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Topic: RK with Levers! |
Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 16 Nov 2015 1:53 pm |
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I mentioned a while back that I was considering a Winter project...modifying my 'Recording King Multibender Special' by adding knee levers.
Well, it's done, and it works!
The Deusenberg Multibender was giving me the basic PSG sound I wanted to enhance my picking, but I found that having to keep my hand over the levers was awkward and restricting sometimes.
So here's how I did it.
Step one: Buy a four-leg lap steel stand and fit a wooden panel beneath it.
Step two: Fix two brackets (I used flat metal picture hooks) to the 'Bender levers with Gorilla Glue.
Step three: Drill down through the body and run two guitar strings through plastic tubing (to ease friction).
Step four: Make up various rollers to guide the strings to the levers.
Step five: Go to the hardware store and buy two desk-flap stays (these are the stays that hold the flap secure when you open your writing bureau or similar)and adapt them to work as knee levers.
Step six: Arrange the levers to best suit your seating position, (note the trial and error screw holes btw) add a little tension spring or two if you need to, re-position the lever positions a few times until everything works right, add a couple of stops to prevent over-pulling on the 'Bender levers.
Step seven: Sit back and enjoy! Both knees push right to left, it's the easiest way and less complex.
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 16 Nov 2015 2:44 pm
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Amazing work, Tony! Wish I had those skills.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 2:22 am
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Thanks, Mike. Pretty basic stuff if you look closely, just off-the-shelf brackets, nuts and bolts, washers and a few odd bits.
Each to their own...I wish I could pick lap steel like you! |
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 5:03 am
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The amount of work you must've put in.
Absolutely respect the work. Its like an early Pedal steel incarnation.
Since you are switching over, maybe get a Carter Starter pedal steel.
Probably cheaper than all that work. 
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 7:11 am
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Love it! Good old fashion ingenuity.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 9:04 am
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Great Job! Very inspiring!
The fret markers on the fretboard are useful to communicate in which position the levers are.
Under which fret is the left lever and under which fret is the right lever? |
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Joe Breeden
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 9:37 am Great Job
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| Tony you are the man. Great job. Maybe a sound clip soon. |
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Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 17 Nov 2015 1:41 pm
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Thanks for all the comments!
In answer to the couple of questions: 1)The left lever sits under the 6th fret marker, the right lever under the 14th.
2)I have owned a Carter Starter, and a ShoBud Maverick, I found them interesting but more than I needed.
I love the 6-string lap set-up, and just wanted easy raises on the second and third to add to the sound. The Recording King is light and easy to play, plus I love looking at it, which always helps.
And as for the man hours...well I wouldn't have done it if it didn't take a while! Those of you who have retired, particularly from any craft work (I was a cabinet-maker) will know that itching 'I need a project' feeling.
Having proven that the cable pull system works on the Multibender levers, I'm now going to try building a pedal set-up instead of the levers, once again using off-the-shelf domestic hardware and bits from my box!
I'll post the results when it's done, thanks again for the kind words! |
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