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Topic: BMI Setup Question |
Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 10 Jan 2009 8:33 pm |
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| I am working on a BMI S-10. I would like to move the left knee right to the right knee right. They both function so as to reverse the pull. The rear bracket that holds the cross shaft on the LR will not fit the holes on the back of the guitar for the RR. Is all I need that one back bracket and the pull rods to move this lever? It doesn't have a RR now. I plan to also contact BMI. I hope I have described it good enough that someone will understand the situation. |
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Damien Odell
From:
Springwood, New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 11 Jan 2009 1:57 am
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Danny,
On the BMI guitars the LKR and the RKR mount differently and therefore cannot be swopped with each other.
I will attach a picture of the RKR on my BMI S12 - you will see that it works differently to the LKR.
You will need to contact Don at BMI and he can send you the parts you will need for the RKR kit.
Damien
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 11 Jan 2009 6:40 pm
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| Damien, I like the way yours is, but the one I'm working on must be older. This one mounts the cross shaft lower in the guitar with the bellcranks sticking upward to reverse the pull. I looks like I just need the bracket that bolts on to the back of the guitar, but I don't know for sure. I do plan to call BMI. |
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Damien Odell
From:
Springwood, New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 13 Jan 2009 5:34 pm
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Danny,
On my guitar the LKR has the bracket that you're talking about - but the RKR works differently as per the pic I attached.
I have 2 BMI guitars and on both of them the LKR and RKR mount is different. Having said that....your guitar may be different to mine.
Good luck,
Damien |
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Bill Duve
From:
Limestone .New York, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2009 8:09 pm
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My BMI has a GFI cross shaft for the RKR which simply screws to the bottom ........  |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 15 Jan 2009 4:44 pm
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| I visited with BMI about this and they at first said that the front apron is not drilled for this, but it looks to me like it is. Even the back apron is drilled for the little pillow block like the one on the LKR except the holes are all spaced different and the block may hang down farther. I'm going to order some parts and send a couple of pictures. He said he might can build me one. He was very accomodating. |
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Paul Redmond
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 20 Jan 2009 10:10 pm
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On the earlier BMI's, the RKR lever mount had a chain link that was also connected to the cross-shaft. That link is what actually did the reversing of motion. On both of mine, the LKR has a separate rear bearing block that indeed locates the shaft much lower in the frame, and the crank goes above the shaft. Don't know if Don is still making them that way or not, but you'll find BMI very accommodating when it comes to retro-fitting parts. Ain't nuthin' ya can't put on a BMI!!! I've even got a KL on my D-11 that works in both directions...push right when playing E9th...push left when playing C6th.
PRR |
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Harvey Richman
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2009 7:38 am Bmi Rkr
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Hello Danny. I have an older BMI like yours (looks like it is set up for a RKR which will go in and function like the "upside down" LKR. I thought about doing my RKR the "upside down way" but after playing around with it, it seems that there is less difficulty getting things working right doing it the other way (like the more recent BMIs are). The RKR crossbar on the old BMIs is very close to the changer making setup and adjustment tricky (at least for me) and I think the pull rod angles are better if the pullers are mounted the new way. On my guitar, I had to drill the large hole in the front apron to accommodate the second pin in the crossbar (the one that acts as a stop like on the LKR and the pedals). The alternative (probably easier way) is a screw through the rear apron to make the stop (as on the LKL and RKL levers). However, your guitar may already be set up for the stop even though mine wasn't. Hope that helps.
Best Regards
Harvey Richman |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 21 Jan 2009 4:31 pm
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| The front apron on this guitar is drilled for the bushing and the stop pin. I am concerned about how close the bellcranks would be to the changer. It could create some bad angles unless maybe the rods were bent. The rear apron appears to be drilled for a support like the LKR except I think the cross shaft is mounted a little lower in the guitar. Lower being when the guitar is sitting on it's feet. I need to send pictures to BMI, but work hasn't allowed the time. It would probably be best to get a knee lever kit from BMI, but since the owner just sent it to me with one little problem, and I have nearly the whole guitar apart, I would have to see if he wants to spend the money to put a RKR on it. I always want to make them better and some times I pass the point of deminishing returns. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 21 Jan 2009 7:53 pm
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| It would really help me if more any of you could post pictures of the underside of your BMI. S-10's in particular and especially the RKR. I would guess the D-10 would be very similar. I really think this student should have a RKR. Right now it has 3 levers and the 2nd string is on the RKL. |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 21 Jan 2009 8:37 pm
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This picture shows the factory RKR on an S-10:
This picture shows the RKR that i added to my S-10 BMI:
_________________
Bill Moore...
my steel guitar web page
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Bill Duve
From:
Limestone .New York, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2009 9:20 pm
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This is the GFI RKR under my S10, Its a lot easier than drilling frames, It just screws to the underside. I think Bobbe Seymour can fix you up with the stuff, I only have one rod on it right now on the 7 th string for a special song but theyre easily moved around.....
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Harvey Richman
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2009 5:31 pm Bmi Rkr
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Danny, yes you will need to have some bends in the pull rods but that's not hard or unusual. It's just a matter of getting some parts and doing a little tinkering to get it working. One thing to be aware of. There are two different spacings (pivot pin to stop pin) on the crossbars and you'll need to make sure to get the right one (the pins on the upside down LKR are closer than on the pedal or KL crossbars. Here's a pic of my aftermarket (non BMI)lever. This one acutally is not physically linked. A forum member made it for me. It kicks the crossbar up from underneath when you move the lever. It works fine but if I were doing it again I would use a long link and move the crossbar futher away from the changer.
Best Regards
Harvey
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 22 Jan 2009 8:13 pm
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| Thanks so much for these pictures. Mr. Moore, is that a part of a roller chain link that connects the lever to the cross bar? Did BMI's not normally come with a RKR? I thought on most guitars a RKR was pretty much standard. |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 23 Jan 2009 5:54 am
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| Danny, I think most of the S-10 BMI's that you see were built in the late '70s, early '80s, I bought one new around '82 that came with 3 levers. The green one I now own originally had just 2 levers, both on the left knee. I think they were intended to be an entry level guitar, but I'm sure that some did come with 4 levers. The earlier post by Paul Redmond mentions the chain link used as a connection between the lever and the crossbar. I didn't make mine that way, but it works fine. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 24 Jan 2009 4:17 pm
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| I think I am going to put it back together the way it was and tell the man it would be best to order the kit from BMI. I first thought it was just a matter of moving it, but thanks to you all, I can see that unless you have the ability to make some parts or put on another brand parts it would be the best to go BMI. Someone sprayed the bottom with white lithium grease and I've had to gut it to get it cleaned up. Sure am glad for that mica underneath, I'd hate to think what this would look like on flocking. It's not comming off easy. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 26 Jan 2009 3:57 pm
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| When I called BMI, he told me to use the parts prices and address off the web site. I have tryed for several days now, and can't get it to come up. Do any of you at BMI know if there is a problem? I need the parts list and rodding chart. |
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Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
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Posted 27 Jan 2009 8:00 am Site MAINTENANCE
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I apologize our site is down for maintenance. Shoot me an email and I will get you a price of what you need. I am on the road today,
Dan (BMI)
_________________
BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 29 Jan 2009 11:31 am
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| Mr. Burnham, I'm ready to order parts. Please check your private messages. |
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