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Topic: MSA Classic D-10, Tuning the Stops (also pictures) |
Bruce Morrison
From:
Panama City Florida, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 6:16 pm |
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Edit: Rather than adding a thread, I am just going to add pictures to the bottom of this thread.
Before I do anything rash, I thought I'd better ask for a starting point. I just acquired my first steel (took it out of the case for the first time today after yesterday's marathon down to Tampa). The fellow I bought it from took the time to show me the basics on tuning, but I think I either misunderstood something OR... I don't know.
Step One - Tune the open strings. My stomp-tuner (ST-200) doesn't really suffice for doing the temperments right, so I bought a tuner for my Ipad that seems to be doing the job (PitchLab).
Step Two - The stops for the E-9 immediately seem out. Ok, I can handle this. I look at the Emmons chart (http://www.buddyemmons.com/ttchart.htm) and start with the Low B... ok, it goes to C# -17 cents. Done.
Step Three - Um... the open pitch for B is now out of tune... ???
I actually repeated Steps 2 and 3 twice before it occurred to me that I was always cranking the stop hex in the same direction... that can't be right. So I stopped and came in here to post this.
It's just not behaving the way I'd expect. Could be an adjustment issue I guess, though of course I'd be in no condition to see that. If changing the stop tuning impacts the open tuning, what could that be a symptom of?
Last edited by Bruce Morrison on 9 Apr 2014 9:56 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Bruce Morrison
From:
Panama City Florida, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 7:07 pm
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| Well... I have no idea what I didn't wrong, but I walked away, posted this, thought a bit, and went back... and couldn't reproduce the same behavior. I disconnected and reconnected the pedals, in case I'd connected them wrong somehow. I really don't know, but I assume it was an ID 10 T error of some sort. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 7:13 pm
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That is called "overtuning." It unbalances the changer a bit, and removes the little bit of slack the mechanism wants (even an all-pull would like about 1/32" of slack).
Typically, the answer is to back off the tuning nuts (I recommend going farther than necessary, all the way til the pedal does nothing). Now tune the open note. Then press the pedal, running the nut in til you get to the right note. It SHOULD be fine now.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Bruce Morrison
From:
Panama City Florida, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 7:19 pm
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I suspect I lucked into that then. I was worried I'd over-tightened the stop, so I loosened it about as much as I thought I had tightened it previously.
Your explanation actually makes me feel a lot better. I'm a programmer by trade, and unexplained bugs are the absolute worst. Thank you very much for that nugget of wisdom. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 7 Apr 2014 2:44 am
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To either adjust or correct your terminology, the nylon nuts aren't the stops, they're just the tuning nuts.
On MSAs, the stops are TINY set screws on the bar on the front apron that actually control how far a pedal travels. I've never, EVER had need to adjust those unless changing what pedals do. I'll come back and add a pic soon.
The tuning nuts effect how far the changer gets pulled when the pedal goes to the stop (excess travel gets turned to slack at the top of the pedal travel.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Bruce Morrison
From:
Panama City Florida, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2014 9:56 am
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