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Topic: Pedals to stiff |
Norm Pratt
From:
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
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Posted 3 Sep 2006 9:52 pm |
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I just recently bought my first pedal steel which is a mid 70's (not quite sure of the year) MSA Classic. It sounds great but the pedals seem to be pretty stiff, although I have nothing to compare it to since I'm a new player. Should they be semi stiff or is it all just personal preference? Is there an adjustment that I can make to make them not quite so stiff?
Thanks for all your help. |
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 2:15 am
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Hi Norm, I have a 70's MSA Classic also. First stop: download the manual here.
It's personal taste but the pedals should be smooth not stiff. I like to feel some resistance otherwise it's too easy to slightly engage a pedal without realising. It sounds like your pedals need some adjustment though.
Make sure all the moving parts are adequately lubed (use light oil like 3 in 1 or valve oil that trumpet/sax players use). If you notice a lot of black gunk in the bell cranks (refered to as 'pullers' in the manual) or changer it probably needs to be taken apart, cleaned, lubed and re-assembled. Understand the mechanism thoroughly before you get into this, and make sure you keep very careful notes, photos and diagrams before you take anything apart. Study the Rodding section at Steel Guitar Info here (you have an 'all-pull' guitar). Some parts may be worn and need replacing, typically the brass bushings ('pivot pins') in the bell cranks.
If the pedals are still stiff you may be able to re-rod the guitar so that the rods connect different bell crank holes and/or changer holes for optimum leverage. eg You get a choice of two holes at the endplate for each pulled raise or lower. The hole furthest from the strings will be easier to pull and therefore require a lighter touch on the relevant pedal. See section 5e of the manual. Hope this helps. |
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Bill Mayville
From:
Las Vegas Nevada * R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 2:56 am
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Hi Norm.Flip it up-side down.Find the stiff pedals.On the bell crank(holes) move the rods down toward the body.Experiment.
Bill (Jackson incoming ) |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 3:41 am
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IMHO, if you have no experience with other guitars and how they feel, leave it alone! I've seen many a steel totally botched by someone (with little or no knowledge) trying to fix it. Play it and see if you can get used to the feel of the pedals before you go changing things. It takes a special understanding of mechanics to get a steel adjusted properly, and less than half of the players out there have it, or ever will have it.
Also, make it a guilt-edged priority to find other steelers in your vicinity so you can try their guitars and have them try yours. You can't learn in a vacuum. |
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Tony Dingus
From:
Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 5:25 am
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As for lube, "DO NOT USE WD 40"!! Since you are a new player I thought I'd pass that along.
Tony |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 7:43 am
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Norm "You got Mail"
MSA D10/82 |
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Norm Pratt
From:
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 7:48 am
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Thanks for all the input. It sounds like it would be a good idea to track down another steel to compare it with. Does anybody know of someone near the Phoenix area that services steels?
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 8:15 am
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Norm, I can't answer the geography question, but I did want to chime in.
My first steel (other than a Fender/Maverick years ago) was an MSA Classic, and even with the manual I managed to foul the thing up completely. It took endless hours of phone calls and emails with gys who really knew the thing to get it halfway playable again.
So if you don't know the mechanics well, don't touch a thing, as previously mentioned. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 10:57 am
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| If you turn it upside down, protect the changer so the strings wont gouge it. |
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Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 11:01 am
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Pedals too stiff? Put your Viagra in another room.  |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 11:30 am
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This might not be a rule of thumb, but on my steels, if I lay my hand flat down on the floor, with my index finger on a pedal, I can press the pedal all the way down quite easily with my finger.
There is approximately 3/4"-1" of pedal movement. |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 11:45 am
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| Easiest way to protect the changer when you turn the guitar over is to put it in the case. If you need to pull rods out from the changer, you can rest the changer end on the edge of the case without resting it on the strings, at least with the guitars and cases I've had. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 12:02 pm
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Norm, You got more Email.
MSA D10 8/2
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