellcranks ,junk,under there.. A 3+2 S 10 might be easier.. This 8+6 D 12 is too rich for my blood.. Speaking of blood, you can spill a bunch working on this undercarriage... bob |
|
|
|
David Collins
From:
Madison, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 10 Apr 2007 8:11 am
|
|
Bob, FWIW
This is in large part what folks were looking at and playing when the Push Pull Emmons was developed. Now you know why the Push Pull was so much better that the others on the market. All things are indeed relative to the ones before them.
You are correct in the "balance" portion of your statement. On the pull/release system, raising AND lowering the same string is a bear for sure. (re read Buddies reasons for the push pull system)
It is not unusual to spend 30 to 40 hours on reworking and setting up the underside of the guitar that you describe here. It HAS to be a labor of love, no sane person would tackle it to make living
Making and selling soap is sooooo much easier.
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com |
|
|
|
richard burton
From:
Britain
|
Posted 10 Apr 2007 11:50 am
|
|
I must be in the minority here, because I find the pull-release mechanism the simplest, most easily understood changer on a PSG.
And strangely enough, (in my humble opinion), the simpler the changer mechanism, the better the tone. |
|
|
|
David Collins
From:
Madison, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 11 Apr 2007 3:05 am
|
|
Richard,
I have to agree with you that the pull/release is as about as simple as it gets, and all of the guitars that I've ever played with them sound great.
I must also disagree, once someone trys to make them do everything that a modern all pull with 3 or 4 raises and 2 or 3 lowers per string. It becomes very complicated at that point.
Kinda like trying to fly a Cessna to the moon, it just wasn't ever designed to do it 
I've got an old Marlen, one of the very first. The term crude is an understatement to describe the mechanical design compared to any modern guitar, but it plays well. stays in tune and sound ever so sweet! Very simple set up, and very much intended to stay that way.
Good luck to all.
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com |
|
|
|
