pull/release problem

[mac639]

Hi folks! I haven't been on here for quite some time although I've been reading the posts pretty regularly. Boy, there are surely some beautiful instruments being made by folks on here in recent times. Here's my problem...
I've been building a 10 string keyless double changer guitar. Well, it started out as a double changer one with the lowers as part of the keyless mechanism. The keyless mechanism works great but I've never been able to get the lowering part to work right....dick'd around with it for days, finally gave up and now it's a pull/release guitar. Problem is with the Zane King E6/9 tuning I need to drop the B string(s) to Bb with the RKL and also down to A with Pedal 5. Now with the spring holding the string to the normal B I haven't come up with any solution where the rod that's holding the lowering to Bb could get out of the way to lower the finger to A with Pedal 5.
Any ideas would be most welcome.......thanks in advance
Cheers,
Mac

[Rick Dillon]

Hey Mac, Is there any way to bend the rod, and back around to reach the other end. I have seen pull rods done that way. Rick

[burt]

Mac,
Pull-release mechanisms usually only have two rods per changer finger, one for raises and one for lowers.

These rods can pass through as many bellcranks as is practicable, just like the raises on a push-pull.

Thus, the rod that does the lowering is held by a spring against a suitable hard stop (to hold the finger in the open tuning position) and can be activated by one or more levers/pedals, the travel of the levers/pedals determining if the drop is a semitone or a tone.

Diagrams etc here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=508

[mac639]

Burt... I know what you mean by passing through the bellcranks. That won't work on this guitar as the rods are fixed to the bellcranks as usual but there's not the opportunity to incorporate another pedal/lever to another one. The additional problem is that pedal 5 also drops the 6th string as well as the 5th. So if you somehow hook the LKL to pedal 5 you'll also affect string 6 as well. I have thought of a solution though......make an intermediate crosspiece swivel piece rotating on the center. Have the 2 pedals pull individually on one end and the other end can go to the finger, and the spring would be on that end as well. I may not do it anyway.......maybe I won't care about the Bb on that string LOL
Take care....and thanks
Mac