2nd string D# to C# travel ( Problem fixed )

[Pat Comeau]

Hi guy's,
i've finaly finished my #3 build and the guitar looks great sounds wonderfull with lots of sustain and hardly any cabinet drop i was really surprised about a 1 percent or 2 cabinet drop and it's hardly noticable , the action on pedals and levers are really smooth , but i'm having a small problem with the 2nd string lowering to C# that i find the travel is a little to long on the throw the feel is ok but the travel is a little to long for my taste...and if i try to shorthen the travel with changing the rod in another hole in the changer or the bellcrank...it gets alittle to stiff compared to the other knee levers, i've try adjusting the spring but it doesn't help much cause if i slack the spring to much on the 2nd string it will move away from the stop plate when i raise it to E, as any of you have or had the same problem with the 2nd string and is this normal on the second string ?, i can live with it but that guitar is already sold and i'm trying to figure a way to make that knee lever work smoother and easyer, like i said it's not a big deal but i'm a perfectionist and if i can improve the problem it would be nice.

ps... will post some pictures of the finished PSG soon.

thanks
Pat C.

[burt]

If you put a helper spring on the raise (like on a shobud) this will lessen the tension that the top part of the finger exerts on the rest of the finger, and therefore you can decrease the tension of the lower retaining spring accordingly.

The helper spring cannot be too strong, as it must allow the finger to lower a full tone.

There's an animation of the shobud type finger here:
http://www.steelguitar.com/steelmap/maptop/charivup.htm

I don't know if this is the type of finger that you have made, if so, attach a helper spring onto the topmost section of the finger

[Pat Comeau]

Hi Richard,

where would i attached the spring?...my changer is not the same has that sho-bud one you're mentionning .

thanks
Pat C.

[burt]

Extend the top piece down so that a spring can be attached (arrowed)

I realise that this is impractical on a finished steel, but maybe do it on the next one.
Also, change the bottom part of the finger so that a longer lower return spring can be used (at least twice as long). Longer springs allow an easier action on a long throw, as the progressive tension in the spring is a much lowewr percentage than a short spring.

[12string]

Will that point be below the deck though????????

Stuart

[burt]

No, that's why I said to extend it, just like on a shobud

[JOHN COOP]

Pat...you need to move the pivot point on the lower bar downward towards the raise holes...1/8 to .188 would make a big difference in the travel and tension as it would give you more geomentry on the lower...it's all about the geometry on these things...Coop

[Pat Comeau]

Thanks guy's for the informations, i have fixed the problem by changing the roller bearing position on the knee lever bracket ...as you can see on the picture below.