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Topic: Are you mechanically inclined? |
Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 1:38 am |
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I wonder if most pedal steel guitarists are mechanically inclined (since we play a very mechanically complicated instrument)
My first pedal steel was an old Fender cable guitar. I was always replacing and fixing the cables and turnbuckles.
The steel was used and had two home-made knee levers (1x2" pine and cabinet hinges) so I added two more.
(Early Fender Pedal steels had no knee levers)
So I learned a lot by fixing my own, using hardware and bicycle cables and anything I could find to work...
Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 4:35 am
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| I've built race cars, worked on cars and trucks since I was a kid, but when it comes time to work on my '76 Emmons I leave it to the pro's. John Widgren or Mike Cass take care of the major stuff and I make minor adjustments when they rarely become needed. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 7:38 am
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you would think lots of us are somewhat handy with mechanical ability. i've tinkered and improved and fabricated to keep every steel since my first oddball one alive. it's more fun if you understand the basics.
it's less knucklebusting than working on cars, so that's a plus.
i grew up with a father who was a very capable mechanic....planes, cars, trucks...
i'm grateful to him as i've worked on meccano, erector sets as a child, bicycles, model cars and planes....then my own cars and motorcycles. nothing about steels is mysterious. you can figure it out if you use your mind.
now you may choose not to.....i get lazy myself, but i understand the function.
those players without a clue will find themselves in some awkward situations occassionally. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 7:42 am
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| I think to play the pedal steel you need to be as much of a mechanic as a musician. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 7:48 am I guess I'm not much of a steel player either...........
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Not at all mechanically inclined, thank goodness, I've never put a screwdriver or wrench to either my BIGSBY or EMMONS and they seem to play just fine.
Never had a pedal problem or action problem. Just very luck I guess. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 12:57 pm
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Yup. Gotta be with this instrument.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Geoff Barnes
From:
Sydney, Australia
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 1:23 pm
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Nope... in fact I just skinned a knuckle reading the title of this thread! 
I reckon the average human can strive to be excellent at 3 things in a lifetime.
One may aspire to be competent at another 10 things.
For everything else, get help from someone whose skill set lies within the first two categories.
I've found through error and trial that ignoring this basic premise can get expensive. Costs much more to undo the results of my incompetence than it would have if I'd just left the darn thing alone until I could access professional help.
YMMV and all that.
_________________
Too much equipment....I think I need help. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 2:11 pm
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Just changing strings and adjusting intonation of string pulls and stops on a pedal steel requires a little bit of technical ability but it is something every player must know how to do.
You can't go running out from a gig to have your string replaced or correct a slight under-pull causing your IV chords to sound flat....
Since I sold my old Fender steel, I have not really had to do any Pedal steel repairs or modifications. My Shobud LDG has remained trouble free for 38 years. I very rarely have to adjust any stops, unless I change strings and the new one's require slight tweeking.
Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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John Peay
From:
Cumming, Georgia USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 2:57 pm
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Yes, I'm a mechanical engineer by profession. I've raised my guitar up an inch and a half; adjusted pedals and pulls; added another knee lever...
All that said, I also know my limits (that's a big part of "competency" in any endeavor!), and have been a bit hesitant to do a changer tear down and cleaning, which I think my guitar needs. Plus, I don't wanna miss the playing time...at 51 and a "beginnermediate", every hour of playing is precious! |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 4:06 pm
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Judging by some of the questions posed here on the forum, it's pretty obvious that a good number of players know very little (or nothing) about mechanics.  And, while that doesn't preclude them from becoming good players, IMHO this is not really a good instrument for those with no background or experience in even the most basic concepts of mechanics, as the complexity of the instrument seems to keep increasing. |
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Bill L. Wilson
From:
Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 5:51 pm A Mechanic? Yes.
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| I've rebuilt engines, standard trannys, fuel pumps, and about anything else of mine that's come apart, broke, or needed repair over the years. The Pedal Steel Guitar looks way more complicated than it really is. My Emmons is a fantastic playing and sounding instrument, but if it needed serious repair, I could tear it down and put it back together, and it would play just fine. Fortunately, it works great for a 20yr. old guitar, and I inspect it in my shop, after every gig, to make sure nothing is hanging off, or missing, and fix it, if it is. |
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Terry Wood
From:
Lebanon, MO
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 6:11 pm
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No, I am just the guy that holds the light bulb as the other 5 turn it. 
Seriously, I am afraid that I would mess my steels up if I worked on them. I take them to one of three guys I know and trust to do it.
Terry Wood |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 6:46 pm
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I am a mechanical engineer, and part of what got me hooked on the pedal steel was the mechanisms. I have a lot of shop equipment I've accumulated for both wood and metal working. I have designed large rock trenchers and other construction equipment for 40 years, such as this one. It has 1500 horsepower, and weighs close to 500,000 Lbs and will dig a ditch 8' wide and 30'-35' deep in solid rock. I love mechanical stuff, large and small.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Bill Dobkins
From:
Rolla Missouri, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2014 9:44 pm
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Half the fun of playing the Steel is knowing how it works and finding new tuning variations.
