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Topic: My Carter needs shorter legs |
John Klang
From:
Oregon, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 6:56 pm |
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| I read on the forum that steel legs are made from Mic stands. true or false?......Can someone give me some suggestions how to shorten them and is there a reference somewere that I can check with to determine the proper length for me? I haven't had much experiance with other guitars. I just know I don't fit the steel or the steel don't fit me. |
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Calvin Walley
From:
colorado city colorado, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 7:17 pm
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if you have the carter starter my guess would be that the knee levers are too short. if thats the case your best bet might be to replace the knee levers with longer ones . thats what i had to do
_________________
proud parent of a sailor
Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!
Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick |
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John Klang
From:
Oregon, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 7:30 pm
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| I have a SD10 |
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Sonny Priddy
From:
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 8:09 pm carter
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| I Would Call Carter And Do It Right. SONNY. |
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Calvin Walley
From:
colorado city colorado, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 8:11 pm
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sorry John
i thought you had the starter, i don't know how to make your legs any shorter than they are fully retracted.
_________________
proud parent of a sailor
Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!
Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick |
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Louis Vallee
From:
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 8:27 pm
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Hi John,
My Carter D-10 lowered by 1 inch. I am only 5 ft. 5 inches tall.
Check this form and call Carter. Ask at John Fabian for Under Height Legs & Rods (up to 1" UH)
https://www.steelguitar.com/resource/orderforms/pdf_rtf/OH_UH_measurements.pdf
_________________
Louis
'08 Magnum D-10 8&5 * Hilton VP * Lemay MK-1 * Peavey NV 1000 * Rick Johnson Cabs * Walker Seat. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 8:52 pm
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I cut my steel legs down by an inch. I have done it myself before. You only need to cut down the front legs that hold the pedal bar. Keep in mind that you will also need to cut and re tap your rods also. It will much more easy to get in touch with Carter and get new ones that are the right size for you. I got into my hack saw and tap and dye for a bit and did my own modifications. From personal experience I can say that if you don't fully know what you are doing you can make a real mess !
_________________
Bob |
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Nic du Toit
From:
Milnerton, Cape, South Africa
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 3:04 am
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Hey John,
Things to check first before cutting or swapping:
1- Seat Height. Is your seat too low?
The top of your seat should line up with the top of your kneecaps.
2- As a test, can you take out (or shorten) the inner tubes of the REAR legs?
Your guitar will slant, of course, but it is for testing purpose only.
3- With the correct seat hight and the shortened rear legs, are the kneelevers correct?
Hope this helps. |
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John Klang
From:
Oregon, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 6:12 am
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| Thanks all for the replys and e-mails......some great soggestions. They all got the gray matter going to help solve my problem. The Forum comes through again. |
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Jamie Lennon
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 7:37 am
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_________________
Mullen Guitars, Little Walter Amps, Benado Effects, D'Addario Strings
www.georgettejones.net |
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Tommy R. Butler
From:
Nashville, Tennessee
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 9:28 am
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| Get a taller seat.. |
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Ernest Cawby
From:
Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 9:41 am hi
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Take a long rod and hammer and tap out the threaded end of the front legs, saw them off to the right legnth, put on some proper glue and tap the threaded ends back into place. Cut and thread the pull rods the same size you removed from the legs and thread them longer threads so them fit the new highth.
This should do it.
ernie |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 9:50 am
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Get a lift kit! |
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Jonathan Cullifer
From:
Gallatin, TN
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 9:57 am
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| I've been through three sets of legs on my Carter. When I first got the guitar (I was 10), I was close to 5 feet tall and needed inch shorter legs. I am now using inch overheight legs (I'm 6'1" now). Call Carter. They'll help you out. |
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Antolina
From:
Dunkirk NY
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 10:33 am Re: hi
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| Ernest Cawby wrote: |
Take a long rod and hammer and tap out the threaded end of the front legs, saw them off to the right legnth, put on some proper glue and tap the threaded ends back into place. Cut and thread the pull rods the same size you removed from the legs and thread them longer threads so them fit the new highth.
This should do it.
ernie |
I have the same problem with my Marrs. Jeff Surrat gave me the very same advice only he suggested shortening the rods at the top rather than rethreading. Much easier to simply rebend them and then just snip off the excess.
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.
Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4
RC Antolina |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 29 Nov 2007 7:33 am Do it correctly...
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The problem is not that your seat is too low, but probably that your legs are too short.
I'm the same height as you, and I've had my guitars cut down 1 1/2" from standard for at least 30 years.
Do it correctly, and have the factory do it for you. Carter does projects like yours all the time, and you'll get professionally done job instead of risking mistakes with a hacksaw, possibly breaking a pedal rod, etc. The company knows what length a pedal rod should be when a guitar leg is a specific height.
If you don't own a Carter, you could contact the builder of your guitar, or you could contact Larry Agan at Star Steel Guitars. He makes legs/rods for a number of builders. Contact Larry at www.starsteelguitars.com
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 29 Nov 2007 9:00 pm
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Nah, do it yourself. Cut 'em off, I say... Cut 'em off.
_________________
Gary Shepherd
Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000
www.16tracks.com |
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Antolina
From:
Dunkirk NY
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Posted 29 Nov 2007 9:06 pm
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Hey guys,
Cutting an inch and a half from a hollow tube isn't exactly brain surgery and it's not that hard to heat and bend the rods.
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.
Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4
RC Antolina |
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Chippy Wood
From:
Elgin, Scotland
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Posted 30 Nov 2007 3:07 am Buy them
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I would advocate buying a new set of rods and legs, you never know if you might want to change your guitar later on, it might be more difficult to sell if it only has the shorter legs.
_________________
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Fulawka D10
LDG |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 2 Dec 2007 11:48 pm
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| RC Antolina wrote: |
| ...Cutting an inch and a half from a hollow tube isn't exactly brain surgery and it's not that hard to heat and bend the rods. |
That is a point. The rods are always supplied straight. There's nothing wrong in putting a couple of bends into each of them to shorten the height. But you would have to be accurate. It would be best to set up a template first and bend them all around that template. |
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Brian Henry
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Posted 24 Jun 2014 3:50 am
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What kind of glue would you use? Would JB WELD work?
_________________
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN GEORGIA |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2014 10:16 am
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When I bought my D10 Carter, Bud asked me who tall I was so he could include the right length legs with the guitar. I'm 5'6". btw. I agree with Herb and the others about getting legs from the factory.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 24 Jun 2014 10:53 am
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| Jack Aldrich wrote: |
| ...I agree with Herb and the others about getting legs from the factory. |
Unfortunately, that's no longer possible, but tubular steel is easy to work with. Any metal mechanic could cut it to length for you and rettach the original fittings. The rods are even easier to work with. |
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