Pull/release question

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Iâ€™ve seen a few pull /release guitars that have a window in the changer endplate with nylon tuning nuts, and the older style without the window and with finger stop screws on the changer mount or housing.

Are there pros and cons regarding tone, playability, stability, and difficulty of setup?

Thanks
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

With the original windowless kind the raises stop when the finger hits the inside of the body cutout. This makes for stable tuning and great sound, but a slightly spongy feel. If you have pedal stops and nuts you'll have a more positive and modern feel. I've never played that kind so I can't say whether the sound suffers at all, but I have to wonder.
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Andrew Goulet · Posted 5 Jun 2021 3:54 pm

I've never played the windowless kind, but my Marlen has clear highs without shrillness and crisp lows that aren't muddy.
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Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

There you go Smile

I suppose what's changed is that pull-release was once the only method whereas now it's a cost-cutting measure for student guitars. Because the world is now all-pull, it needs to present like one. The original back-to-front tuning method might be too much for the younger generation!
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Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

For older guitars without a window you can only tune the highest and lowest notes from the top. This is fine for strings with only a raise or a lower. On any string with both a raise and lower the intermediate open note would have to be fine-tuned underneath the guitar (except for PPs of course).

With an end plate window the open note can be tuned with a nylon nut on the lower rod. Many newer P-R guitars tune the raises with a nut too, so they're not reliant on pulling the fingers tight against the "body stop" for the raised note. It's slightly more complicated mechanically, but easier for the average Joe to understand the tuning process. For strings with both a raise and lower, the raise rods still require extra slack so the potential for "sponginess" is the same either way. Levers and pedals on raise-only or lower-only strings can be set to feel solid as a rock.
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Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Hi Dave,
Just a thought. Posting a photo of it may be a big help.
I only have a little experience with pull release, but there are quite a few guys here on the forum who know a lot about the best ways to set them up.

Bet you are still thrilled with the new Sierra? Wonderful work that Ross is doing. Very Happy

All I got was the Sierra baseball cap! Whoa!

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2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Ian, thanks for explaining in more detail than I could muster Smile

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Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

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

From the ones I've played, I don't think it affects the tone much, if any at all. I would think the changer mass, changer axle size, and the way the changer is mounted has more effect on the tone or sustain than a hole in the endplate. I don't credit the endplates for much of the sound, but there are some that do.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

It isn't the endplate hole as such. With the newer style the finger is held in its raised position by the pedal stop via a crank, a rod and a nut, rather than directly on the body. Could possibly make a difference, but as you say it's finger mass that contributes most to the tone.
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