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Topic: Keeping String Balls From Falling In Changer |
Bill OConnor
From:
Castle Rock, Washington, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 23 Feb 2006 10:39 pm |
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Here is how i keep the balls from falling into the changer and causing a hangup For use on a carter buy a cow magnet at a farm store lay it next to the changer you will trap it there for Emmons, Zum. buy a roll magnetic tape stickum on one side home depot stick it behind the changer on the frame.no more worry of balls hung up in the changer.
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 6:11 am
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| Quote: |
| no more worry of balls hung up in the changer |
Thank goodness that's one problem I've never experienced!
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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande
Mullen U-12, Evans FET-500, Fender Steel King
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Michael Garnett
From:
Seattle, WA
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 7:13 am
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Sometimes I just wear titey whiteys.
-MG |
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Marlin Smoot
From:
Kansas
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 7:38 am
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| I'm not sure of the strength of your Magnet, but I would be careful of placing a magnet close to or near the pickup for any lenght of time. I'm no expert and I could be wrong. |
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Curt Langston
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 7:53 am
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That does not work well with stainless steel strings. As we know, stainless steel strings, and the brass ends are not magnetic.  |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 7:54 am
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| I agree. I wouldn't put a magnet any where near a pickup. A smarter thing to do is to put a strip of light foam under the string pins in the changer. It will catch the ball ends without interfering with the changer. |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 8:06 am
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The changer design on my new MSA's keep the ball end from falling down into the changer. When a string breaks, the ball stays where it is, and you just pull it out with the string tail that is still attached. An ingenious innovation along with several others on the Milleniums, and Legends.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 8:11 am
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Or you could always buy a Williams. Bill has a different angle-of-the-dangle on his patented changer and the string end always just falls on the floor, never down in the changer. Don't know about balls, though!
Erv |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 8:51 am
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| Quote: |
| ...stainless steel strings, and the brass ends are not magnetic. |
Well, the core of wound stainless steel strings is still magnetic, and the plain strings in a stainless steel set are regular music wire, not stainless steel. So, a magnet would still work. A better approach is a piece if foam rubber inserted between the changer fingers and the body. Provide you don't overdo it with too much foam rubber, that works fine and won't interfere with the action of the changer.
As far as design goes, every steel manufactured today should be made so this can't happen. In politest terms, it's an "oversight" of the builder or manufacturer.  |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 9:00 am
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| Mark Van Allen's got a photo on his website, he's got a little block of foam rubber wedged in there. I believe I saw the same deal on Tommy Dodd's Zum, as well. |
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Bill OConnor
From:
Castle Rock, Washington, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 4:24 pm
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Say what you want i have used magnets for 4 yrs on several different steels and several brands of strings it works no problem.low grade stanless in magnetic has carbon in it. and i don`t think the balls are brass they cling to the magnet.I am holding a JAGWIRE SS .012 in my hand with a magnet clinging to the middle of the coil so try for your self
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 6:31 pm
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The first time I saw foam~rubber tucked behind the bridge~pins was several years ago on Hal Ruggs’ guitar! That's when I decided to try it and it works nicely.
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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment
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Whip Lashaway
From:
Monterey, Tenn, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 6:33 pm
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Bill, On my old Sierra I put some foam down in between the changer mechanism and that keeps the ball from going down inside. My newer Sierra has the tray that catches them. But you know, it seems like the more I play the more I stay on top of it. I know when I'm about to break a string and I replace it before it happens. When I start missing harmonics I know the string is about to go. I really don't remember the last time I actually broke a string!!!!! It has to have been a couple of years anyway!! Of course I just jinxed myself. I'll break 12 or 15 of them tomorrow!!!
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Whip Lashaway
Sierra E9/B6 12 string
Sierra E9/B6 14 string
78' Emmons D10 P/P
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 24 Feb 2006 7:26 pm
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Thanks Bill, I'm gonna try your idea. Don't doubt you for a second. I have some small thin magnets.
Still....I thought a cow magnet was...well....a BULL? [This message was edited by Jerry Overstreet on 24 February 2006 at 07:28 PM.] |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 25 Feb 2006 2:04 am
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my buddy Joel Guiganton from Tours runs a piece a thread through each ball that hang over the rear of his changer
that way he pulls the ball end out when they go down into the changer
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2006 7:25 am
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Crowbear,
Black string works best. 
Erv |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 25 Feb 2006 10:02 am
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| Hi CB,sorry but I don't quite understand your explanation.Could you tell us &/or me a little more.Thanks. |
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Wayne Baker
From:
Altus Oklahoma
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Posted 25 Feb 2006 6:31 pm
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Bill, if you change your strings often enough, it won't be an issue.
Wayne Baker |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 26 Feb 2006 7:41 am
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| Tie a string around your balls? |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 26 Feb 2006 7:49 am
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The Sierra was the first to design their string ball end grooves in the fingers so the "balls" wouldn't fall down.
I remember Don Christensen giving a semminar on his changer design in St Louis - sometime in the 80's - and about how they worked on the changer design until they got it to where the ball end would not fall. That was obviously way before the MSA Millenium and before the "new" Williams changer design.
But, I just let my balls fall in my Franklin. |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 27 Feb 2006 7:51 am
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John S : Joel runs a thread through the ball before he puts the ball unto the pin.
the ends of the thread come out the top & back across the changer so he can pull the ball out when it falls in
i don't use this method since i really have'nt had any probs w; gettin' my balls out |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Feb 2006 12:06 pm
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Some might mistakenly think they needed a rope, instead of a thread! Now that's a bunch of Bull!
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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment
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Tom Hodgin
From:
greensboro, n.c. u.s.a.
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Posted 27 Feb 2006 5:35 pm
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| Being in the carpet business, I have access to scrap padding...I have been using a piece of foam at the ball ends for years...it works great..nothing gets past it..tom |
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Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 27 Feb 2006 6:18 pm
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well, I don't think there's room for the ball end to fall down in the changer on my Mullen RP. I've broken several strings about an inch from the ball and hadn't droped one through yet. 
Terry
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Mullen D10 /8x5 / session 500rd/ American Strat Highway 1 model
pickin for Jesus
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Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
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Posted 27 Feb 2006 6:34 pm
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| If you don’t want to go the foam route. I magnetize my allen wrench that adjust the split tuners. Just stick it to the broken string or ball end. It comes right out.Even past all those split tuner screws. I play Emmons Legrandes and you only have to magnetize the wrench once. I also use stainless strings...bb |
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