Is Technological Change in Reverse?

Fay Reid · From: Orono, Ontario, Canada

Lately, steel guitar manufacturers seem to be leaning toward the building of instruments with square cross shafts as opposed to round. I wonder if this is in the best interests of the player since the round shaft offers many more advantages than the square.

Advantages of the Round Cross Shaft:
1. It allows for much more precise adjustments of the start of string pulls, such that all strings associated with a pedal can be made to start at the same moment. The square shaft allows for only a BEST-OF adjustment.
a) Octave strings and those of other intervals tend to stay in tune through the entire pull.
b) It elminates the "half stop" feel that results when one string starts its pull ahead of the other(s). Isn't this how some half stops are actually produced?
c) It tends to eliminate the detuning of a string that starts its pull early if the player's foot rests gently against the pedal, since more force is required to start all strings than just one.
d)For the length of pull required to activate all strings starting at the same moment, the force is at a minimum. That is, one of the strings starting later requires more force to be activated than if it started with the other string(s).
e) Generally, bass strings require short pulls relative to treble strings. The round shaft allows for angling of the bell crank to effectively increase pedal travel. I have seen square shafted instruments attempting to correct this feature using intermediate cross shafting to provide more "mechanical advantage". The pull rods on square shafted bell cranks cannot be positioned close enough to the cross shaft to provide adequate activation-force/pedal-travel. (More mass added to the instrument?)
2. Parts for a round shafted instrument are more easily manufactured by the do-it-yourselfer.
a) Round shafts are readily available from suppliers (even Canadian Tire) and cut to length.
b)Aluminum bell cranks can be fashioned from 5/16" or 3/8" plate with a hacksaw, drillpress, and a threading tap. Knee levers are easily made using the same tools. Fabricating a square shafted bell crank would likely require a milling machine.
3. The round cross shaft is more easily added to the guitar. Just remove the retaining plate and slide the shaft into position.
4. A round shaft provides more torque for the given mass of metal than a square shaft.

The only disadvantage of the round ahaft is that it requires more time to change the bell cranks and perhaps the pull rods.

In conclusion, when comparing the amount of time saved using the square shaft to the round with the amount of time that a person plays the well-tuned instrument built with the round shafts, is technology in reverse?

Jim Phelps · From: Mexico City, Mexico

I'd always thought that the main reason for square shafts was so that the bellcranks wouldn't slip on the shafts; with round shafts the bellcranks have to be TIGHT, which has caused stripping of setscrews and the threads in the bellcranks, cracking at the bases of bellcranks around the setscrew holes from trying to get the bellcranks tight, especially when they're older. My own old MSA is proof of this, several bellcranks have all these ailments and was in this condition when I bought it, probably because someone attempted to get them TOO tight too many times, but square shafts eliminate that probability.

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 07 August 2005 at 01:22 PM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Jim is right, all the "advantages" you mention for round shafts are rather moot points. If there was any real advantage to using round shafts, everyone would be using them! The square shafts are simpler for "harry homeowner" types to deal with, and there's less chance of breakage by a club-fisted owner, or well-intentioned "repairman".

Steels are generally trouble-free and reliable. Most players would do well not to try and fix 'em if they aren't broke.

Curt Langston · Posted 7 Aug 2005 3:27 pm

Which guitar is it that has the octagonal shafts? That seems to be a happy medium to the problem.

Chris Lasher · From: Blacksburg, VA

My Sho~Bud has hexagonal shafts.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

If the design is an excellent one,[MSA} I also prefer round cross shafts.. I can work on most older all pull steels and get them to play pretty well, but I found the MSA mechanism with the round shafts was VERY easy to tailor to my exact needs. I was able to time pulls better, get everything EXACTLY as I wanted, all pull rods perfectly straight etc,,... Other brands I always seem to be "compromising"..

Most of this pertains to older guitars... ALL the new guitars are great right out of the box... NO tweakage neccesary.

[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 07 August 2005 at 06:09 PM.]

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