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Topic: New GFI steel guitar - help needed |
Arrigo Martelli
From:
Italy
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Posted 2 Jan 2020 12:39 pm |
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Hello everybody, I’m new to the forum. My name’s Arrigo Martelli, and I’m a guitarist from Italy. I recently decided to take up steel guitar again after many years (I played steel years ago but then stopped for quite some time). Anyway, at the end of summertime I bought a new GFI Ultra SD10 steel guitar. I had to buy it online, since there are practically no guitar stores that sell decent steel guitars here in Italy. Like I said, guitar is new, standard E9 Emmons copedent.

The main issue I’m experiencing is that unlike the old steel I used to own and play (which was a rather obscure student model made in Germany I believe), I immediately found this guitar to be kind of hard to play (stiff pedal action). Initially I thought it was a matter of time and of getting familiar with the new instrument, but after 4 months I'm starting to have some doubts...
To put it simply, after 15-30 minutes of playing I’m basically worn out, to the point where the left leg (the calf muscle) and the left foot get so tense and beaten up that I need to rest. To give you an idea, it kind of feels like driving a car with a very heavy clutch pedal. This honestly never happened to me with other steels I’ve tried so far.

 I’ve tried all possible seated positions, closer to the instrument, farther from it, more on the right side, more central… I’ve also tried different pedal height settings, no real difference in how it feels to play the instrument. Furthermore, I already moved up the rods in the bellcrank holes closer to the body of the guitar, to make the pedals softer as much as I could without increasing the pedal travel.

Are GFI steel generally stiffer to play compared to other brands? I bought the guitar new and would imagine it is set up from the factory to deliver a smooth playing experience, but to me it feels like I’m fighting the instrument.
I find it hard to believe that a new instrument should need to be inspected and/or serviced, but do you think it might be the case here? I actually noticed it’s started to squeak a bit when I use the A pedal and E raise lever together (the squeak seems to come from the changer).
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated, thank you! |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 2 Jan 2020 2:37 pm
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I have an older Franklin D-10 and a 2000 year GFI Ultra D-10 that I recently traded a GFI Expo for. I don't notice much difference.
It may be how you are sitting, height of whatever seat you are using.
According to the GFI documentation no lubrication is needed.
Have you contacted GFI to try and resolve your problems?
http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/index.html |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Jan 2020 4:20 pm
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| Are all the pedals like that? Or, just a couple? Do the raises and lowers feel about the same? What about the knee levers? |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2020 4:21 pm New GFI steel guitar- help needed
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GFI builds ULTRA, EXPO, EXPO X1 and Student Model. Which model do you have? It would help us understand the problem better.
I would suggest you send GFI an E-Mail, They have been good at answering quickly on any question I have sent them.
Good Luck and Happy Steelin. |
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Norbert Dengler
From:
germany
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Posted 3 Jan 2020 1:37 pm
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A well set up GFI plays as easy as it gets.
call Bob at GFI, he`s a great guy and will help you. |
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Arrigo Martelli
From:
Italy
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Posted 3 Jan 2020 2:07 pm
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Are all the pedals like that? Or, just a couple? Do the raises and lowers feel about the same? What about the knee levers? |
When I bought it (new), the C pedal was, by all means, the easiest to engage. A and B felt definitely stiffer by comparison. I managed to make the A pedal a bit softer by moving the pull rods in the bellcrank holes closer to the body of the guitar. I couldn't do much with the B pedal though: the 6th string pull rod was already on the #1 hole (closest to the body), and moving up a hole for the 3rd string would then require me to tighten the 3rd string nylon nut to the point where there was no slack in the linkage.

Still, even with a softer A pedal, a 20-30 minute playing session still wears me out. The knee levers seem fine, they're not overly easy to engage, mind you, but I don't seem to bothered much by that.
My feeling is that I'm either not cut out for playing steel, this steel is too stiff for me, or maybe it needs some attention. Again, I clearly remember my old steel to be light as a feather in terms of pedal action
Anyway, I contacted the customer support, hopefully they'll help me out. Thanks for anyone who chimed in with some recommendations. |
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Dan Behringer
From:
Jerseyville, Illinois
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Posted 3 Jan 2020 9:27 pm
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On that 3rd string, you should be able to loosen the allen screw clamp at the bell crank and move the pull rod out to get the slack you need. If you can’t GFI could send you a longer pull rod.
I’ve been playing an Ultra for 6 years now. When I first got it I was having the same issues as you plus a stiff RKR lever. After a little tweeking I’ve been a happy with the guitar and it has worked flawlessly. |
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Arrigo Martelli
From:
Italy
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Posted 4 Jan 2020 12:59 am
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| Dan Behringer wrote: |
| On that 3rd string, you should be able to loosen the allen screw clamp at the bell crank and move the pull rod out to get the slack you need. If you can’t GFI could send you a longer pull rod. |
Yes, I can get more slack, but then I would have to increase the pedal travel too otherwise the string wouldn't reach the target note when I press the pedal. That's why I couldn't improve the situation much on the B pedal.
| Dan Behringer wrote: |
| I’ve been playing an Ultra for 6 years now. When I first got it I was having the same issues as you plus a stiff RKR lever. After a little tweeking I’ve been a happy with the guitar and it has worked flawlessly. |
Thanks, I really hope so too! |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2020 9:48 pm New GFI steel guitar - help needed
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Since you posted the rodding, Now I understand what your trouble with the B Pedal.
Hope I can help you.
I have 2 GFI steels set up this way, Do 4 hr. gigs and no problem.
My rodding chart shows the following rodding.
First number, Hole down from cabinet on Changer Finger/Second number Bell Crank hole down from Shaft.
A pedal 5th String 3/3, 10th String 1/4.
B pedal 3rd String 3/3, 6th String 2/2.
C pedal 4th String 2/4, 5th String 2/2
These location will allow more leverage and easier pedaling. But may require stop adjustment. And may require Pedal Height adjustment also.
I hope you understand this, Being in English.
Good Luck in getting your steel operating proper and Happy Steelin. |
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Gary Chiappetta
From:
San Bruno, California, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2020 6:50 pm Stiff Pedal Action
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I had a similar problem with my Ultra S10 and this is what I found. If you look carefully at the linkage where the rod that comes from the changer mechanism attaches to the bell-crank you will see that there is a pin with a set-screw that secures it to the cross rod. On my instrument a couple of these pins became worn and actually had a groove worn in them that prevented them from freely rotating in the bell-crank. I am sending a picture. They are easy to replace and the GFI company sent me some replacements.
The pin on the left is deformed, has a flat spot worn in it. The one on the right is a new one that I made in my machine shop. |
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Dan Behringer
From:
Jerseyville, Illinois
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Posted 6 Jan 2020 5:58 am
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Hey Gary, I’m curious on what you made that ferrule out of and how well it holds up over the long term?
I know there’s a whole science on the coefficient of friction between materials. It seems that GFI’s selection of having stainless steel rubbing on brass wasn’t the best idea. However, I consider the problem to be minor and it’s an easy fix. |
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Gary Chiappetta
From:
San Bruno, California, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2020 6:21 am GFI Ferrule
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I made some out of titanium. They should last for a while  |
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Dan Behringer
From:
Jerseyville, Illinois
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Posted 6 Jan 2020 6:51 am
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| Wow… I wasn’t expecting that answer! It sounds like you won’t have to change your ferrules ever again. COOL! |
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