My prototype...rebuilt once again!

[mac639]

What makes instrument building so addictive is that you never know what an instrument is going to sound like until you can actually play it. Awhile ago I mentioned somewhere on here that I was going to rebuild my prototype into something more useable....and keep it simple. Well I did, made just a pull-release guitar out of it, kept the keyless tuner head, only got one knee on it yet, (E-Eb) but I can't believe how it plays and sounds. Please can I brag just a tiny bit?
After 15 guitars built with all sorts of changers, do-dads here and there, different woods etc. this is my best effort by a wide margin (to my ears and hands anyway). Amazing sustain, short and precise pedal throw, virtually no cabinet drop at all, stays in tune, easy to adjust if needed......and simple!!
There's been a bunch of stuff on the SGF about pull-release lately. I know it's limitations, but for simplicity (how many times do you really need splits)
and the fact that there's more "slop" in the changer, damn, these things still sound the best to me. I'm attaching a couple of pics. I'm taking this into the studio Monday next to do some stuff for a fellow I play with often. It'll be just fills etc. but I imagine it'll be on YouTube fairly soon. I've still got to play around with trying to record some just by myself, hopefully I can get some done in the next few weeks.
Anyway....I was so excited with this instrument, I just had to put something up here. Thanks for putting up with me!
Mac

[Pat Comeau]

Mac, that's a real neath simple guitar you've build there, sometimes the simpliest the design is the better it is .

way to go Mac

Mac can you send me or post some info on your pull realese changer?...thanks....................Pat C.

[Allan]

Beautiful! Simple is best, always. I have to echo Pats request for some details on that pull-release system. Pretty please! I didn't know about pull-release till Burt mentioned it on one of my earlier threads on here. I think I am hooked now for sure. Ah, just a thought - Mac, your book, is the changer type in there a pull-release by any chance?

Best regards, Allan.....

[Bent]

Mac, brag all you want, but in detail please!
Hardly no cab drop, sweet tone easy pedals what more do you want??
I love your "Blanton type" bell cranks.
Great work Mac!

[azureskys]

i like it , wish you had more info about it on here. Russ

[mac639]

Thanks for all the comments guys!
Here's a bit more info

If you're wondering about return springs, they have to be on the crossrod of the strings that are lowered (they can be raised as well).

[Steve W]

Just to throw in some ideas or concerns about pull release for future projects.

Cross rods that are mounted away from the underside of the body are a good idea, and the farther the better. Then use a puller like an emmons push-pull puller. That way you can either get a lower or a raise from the same puller. The rotating brass part on an emmons works well because it limits binding inside the puller which you can get if you have more of a sho bud fingertip type puller. But that sho bud type has the benifit of multiple holes which can really help balancing your pull. Which makes me think that sho bud two hole pullers are a nice option.

There are some limitations of having the pull rod affixed to the puller. If you have a E raise lever the rod of the E lower may bind in the changer finger when it can't move forward while attached to the E lower. If the pull rod goes through the changer finger and then has a tuning nut or a collar behind it, that rod can move forward with the E raise. This can also help with the C pedal and the E raise. BTW if you thread the rod just behind the puller you can an a curled nut there and tune that way. It's not that hard to get used to finding those under the guitar without looking.

You can hold notes in the neutral position by having springs on the rod itself but you can also have them on the puller. I find having the spring attach to the end of a threaded rod that can be adjusted by a nut of some sort, is very helpful to get just the right amount of tension.

A good guitar to check out is a late 60's Marlen pull release with three knees.

The pull release system is easy, but there are a number of ways to do things and to make a really good design, it helps to know all of them and then pick and choose. For example you may not need pedal stops. You can have the finger hit the body as the pedal stop. Lowers and raises can be tuned on knee lever stops.

I guess I'm rambling a bit but I thought it might help someone that is thinking of trying that system. It can do much more than you think but you can't think like an all pull.

I have three pull release guitars and they all can do the normal 3 pedals and 3 knees and that is without a cut out in the changer.

Steve.

[mac639]

Thanks Steve for the comments. Yeah, I was thinking about the Emmons push-pull type bellcrank idea but liked my Blanton type bellcrank idea better. Ya' know, you folks in the US see a lot more guitars than we do around here. Back in the 60's when I built my first one, the only pedal steel I'd seen was the ShoBud permanent that my steel player had. I pretty much copied that one except for the parts that I couldn't make with a scroll saw and a file. Couldn't have been that bad as I played it for over 30 years all over the place. To date I've only seen a Fesseden, a cable Fender, an old MSA and a really old Fulawaka. Before the Internet came along I had little idea what other builders were up to. It's funny though that for the most part everybody built pretty much the same. I like my double changer guitars but it's a lot more work to make, even the all pull changers require a lot of fussy rivets and things. To me if you want a simple guitar that'll do most everything...and maybe make a dollar or two selling it, and without investing huge sums of money in fancy machine shop equipment, pull-release is the way to go. It's too bad that for the most part folks don't like keyless guitars. This is the first one I've built, and I'm sure the keyless head contributes to the great sustain etc. I still hate the looks of them though. I've half a mind to put tuners on the end that would do nothing, just sit there.
Anyway, this is a fun place to talk about experimenting with different ideas where others who are also interested in this specialized instrument can express their thoughts.
Mac

[Pat Comeau]

Thanks Steve and Mac...really good informations there about pull release changer and such.

[burt]

Having the cross-shafts away from the body (to facilitate opposing bell-cranks) is a convenient way to activate the lowers.

On my steels, however, I always modify them to make sure that the pivot on my RKR lever is as close to the body as possible, as this gives me a better leverage when my foot is on the volume pedal.