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Topic: Please help me fix my bridge! New player here :/ |
Anthony Del Grosso
From:
Utah, USA
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Posted 14 Dec 2023 9:03 pm |
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Just bought my first steel and it’s going great except that my 8th string (low e) wasn’t bending when I would hit the knee lever. The 4th string (high E) would but my 8th wouldn’t. The hex key on the right and the spring would move but not the bridge. I then noticed the bridge isn’t in the same line as the other bridges. I think when it shipped to me something happened and I have no idea how to get it back in line. I attached few photos, any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
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Anthony Del Grosso
From:
Utah, USA
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Posted 14 Dec 2023 9:05 pm
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Here is another photo of the pulls and the springs.
The springs move when I hit the knee lever but the note doesn’t change and the bridge doesn’t bend.
Thanks again! |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2023 12:11 am
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That looks like a MSA Classic Changer from the center support with 2 screws in center of changer shaft.
It looks like the Finger has jumped the lower lever in the changer. Or something else, Like the rivet broke.
Here is a picture of a MSA Classic fingers, Ready to be installed after cleaning.
Find something that can support the guitar upside down to access underneath guitar.
What I am calling finger is piece where the string hooks and rolls over. The Lower lever has the point just above the rivet.
Remove the lower return spring from the 8th string, With a light look down inside the changer at the 8 string, Finger and the lower lever. If the Lower return spring was removed, Or broke, With the string tension on the finger, It could have jumped the lower lever.
If the finger has jumped the lower lever, You may be able to roll the finger toward the key head enough to get the lower lever back to its proper place behind the bottom of the finger. And line up with the other fingers. IF YOU GET THE FINGER AND LEVER IN PROPER, REATTACH LOWER RETURN SPRING. (((In picture, The 2nd finger from the right is close to the way the finger and lower lever should align if they were on the changer shaft))).
If you want to talk about this problem, Send me a phone number I can call you, And a time to call Eastern standard time. Good Luck in this venture. |
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Chris Brooks
From:
Providence, Rhode Island
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Posted 15 Dec 2023 6:45 am
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| Anthony, the roller surfaces look pretty chewed up too. After you get String 8 working, you might want to think about replacing those. |
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Anthony Del Grosso
From:
Utah, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2023 7:52 am
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| Thank you so much I just shot you a PM and email! |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 16 Dec 2023 7:40 pm
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Oh my, lotta problems on that guitar! What Bobby described may be your main problem...but you have other problems too. The crowns (top surfaces) of the fingers are really tore up. This is usually caused by the guitar resting on the changer fingers when it's in the case. The body needs to be supported so that the changer doesn't touch anything in the case. But when the case gets worn, the end blocks in the case no longer properly support the guitar body, and the weight of the guitar rests on the changer when the case is laid down. (This is why the finger crowns are in such bad shape.) The fingers may need to be replaced, or carefully sanded so that they have a smooth crown, and the crown radius must be maintained! Even a slight flat spot or groove on top will cause serious string buzz.
Also, the guitar has been used for a long period with some of the strings overtuned. This caused wear in the stop-bar, which is the piece of flat aluminum with 2 screws at each end, and it will give you irregular tuning problems. Luckily, the stop bar can be removed and turned over (or around) if you loosen the strings and remove or unhook the lowering springs. This will give the fingers a nice, straight and even surface to come to rest on. (Make sure that when you do this fix, that none of the raise fingers are caught under the bar so that they can't move!) You may have to bow (bend) the bar slightly so that the raise fingers rest firmly on the edge of the bar, and can't slip under the bar.
Another problem is that the knee lever fold-stop (the small collar with a setscrew on one of the rods near the fingers) looks too close to the fingers. It needs to be at least 1/4" away from the fingers, or else it will possibly interfere with the fingers when they move, causing tuning problems and likely an increased pedal/lever effort required tom activate the change.
The good thing is that all the problems are fixable, and nothing seems broken in the pictures you posted. Just work on one issue at a time, and with good luck and a little work, you should be able to get her back in playing shape.  |
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Chris Brooks
From:
Providence, Rhode Island
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 6:12 am
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>Just bought my first steel
Anthony what kind of steel is it? MSA? |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 2:01 pm
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| Looks to be an MSA Classic D10 from the '70s. Those white "tidewood" finishes were popular when they first came out. |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2023 10:20 pm
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If you remove the Lower Return Springs, To work on the stop bar. Be sure to tag and mark the string number, On each spring.
Each spring has to be adjusted to that string. Sometimes they have to be shortened, And sometimes you have to spread the loops so it will operate the raises and lowers on that string. |
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Wayne Brown
From:
Bassano, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 19 Dec 2023 2:51 am steel guitar
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PM sent
thanks
wayne
_________________
Owner Out West Music,Seats,Parts and accessories
www.outwestcountry.ca |
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