Steel Guitar Builder

It's looking good Bent, I'm still sanding away and figuring out the mechanics, I've got to figure out a 'feel stop' yet, but still enjoying it.

Ron Mc

Thanks Ron, Thanks Mike.
Ron are you sure you want a feel stop? Many, if not most builders are doing away with them. There is usually no problem feeling the extra detent against the finger once the second pull is activated

Bent -

There's a scenario where that "feel" of the second pull doesn't exist - where two strings are to be raised, say, a whole tone with both starting and stopping simultaneously. I have such a change on my Dekley. I'm working on a feel-stop such that I'm not dependent upon the tension of another string to tell me where the half-stop is located. On an E 9th tuning, for example, one gets accustomed to the 1/2 "A" pedal either by itself or in conjunction with the "B" pedal. One's leg remains in essentially the same position so "muscle memory" is not compromised. If, for example, one wanted to activate the LKL or LKR in conjunction with the 1/2 "A" pedal, then your left leg is pulled out of its' normal position, making the 1/2 position on the "A" pedal a little more dicey. Perhaps a little nit-picky, I know, but nonetheless true and I acknowledge that thousands of players have essentially mastered the technique. In my case, both strings are pulled simultaneously and it sure would be nice to have a "positive" stop to indicate the halfway point.

An argument can be made for a "positive" half-stop in all cases. This instrument is difficult enough to play - as is - without one's mind being distracted with perceiving whether the pitch of a 1/2 pedal is on the money or wherever while nested in the middle of a couple of other tones. I fully understand that, as a builder, such mechanical stops only increase the complexity and cost of building the instrument. However, any aid to the player is a most welcome addition.

Georg Sørtun has turned me onto a positive half-stop crafted by a German builder. I must agree with Georg that the deterrent is the massive size of that builder's design. I just may have a much simpler - and much smaller - version that I think will work quite well. I have to beat it to death so as to see if my version is viable. If I succeed then I'll buy you a case of your favorite beer. If I fail, then it would have been well worth the effort and I'll just start looking for another method. I'm sold on the mechanical half-stop.

Richard

Happy birthday Bent,

remember, it's not the years that tell, it's the damn mileage!

Have a good day, Best Regards

Ron Mc

Richard - halfstop on a pedal? wow. I don't know of course, and I am not saying it will not work. And I agree we need all the help we can get.
I am not set against them, I merely quoted what my research has shown me about builders abandoning them and also my own experience. I am talking about the 2nd and 9th strings half stop. Yes, the European one seems a bit clunky..I take it you are talking about the WBS.
I DO WANT to see what you have come up with send me sketches man. I'm open to any new ideas as you know! If you have it down on paper I will even make you a prototype!
At the same time as I read your message, a thought flew into my head...How about something like the closer on your screen door?
Keep those grey cells churnin', buddy!

maxi19 wrote:Happy birthday Bent,

remember, it's not the years that tell, it's the damn mileage!

Have a good day, Best Regards

Ron Mc

Ron, now that came from the heart..I thank you for remembering. Yep, I'm a groundhog!
Another year older..Long as I can get up in the morning and do my thing in the shop I feel like 36, not 66!

Maybe a small spring plunger, in one form or another, will work as half-stop.

Here's the finished cabinet. Two coats of the sealer, rubbed down to likely one coat. Then 6 coats of the usual instrument lacquer.

Say guys...there has to be some among you who are better photographers than me. The pic does not display the true result as to gloss, sharpness etc. What can I do different to achieve better results? I.E. angles? different lighting? backdrop?. Any sound advice would be greatly appreciated.
What I did was: I used 2 cameras to take 6 pics: A Nikon Coolpix and a Nikon D70S SLR with Nikon flash unit. This pic is from the SLR. Sized to 800X600 in Photoshop.
This was the best pic(in my opinion) of all 6!

Georg, yes, I had followed that thread and forgot...thx for reminding me. Looks simple and uncomplicated.

Try using multiple light-sources at 30 to 45 degree angle relative to the object-camera line, and no flash.