Pull-release set up details- tricks and tips?

Steve Waltz · From: USA

I think I have the basics down about pull release guitars. Mine is working fine and I'd like to keep it that way. I thought I would ask if people that are familiar with them have any tips about how to set them up. I'm talking about the sho bud permanent, Marlen, Miller type guitars with the single finger changer with the screws sticking out of the back of the changer, closed endplates, pull rods are attached to the bell crank with a brass collar and the other end goes through the changer finger and is attached with another brass collar.

I tried before to make the fingers touch the body when pulled forward and I honestly did't hear much if any tone difference. Is this really needed or important? It seems like it puts stress on the pull rods with that extream of an angle. It also seems like it would make the pedal travel screw useless because the finger is stoping at the body.

I know how to tune raises at the keyhead but I'm also able to set up the guitar to tune raises by pedal travel for one string and then bell crank or set colar adjustments for the other sting. It seems to stay in tune this way and tuning up on stage is a little easier becasue I can tune it open. Any negatives of doing it this way?

Is it important, when lowering a string, for the finger to hit the set screw in the changer at the same time as the set screw in the knee lever hits the guitar body or should I leave slack on the knee lever. It seems like the finger should hit the set screw first so that it can be adjusted on the changer if I need to tune the lower on the spot. It also seems like I 'could' time each lower and only use the knee lever set screw. I think that wouldn't allow for an easy tuning adjustment if individuall strings went out of tune on the lower, but this is an example of what is confusing me because you can do the same thing in a number of ways.

Assuming that I don't need the fingers to touch the body when pulled forward, is there any difference or effect about where the fingers sit as long as the proper/ needed travel is there? If the fingers are pulled forward more to start will it make the string pull to pitch faster, for example?

I'm most likely making this more complicated than need be but I'd like to really know the best ways to adjust this guitar.

Thanks for any help,

Steve Waltz · From: USA

richard burton · From: Britain

My Denley has pull-rods that hook to the changer finger, allowing the finger to touch the body on a raise.
To me, that is the best way to set it up, so that the changer can be tuned before any rods are attached.
Push the finger until it touches the body, and tune it (at the keyhead).
Release the finger, and tune it to its lowest note using the screw on the endplate.
For strings that raise and lower, there will be a barrel tuner on the underside

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