| Author |
Topic: Modifying a PSG from keyed to keyless.....Have you done it? |
ajm
From:
Los Angeles
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 8:55 am |
|
I was just wondering if anyone had actually done it.
Why did you do it?
Results/thoughts? Would you do it again?
Thanks in advance. |
|
|
 |
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 9:01 am
|
|
Some years ago there was a keyless head for sale, I don't remember the manufacturer.
I installed one on my Sho~Bud LDG, it used the same mounting screws as the keyed head.
It even came with a little compartment for your bar and picks to fill up the space where the keys were located.
It worked good but I though the sound got somewhat thinner. I think it eliminated some of the overtones that were present with the keyed tuner.
However, the elimination of a portion of the string to the left of the nut resulted in shorter throws for the changes, especially on the 5th and 6th strings. |
|
|
|
Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 9:45 am
|
|
Back in the 80's, there was a keyless unit by BELA that would convert your keyed guitar to keyless. There have been a few of these conversions pictured here on the forum.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=143295&highlight=keyless+tuner+unit
Personally, I wouldn't be interested in a conversion. The biggest advantage of keyless guitars for me is smaller size and weight, and less body stress on a shorter body, particularly for a 12 or 14 Universal so as to eliminate the detuning. To modify a standard length keyed guitar to keyless holds no appeal for me.
Note Scott Howard's MSA in the thread above, the body having been shortened 5 1/2 in., as well as some of the others. That makes sense.
Ea. to his own as they say.
Last edited by Jerry Overstreet on 6 Aug 2018 11:44 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
|
|
Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 9:47 am
|
|
| I’ve built a few keyless pedal steels that work well. The Williams steel guitar company makes a really nice keyless mechanism that would fit just about all steels I don’t know if bill sells them. There nice one wrench fits all of the tuning nuts that’s pretty convenient. GFI makes a nice Keyless unit also. I see no reason to covert a key model steel to keyless. It would devalue the resale. |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 11:39 am
|
|
| Johnie King wrote: |
| . I see no reason to covert a key model steel to keyless. It would devalue the resale. |
Well, it would make it smaller and lighter!  |
|
|
|
Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 12:27 pm
|
|
Bella on a 1979 ShoBud Pro1..  lighter, shorter, easy to tune..Larry
_________________
Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
|
|
|
Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 6 Aug 2018 2:31 pm
|
|
Here’s one I made for one of my steel builds word very well. Lots of work to build a one off.
 |
|
|
|
Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
|
Posted 7 Aug 2018 9:42 am
|
|
| Paul Redmond converted my S-12 81 Zumsteel from keyed to keyless. I think I started a thread called Z chop job or something close to that when I received it so try searching for that if you are interested in seeing it. That guitar always sounded good no matter what pickup I had on it before the change and has sounded equally good with two different pups since the change. I had several reasons for wanting to go to that effort at the time and I remain extremely happy with the results. |
|
|
|
