Help with B pedal pull rods?

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Please bear with me and don't get too technical with your responses -- total rookie here.

My B pedal raises 3 and 6 a half-step. When I start to push the pedal, the 3 goes a quarter-step sharp as the pull rod immediately starts to activate its changer. The 6 changer doesn't move at all. The pedal does sort of a "soft" stop as the 6 changer engages, and then both strings go to correct pitch as I push the pedal all the way down. Simply put, the 3 starts to raise slightly before the 6 does, and I can hear it if I push the pedal slowly. Is this normal? The other pedals don't do this.

I theorize that one of the pull rods needs to go into a different hole on its bell crank. But which rod, and which hole? There are 6 vertical holes in a line on each bell crank. The 3 pull rod is in the 2nd hole from the lowest, and the 6 is in the 4th hole from the lowest.

This is what the bell cranks look like, although these aren't the specific ones I'm asking about:

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

If you can, move the 3rd string farther out from the shaft. Or the 6th string closer in.
If you move the 3rd string farther out, it will pull faster, so it will start later. This will make the pull a little stiffer.
If you adjust the 6th string, it will start sooner, and the pedal will be softer.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Looking at the bellcrank clearly pictured, the holes higher on the screen are closer to the shaft, and the ones lower on the screen are farther out.
Do you think you can pull a rod out of the bellcrank and put it in another hole?
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

James Wolf · From: Georgia

Just out of curiosity.... Did you change from a wound sixth string to a plain one?

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Thanks, Lane -- that's what I needed to know! Yes, I can move it to another hole; I'll try this afternoon.

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Wound 6th will need a lot of travel. I'd move 6 farther out.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

You can change things at the changer, but that's more of a pain, so I always try the bellcrank first.
It's a simple lever; moving farther out makes the rod move more, but offer more resistance.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Lane, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. My primary concern is that I don't screw anything up, but the rod & bell cranks seem to be a simple enough mechanism. I'll fool with it later this afternoon and hopefully post my good results!

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Tom, a good thing to do is always make a chart of the way things are set up on your guitar before you experiment, so you can always go back to where you started. Nothing you can really "screw up", just get a bit out of adjustment. As you go you'll learn more about leverages, string tension, and how they affect your particular guitar.
What I mean by a chart, for example: decide how to number the holes on the bell cranks (pieces on the axles under the guitar that accept the rod ends). I number them from the axle up (as the guitar is upside down to work on), so in the case of your photo, I see what looks like 6 holes in a row.
Then do the same on the changer end, I would guess you have a three raise, two lower changer, where the three holes toward the top (with guitar set up as for playing) are raises, and the two holes below that are lowers. I number those from the top down, 1-5
So I make a chart for each string and pull, for example:
String 1 F#-G# 5-2 Meaning the knee lever or pedal that raises string 1 a whole step uses the 5th hole from the axle for the pull rod, going through the 2nd whole from the top of the changer.
Just takes a few minutes to chart out all the changes as they are on your guitar. Then if you change something, and say, it doesn't pull far enough, you can compare where you are to where it was and start to figure out what needs to be done to get it where you want.
Like everything else steel, it gets easier! Best of luck.
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Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Thanks, Mark -- making a chart is a great idea!

W. Van Horn · From: Houston, texas

Here is a good resource for making a chart. I also suggest taking photos, especially if you move bell cranks in the future for any reason.
https://www.steelguitar.com/rodding.html

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

Thanks, Will. I've taken before & after pictures of everything I've done so far.
I moved both the 6 and the 3 pull rods, but ended up going back to the original set-up, because I didn't like the way the changes I made affected the pedal feel.

For the moment, I think I'm better off concentrating on the basics of playing this thing before I start messing with the mechanics of it.

And for whatever it's worth, I was mistaken. The 6 is unwound, after all.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Many people don't mind untimed pulls, or mistimed ones.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Tom Watterson · From: Texas, USA

When i push the pedal with authority, the mistiming is undetectable. I only notice it when I deliberately push it very slowly. If it still bugs me when I actually know how to play, I'll take another look. Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Love this forum!

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