New MSA Legend tuning issue

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Newbie question. Can anyone give be someone ideas on how to get my RKL 6 string (G#-F#) tuned? I can’t get it to flatten for some reason , when the lever is engaged it’s still a little sharp and no ammount of tuning the nylon nut seems to work.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I think these guitars have split tuners at the end of the changer side of the neck.

Back out that screw that's relevant to that string.

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

I’ve backed that 3/32 screw out and it doesn’t do anything. If you screw it in, it sharpens the open note.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

OK, that sounds like it's working as intended.

Probably need to back off the screw in the stop for that lever a few turns to give it more travel. In doing that, you will have to re-tune any other changes you have on that lever.

With the split screw and stop adjustment you should be able to achieve your goal.

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Perfect. Thanks for the info. Trying now and will report back!

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Also, do you have any advice on best tuning method for these guitars? I have been using the Peterson SE9 for the open strings(tuning my Es with AB pedals down) and using the PE9 setting to tune the pedals. Tele player here trying to play steel and it seems pretty “in tune” To me.

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Looks like the stop screw is already all the way out. Any other suggestions?

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Should I try moving the rod up one notch in the bell crank?

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Sorry not too familiar with those preset tunings. Perhaps another player can offer some suggestions.

....So yes, try moving the rod up a notch to see it that gives you more travel.

What you have is a lack of travel. This should be an easily achievable change for this guitar.

Examine the geometry as you operate the lever to hopefully find what is preventing that amount of travel.

Edited to add: It might be best to just start over. Back off any nylons for that string to neutral at idle and double check the open note at the keyhead first then proceed.

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

I’ve tried everything at this point. It still will not lower a whole note. Stays a few cents sharp. I will keep looking it over.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Good luck sorting it out. Without putting my eyes and hands on it, I can't offer any other suggestions except make sure there are no obstructions in the changer stopping the changer finger.

Justin Emmert · From: Greensboro, NC

Jon Hancock · From: Texas, USA

Perfect Justin. Thanks.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Thinking on this, on my guitars the bell crank selection for that lower change is the one furthest away from the body or at least next to last.

If you say it's next to the body or the next one up, I don't believe that will net you enough travel.

Not all that familiar with the new MSA, but that's normal selection for all guitars I know of.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Did the guitar tune proper before?

Have you changed strings on the guitar?
If you did change strings.
Was the old 6th string solid?

Sounds like the guitar may have been set up with a solid 6th string.
If a wound 6th string was put on the guitar, The pull will have to be longer to make the 6th string raise or lower to a note.

The smaller the string the farther it must travel to raise or lower to tune a note. (On a wound string the core diameter is what raise or lower is based on).

That 6th plain or wound sting is why many steel players order several sets of strings at one time, So they don't have to fight tuning every string change.

Good Luck getting the guitar tuned.

Dale Rottacker · From: Walla Walla Washington, USA

I agree with what Bobby D Jones said ... The first MSA I bought came from Mitchell Smithy... Mitchell uses "Just Strings" strings and when I got it, it was perfect. BUT, when I changed brands of strings to NYXL's I couldn't get that 6th string to tune to the whole lower. So I just moved the rod on the bell crank and as was good after that.

The 6th string Mitchell used was plain as was the one I replaced it with but a different gauge. But if you happen to have a wound string there, you're gonna need more travel and that could be the issue.
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Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

As others have said- if you are using a wound 6th string that will require a substantially longer throw and, if you have raised the bellcrank position that the rod is in with no help, check and see if the 6th string raise finger is lifting off the stop plate as it lowers. If so move the lowering rod further away from the changer axle or reduce the lower return spring tension. You should be able to tell as you lower because it will achieve its maximum lower before the end of the throw and then simply not lower anymore.

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

According to those pictures the pullrod for the 6th string lower seems to be too close(from what I can see) to the cross-shaft, which means that your knee lever would need a loooong movement in order to do the full whole tone lower from G#-F#.

Temporarily unhook the 6th string lowering rod from the cross-shaft and manually pull on that rod to see how much movement/pull/travel is gonna be needed for the 6th string to lower G#-F#. That will again give you an indication where the rod needs to be positioned in which slot at the cross-shaft.

It also seems to be a pull on the 1st string as well there and that pull rod may also have to be moved in order to keep syncronization of pulls between those two strings.

Best of luck finding a fix for the issue.

B.Erlandsen
JCH D10 8+8

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

That picture is not of Jon's guitar. It's one I picked up off the forum somewhere. It's one I posted for illustration purposes.

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

Ooops, my bad. Should have seen that the picture was posted by another.

The method of checking how much the pullrod need to move should still work tho.

B.Erlandsen

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Check out Jim Palenscar's post about the raise knee lever pulling off the stop bar.

I check that FIRST when a string will not lower to proper note.
A MSA Classic guitar, With a heavy replacement lower return string. Taught me a lesson the hard way, I won't forget.

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

An over-zellous helper spring would cause this also; my guess is that it's a string gauge issue. RP
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