Increase spring tension for stiffer half stop?

Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

Hi, this is part B of my "get to know how my PSG works" mission, part A being in the "6th string whole tone lower" thread: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=353036

After some tweaks, my guitar (Fessenden) is now set up as follows:

RKR:
Str 2: D#>D>C#
Str 9: D>C#

RKL:
Str 1: F#>G>G#
Str 2: D#>E
Str 7: F#>G>G#

I understand that the half stop feel is accomplished on RKR when the 9th string change kicks in. And similarly on RKL when the 2nd string change kicks in.

The timing and pitch of all these changes is fine for now. However, at least to my knees, the feel of both of these is really soft, and easy to overshoot. I'd like a firmer half stop feel, especially on RKL, as I use that G a fair bit.

So, starting with that change, my inclination is to tighten the spring on the 2nd string. But that is going to make all movement on that string stiffer, right? (the spring affects both raises and lowers, correct?)

And would that mean I'd have to REALLY tighten down the spring on string 9, to maintain a half stop feel on RKR? I just don't want to end up chasing my tail too much. Also, I don't know if there are unintended consequences of tightening the spring that I should be aware of. I certainly don't want to make something worse, accidentally.

I've looked through a bunch of threads on this topic, and I see that a lot of people will probably tell me to consider a mechanical after-market half stop. At least for now, I'm not interested in that. I'm just looking to max out the performance of what I have.

Any thoughts you have on this would be appreciated!

I guess maybe the easiest question to answer is - can I screw anything up significantly (timing and pitch-wise) by adjusting the spring tensions? Or should I feel free to experiment?

Ross Shafer · From: Petaluma, California

For your RKR, you'll want to tighten the return spring on the 9th string and keep the 2nd string lower return spring at the minimum tension required to fully return from its lower and not allow any lower finger movement when you raise that string.

tightening the second string lower return spring for your RKL will not have any effect on the raise and will hamper the feel stop on your RKR. I think some sort of mechanical half feel will be needed for a firmer feel stop in this case

Unless something wacky is going on, the lower return springs have no effect on raises other than keeping the lower finger in place while making raises. They do not add any tension to the raise. If loosened they do not take any tension away from the raise either.

If you have a raise helper spring on the second string, you could remove it and it might help your RKL half feel a tiny bit, but probably not enough to be very noticeable.

In regards to your final question...you should be able to adjust the springs to your heart's content without any adverse effects on timing or pitch. As long as the lower return springs remain tight enough for full lower returns and no lower finger movement on the raises.

disclaimer: I am not an expert on Fessenden steels, nor have I played one on TV.

Lastly, why not call Jerry? In general whoever made the instrument in question is always your best bet for technical questions....given the builder is still around and willing to take calls regarding questions on their instrument.

richard burton · From: Britain

I have not seen a Fessenden changer, but if it is similar to Shobud, overtightening the lower return spring can cause the finger to pivot on the lowering nylon tuner.

I agree with Ross, if there's a helper spring on the second string, remove it to get more tension on the raise, but other than that, an additional 'widget' may be necessary to give some extra resistance for the feel stop.

If your Fessenden is a D10, maybe use a raise on the C6 neck to add resistance ?

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