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Topic: The Mystery Shim |
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 11:53 am |
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I bought a 2007 Carter a couple of weeks ago, and after playing it for a while I noticed this shim that the previous owner had put between one of the tuners and the key head. It looks like a guitar pick. I thought maybe the threads were messed up and he had to put the shim in there. But now I'm thinking that the owner thought the shafts of tuners number 5 and number 6 were too close together and he wanted to make string changing easier...? Anyway, the tuner works fine, and I'll know more when I change the strings and get rid of the shim. (I hate changing strings and I put it off as long as possible) 
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 12:44 pm
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| Could be a shim to keep the shafts ends from dragging on each other, They may have been afraid of the drag causing tuning problems. With the design of some key heads I have had to grind the key shaft some, So they would not drag on each other. |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 3:11 pm
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That could be a bread clip, Doug. Maybe the former owner enjoyed sandwiches while practicing. 
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 3:34 pm
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Yeah, more like a bread clip. I get peckish too.
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Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Doug Earnest
From:
Branson, MO USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 7:24 pm
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| A guitar pick would have made for a much more proper repair. |
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Ron Pruter
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 7:31 pm
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Seriously, I'll bet the tuner bushing wouldn't tighten all the way. It appears you have enough space between 5 and 6. Get rid of the plastic spacer.Find some metal washers and put them on just inside the hex nut. BTW, Sperzel doesn't use a 10mm wrench. I think it's 3/8". Ron
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 7:35 pm
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Either to get past worn threads, to maybe to leave a bit of space between that tuner and the one opposite, so a string would fit in between the tuners, making it easier to get one off when changing...
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Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Lee Rider
From:
Fort Bragg, California, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 7:38 pm
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| John McClung wrote: |
| That could be a bread clip, Doug. Maybe the former owner enjoyed sandwiches while practicing. |
Kwik Lok made in Yakima, WA! Used them many times as a guitar pick!
Lee Rider
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Dan Kelly
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 25 Mar 2024 2:28 am
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Doug... Change it to a black bread clip; Black ALWAYS sounds better!
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 25 Mar 2024 9:56 am
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Thinking more on the plastic shim.
1.The nut would not tighten the tuner, Till it was tight in the key head, (Key head thin for the tuner). If washer was put on inside key head would make the the 5th and 6th shafts hit each other, Causing problems.
2. If the new gear body has a lock pin on the back of the body, The pin is to long, Or the hole to shallow, When tightening the sleeve nut was cocking the key in the key head.
To find the real problem, Remove the string, Remove the key and check and measure till you find what caused the plastic spacer to be used for Jerry Riggin the tuner. |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 2:42 am
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| Doug: Bread crumbs notwithstanding, how do you like the Carter? |
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Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 4:32 am
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The E9 was called the groceries neck, maybe change it to the bread neck?
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 4:46 am
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I thought it was the "Kroger" neck.....
But "Bread" neck makes the point pretty well! |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 7:03 am
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It must be a regional thing, Dan: here in FL, it's the 'Publix neck'.
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 11:46 am
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| Dan Beller-McKenna wrote: |
| Doug: Bread crumbs notwithstanding, how do you like the Carter? |
Hi Dan, I really like the Carter. It has a very compact feel, lightweight, and accurate. The pedals and levers are very responsive and stay in tune well. The sound is a bit "brighter" than my Mullen. My only concern is those pesky "dog bones" that I've been reading about. If one of those breaks, that pedal or lever is dead in the water. So I'm not sure I would trust this on a gig.
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 1:16 pm
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Just take it off! 
And if a problem reveals itself afterwards, try to address it a little more permanently and professionally than the previous owner did.  |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 2:02 pm
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| I would not worry about those dog bones, Doug. Sure, they could go at the worst time, but I have played the Carter I picked up three years ago and dozens of gigs and never give it a moments thought. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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chuck lemasters
From:
Jacksonburg, WV
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 6:39 pm
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| I picked up a few dog bones from PSG parts for a recently purchased Carter. If one does go on a gig, it would be easily replaced on a break….OK, some of them are not so easily replaced, but most are…. |
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Bruce Derr
From:
Lee, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2024 8:33 pm
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If you put a drop of oil on each dog bone every so often (maybe every string change), you shouldn't have any problem with them breaking.
I have two Carters and have played them a lot, and have never broken a dog bone. But I have had two or three pull rod hooks break. It always happened during rerodding, never on a gig. Whatever stainless alloy they used was apparently a little too brittle to handle the tight radius of the hook. I don't remember anyone else ever posting about that problem, so I guess it isn't a common issue. |
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Landon Johnson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2024 12:42 pm I may have a thought...
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When I ordered new tuners from Sperzel several years ago I had to order a special set for 5 and 6 that were a little different from the rest. And I think it was for a Carter.... not sure.
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John Sims
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
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Posted 11 Apr 2024 5:34 pm
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Doug, Outwest country has dog bones for a great price...
https://www.outwestcountry.ca/product/rod-puller-pull-pin-dog-bone/606?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=48
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Regards,
John
Steelin' is a way of life!
1997 Carter U-12 Double Body-Natural Birdseye Maple-8p/5k, Peavey Nashville 1000 Amp, Goodrich L10K Vol. Pedal, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss CE-5 Chorus, Behringer UMC-204HD Audio Interface, AKAI MPK Mini MK3 Professional Midi Keyboard/Controller, Gretsch Bobtail Resonator, Fender Banjo, Rondo SX Lap Steel (C6), DIY Lap Steel (Open D), a few Mojo Hand Cigar Box Guitars (MojoHandGuitars.com). |
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