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Topic: Excel 12 String Keyless With E9/C6 Lock Lever Review |
John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 3 Mar 2017 9:51 am |
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| I'd like to see a photo of the underside ! Thanks ! |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 3 Mar 2017 12:03 pm
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 Thanks ! Looks awsome ! How much ??? |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2017 12:20 pm
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| I bought it used! It's cheaper that way. I understand it goes for about $4750 new. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2017 9:02 am
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A short demo to answer Jim's question above. This is guitar is played just like a D-12! In the sound demo file below I played some stuff with the lock lever in C6 mode finishing with a C chord using the E to F knee lever. In real time I switched the lock lever over to E9th and played using the E9th copedant. No re-tuning of anything, open strings, pedals or otherwise.
http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Excel%2012%20String%20Keyless/40.mp3 |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2017 10:51 pm
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Putting some more spare parts to work. Added the E9th 10th string B to A change for a nice bottom end on the 6/9 chord played with RKR and P2!
For clarity it might be more accurate to show only pedals 1 - 4 for E9th (P4 does have a nice G# to B change for traditional country music) and block out pedals 5 -8 (active but not used). Similarly for C6th, pedals 4 - 8 are used and pedal 1 -3 (active but not used) on C6. LKL and LKR also do not apply to C6 although they are still active.
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2017 5:33 am
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Getting ready to add another knee lever and I discovered that with all the spare parts Mitsuo sent me for two knee lever kits I can Almost make up 3 knee lever kits! Below are pics of a complete knee lever assembly and spare parts minus one part, the block that holds them all together. I gave the block to a tool maker friend and a day later I have two blocks! They are both metric threaded and have identical angles and curves.
Click on pics for larger views.
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2017 8:01 pm
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Still hacking away! Added another C6 Knee lever, C6LKR for the C to C# change. This knee lever has a rod puller that moounts under the cross shaft and pulls from the row of changer finger holes between the cross shaft and guitar body. The rod puller had to be cut down to gain clearance!
Copedant is now:
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2017 8:15 am
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Grrrrrrr.. trying to thread pull rods..........
Rods seem to 2.5mm diameter with a 2.45 x 0.45 die so I ordered the die and I have .097" rods available. Seems like a 3/56 die would work just as well.
This is a crazy hobby! |
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Clyde Lane
From:
Glasgow, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2017 9:01 am
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Greg what is the tuning procedure? With that many pulls I think it would drive me crazy.
_________________
Clyde Lane |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2017 9:33 am
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Clyde, tune E9th open, tune E9th pedals/knees, flip lock lever, tune C6 open, tune C6 pedals levers.
I too wondered if tuning would be a disaster! I timed myself at 25 minutes for a complete tune up as above. Normally I just tune up the E9th open tuning and everything else holds real well. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2017 5:06 am
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Added the Eb to E on the 8th pedal for E9th. Was going to add another puller and put it on RKL but it works great on pedal 8
Copedant is now:
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2017 6:19 pm
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Found a way to add another vertical knee lever. The existing C6 vertical knee lever sits to the upper left extending just beyond the right of C6LKL. I have just enough room to add C6KVR extending just to the left of C6LKR. It will be a short tab lever and use the top rows of changer holes which require very little movement. Haven't finalized a change for that one but C6KVL now lowers G string 7 to F and raises C string 12 to D.
This is a nice change for chords and another pockets of single string notes. The copedant in the previous post reflects these changes. I was able to thread more pull rods with a metric 2.50mm x 0.45mm die and .0975 drill rods. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2017 2:16 pm
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Finally done! Got a stubby half vertical, half horizontal knee lever designated as C6KVR installed. It raises string 8 a half tone from E to F. It's situated such that I can actuate it and the other vertical knee lever independently of each other or actually together at the same time with any floor pedal. It's also high enough that my left knee can actuate C6LKR without hitting the new vertical knee lever. Someone gave me a Dremel tool with all the fixings and with a few parts made for me in the tool room I was able to get everything working smoothly and in tune.
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bob drawbaugh
From:
scottsboro, al. usa
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Posted 18 Mar 2017 11:41 am
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Greg, I listen to all the sound files of the Williams and the Excel. I would be hard pressed to pick one.I played both guitars at the Dallas show and they were both top notch. The williams people were great and answered all my questions. The Excel people, not so much. They didn't under stand a word I said.  But, Steve was helping in the both and had his two Excels on hand. He answered all my questions and was very helpful. They had a 12 string just like yours in the both and it was tricked out. I see why you like it so much. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2017 12:04 pm
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| I saw that photo of Doug Jernigan sitting behind a D-10 Excel Keyless! Pretty sharp. If you want a cost effective lacquer guitar you would want to go with the Williams. If I go to a D-12 it will be a Williams keyless, burnt orange, 8 + 9 . |
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bob drawbaugh
From:
scottsboro, al. usa
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Posted 19 Mar 2017 11:37 am
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| I can't say if Doug liked the Excel or not. But I was near the Booth as he was playing and from what I heard it sound great. |
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Dan Kimpel
From:
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2017 12:18 pm
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| I am so jealous of this guitar. These look so neat. I've got a d12, and it's a pain to move around. I am just learning the c6 neck but I know if I bought an s12 I'd eventually miss having the C6. If you ever consider selling this I would gladly take it off your hands. |
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Peter Roush
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 2 May 2022 8:24 am
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| Man, these Excel parts! Mitsuo has difficulty shipping right now and I especially need these Stop Collars. 6.5mm X 10mm. Hardware stock or furniture parts are just a bandaid. Do US manufacturers sell these? |
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Peter Roush
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 2 May 2022 12:33 pm
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Thank you Ian Worley for pointing me in this direction! So, ya'll can buy Barrel Stops (not stop collars thank you), at PSG Parts LLC/WildHorse Pedal Steel Guitars LLC
https://www.psgparts.com/checkoutpayment-submit.sc
My Excel S12 E9/C6 is playing great BTW having settled into the throttle collars but it'll be even better after that. This one needed more late night tweaking than I expected, but it was worth it. |
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