_________________
Custom Rittenberry SD10
Boss Katana 100 Amp
Positive Grid Spark amp
BJS Bars
Z~Legend Pro,Custom Tele
Honor our Vet's.
Now pass the gravy. |
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John Lacey
From:
Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 12:13 am
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| I've been dragged kicking and screaming into working on my guitar over the years and by trial and error have learned some basic principles that follow through on most guitar. Then I bought a Push-pull! Had to relearn how the changer worked and how to adjust it for maximum feel and ease and that took a long time. I asked for help from a few fellows and decided to publish it on my website for others to utilize. I can work on my PP with comparitive ease but it takes me a long time to do anything. I'd send it to a pro to work on but I'm in another country and far away, hence the title "Wildnerness guide". I finally stopped working on the bottom of my PP cause I wanted to work on the top part of it more. I don't even touch my Zumsteel Hybird, it's just too strange! |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 3:56 am
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Yeah Jim, mess with me and I'll bury ya.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
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Dick Sexton
From:
Greenville, Ohio
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 4:26 am Working on um...
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I've been told, "Your going to have to get out from under that thang, if you want to learn how to play it". So far I'm still working on the latter!
I'm a life long tinkerer, modifier, innovator and inventor. So it's hard for my type to fathom how a player couldn't or wouldn't work on their own steel.
Can't imagine where we would be if Buddy hadn't worked on his.
Hell, it's only physics! Just joking... |
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Roger Francis
From:
kokomo,Indiana, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 5:04 am
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Growing up i was less than financially secure so i had to learn how to fix just about every thing mechanical that i had, bicycles, cars, go-carts, motorcycles, in the army i was heavy equipment operator, got home and worked at a factory building industrial wood working machines, started my own business as an appliance repairman, owning my own home i became an electrician carpenter roofer and plumber, so a pedal steel guitar doesnt bother me to much to work on except i get a little nervous doing so cause its a beautiful well built machine that i love playing, but at least i have the forum to fall back on if i need help
_________________
Rittenberry SD10, 2 nashville 112s with telonics speaker, behringer EPQ450 power amp, 705 pups, Telonics FP-100, live steel strings, mogami cords, wet reverb |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 5:40 am
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| Quote: |
| I don't wanna miss the playing time... every hour of playing is precious! |
That's pretty much me, too. I have sort-of a set number of hours for all things fun, and anything like that takes away from my finite amount playing time - typically 4 hours a day or so. I've been actively resisting becoming a computer "expert" just because it can be such a black hole. That said, I wonder how much time it actually takes to become a "good steel-fixer man?"
There have got to be some organizational and anti-knuckle skinning tricks that would make a brief, say 2-week (?) "apprenticeship" with a real steel-man invaluable. Quicken you up, for sure... I have self-built six-string parts guitars all over the place here, but I can easily envision me returning from a week-long work spell, returning to an empty steel carcass and a box full of parts. Uh-oh. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 6:14 am
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David! You have 4 hours a day to play steel? Wow that's great... it is not very time consuming to make sure all your raises and lowers are adjusted correctly. You have to tune the thing anyway so adjusting the stops and travel etc. is just part of tuning.
You don't really have to do any major work or modifications... if it ain't broke don't fix it.
However a good cleaning(top and bottom including string change)will use up your 4 hours of fun for one day.
Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Jerry Fessenden
From:
Vermont, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 6:24 am mechanically inclined
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| There's a rumer that Darvin has been seen driving to a gig with that machine ,,, maybe to bury the guys who dare to play out of tune ! .. ah, I started that rumer JF |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 7:42 am
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| I must admit when I open the case I get the legs and rods attached and turn it over as soon as I can...I have no idea what all that stuff is about and I dont care as long as it does what I want...I can tune it and thats it...if it needs anything I take it to an expert...if I tried to work on it, there would be two things broken...the one I tried to fix and something else I broke trying to fix that one My dad was mechanical, could fix anything, and my son is a Mechanical Engineer and can fix anything...it skipped me, but thats fine with me. I would much rather spend the time practicing and playing...and I spend 4 to 6 hours a day doing that Its been my finding that there are 3 groups: those that tinker but dont play, those that tinker and play, and those that play but dont tinker...but I think there are 3 kinds of people in this world...those that can count and those who cant ! |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 9:08 am
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| I'm one of those guys who actually enjoys working on pedal steel guitars. I do on my own work except for cabinet refinishing |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2014 9:12 am
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I really enjoy working on pedal steels, especially old Emmons p/p's, including refinighing:
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