Marlen pull-release help

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

I have a friend who just bought an old MArlen D10 pull-release. He lives in RockHill SC. He needs someone to give it a major tune up. It's been so long since I've worked one of these and I remember it being a bastard to work on.

Is there anyone around this area who can do this. He is willing to pay of course. Maybe someone in Charlotte NC area.

Thanks in advance

Ben

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Ben, If you can't find someone local that ya'll like, send it down to Ricky Davis---he's phenominal on the old Marlens.

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

I have a tuning guide for the Marlen PP guitars, email me, & I will send you a copy of it. My address is mailto:shobud75@hereintown.net

Ernie

David Collins · From: Madison, North Carolina, USA

Ben,

I'm in Madison, NC. About 20 miles north of Greensboro.

I'm willing to take a stab at the pull/release Marlen. I have one that I play occasionally, and am familiar with the mechanics.

I'm NOT a professional luthier or "tech", and I don't do it for a living, I just LOVE the old Marlen guitars.

Send me an e-mail or private message and we'll talk it over.

IF the owner is not completely satisfied, no money will be charged, assuming owner pickup and delivery.
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

sent you an email DAVID

Thanks

David Collins · From: Madison, North Carolina, USA

Got the e-mail Ben, reply sent.
Thanks,
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com

Will Cowell · From: Cambridgeshire, UK

David,

I would like to e-mail you, off list - I have this old D10, and am busy cleaning out 35 years of gunk from the innards (tobacco smoke etc) and changing the E9 neck over from Lloyd Green to a modified Nashville setup. I would love to be able to bounce some ideas off you for guidance, as I am pretty new at this game, although learning fast. Love the tone of this old guitar!

Will
_________________
Williams 700 series keyless U12,
Sierra keyless U14, Eezzee-Slide & BJS bars
Moth-eaten old Marshall 150 combo
Roland Cube 80XL, Peterson Strobo+HD,
EarthQuaker Despatch Master for reverb / delay

richard burton · From: Britain

Will,
How complicated is your modified Nashville setup?

You may find that a pull-release system can't handle a complex copedent.

Will Cowell · From: Cambridgeshire, UK

OK Richard, understood. Well, it's Bob Shilling's setup basically. Pedals 1 to 3 are standard, LKL raises the E's on 4 & 8 to F, LKR lowers them to Eb. RKL raises the F#'s on 1 & 7 to G, and RKR lowers the D#'s on 2 & 9 to D then C#. Raising 7 was the only new bit really, I moved a redundant crank from the C6 neck cross-shafts.

The only tricky one is on changer 4, which has to handle two raises and one lower. I understand the need for working clearance on the raises to allow for the lower. The rest is a question of spring rates, and leverage ratios.

Adjusting the little clamp stops at the rod ends is a b~tch, so I decided to thread the rod ends and use nylon/delrin hex section sleeves to give infinitely adjustable end stop position.

I have had to take out one of the crank end pivots and machine it down in my little lathe to allow running clearance for the rods in that area, and have substituted "E" clips in the pivots generally for the circlips, which again are hard to remove and replace even with circlip pliers. The "E" clips are far easier to remove and replace.

Like grandpa's old broom now - same one he had as a boy, only had three new heads and two new handles... Laughing

Will
_________________
Williams 700 series keyless U12,
Sierra keyless U14, Eezzee-Slide & BJS bars
Moth-eaten old Marshall 150 combo
Roland Cube 80XL, Peterson Strobo+HD,
EarthQuaker Despatch Master for reverb / delay

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

Marlen or other pull/release systems are NOT limited by their simple single-finger changer configuration. I just finished up on a D-10 Miller with 8 and 4 for Byron Towle. It has no holes in the endplate. The rods have hooks on the changer end, are held into the now-new changer fingers with E-clips, and ALL the tuning is done at the bellcranks with nylon tuners. That is not the case on the old Marlen's. They do have an accessible endplate and hooks on the opposite end of the rods to be connected to bellcranks would allow it to be set up and tuned like any other pull/release system. I don't know what Marlen bellcranks look like, so I can't say that a new set of them wouldn't have to be made. But they can be made to do the complex stuff if you don't mind the inherent rod backlash issue that IS inherent on strings which must be both raised and lowered. Re: the other pulls, they're as easy as stepping on a grape...no balance springs involved whatsoever, so the only tension you're overcoming is merely that of the strings themselves. Makes for a pretty easy-playing guitar.
PRR

David Collins · From: Madison, North Carolina, USA

Will,

Fee free to e-mail me from the e-mail button in this post. I'll be happy to help in any way that I can.

The comments from Paul are correct. With a little time and work, these guitars can do a lot, and are excellent playing and sounding guitars.

The double lowers are a bit tricky to tune, but it can be done for sure.
_________________
David Collins
www.chjoyce.com

Steve Waltz · From: USA

Paul,

Can you post some pictures of the underside. I want to add one more change to my Miller and I'd like to see how you did yours. If you don't mind.

I'm also still looking for a few new fingers for a permanent and it needs to be 1/2 axle. What did you use on the Miller?

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

Anybody in Charlotte NC to work on this Marlen.

Buster Warren · From: Nakina,N.C. USA

I might could help ?? jam4fun@bellsouth.net
_________________
Thanks ,Buster,"JAM4FUN"

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