Your opinion - Worst design element on a PSG

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 18 Sep 2012 11:41 am

After working on my Carter just now, I have to say the worst "innovation" I have seen on any guitar in my 41 years, is the damn bellcrank/little brass barbell piece of crap that Bud Carter came up with. Great guitar otherwise, but this is the crappiest system I have ever seen. The brass parts wear out and break from the friction of the rod. Getting those little barbells into their slots in the bellcrank while they are in the guitar is one of the biggest pains in the butt I have ever seen. If I thought I was going to be playing much longer, I would rip the bellcranks out and use another builders bellcranks and rods.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 18 Sep 2012 8:10 pm

I think they have a replacement part for those so i read somewhere..Would those MSA one's fit??
I've never broke or wore out an MSA componant!

Rich....I just measured my MSA ones and they are 1/4 round by 3/8 long.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 18 Sep 2012 10:02 pm

IMO. the worst feature is tiny pedals with sharp corners and edges. Makes playing without shoes very painful. And everyone seems to make them that way nowadays.

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 18 Sep 2012 11:37 pm

The brass pull pins can be a headache with the Carter bellcranks. I never cared for that. Round cross shafts is something I don't care for on other brands. Biggest problem I had with Carter guitars wasn't the guitars or Bud.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 18 Sep 2012 11:53 pm

For my Zum, The placement of the neck selector switch. Just about a bear to get to for swapping put pickups or the switch itself

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 19 Sep 2012 3:00 am

microphone stand legs!
a pain in the a.. in my opinion!

don`t know why everybody uses them...

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 19 Sep 2012 3:11 am

Bellcranks: Tiny cotter pins on the rods can be easy to lose and hard to fasten without reading glasses on. Though the pins do offer greater stability and minimize unwanted unhooking of the slacked rod, I do like the slotted bell crank design for its simplicity and ease of reconfiguring.

Clete

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 19 Sep 2012 4:19 am

I dont know if anyone else ever had this problem but on my carter D-10 (which I love BTW) the pickups(XR-16's) delaminted off of the metal mounting plate. What a bugger that was when it happened becuase I just gotten it home and really wanted to play it but couldnt until I fixed it.
I guess over time the epoxy just cant bond the plastic pickup covering to the metal, and there isnt much for the metal to bond to since the whole inside of the pickup is wax.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 19 Sep 2012 4:32 am

I've had two guitars with round cross shafts, a 71 PP Emmons and my 81 Franklin. They are a royal pain if you want to add or change a bellcrank (puller).

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 19 Sep 2012 8:21 am

microphone stand legs!
a pain in the a.. in my opinion!
don`t know why everybody uses them...

I think they work just fine. What kind of problems does one have with them?

Bill Fisher · Post by **Bill Fisher** » 19 Sep 2012 9:11 am

No problem with Anapeg legs. One length; cut to fit YOU. That's it. No microphone stand rods used.

Bill

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 19 Sep 2012 10:47 am

Bill Fisher wrote:No problem with Anapeg legs. One length; cut to fit YOU. That's it. No microphone stand rods used.

Bill

How do they fit the floor if they are non-adjustable? I haven't been there, but I bet all playing surfaces in Australia are not perfectly flat.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Sep 2012 10:59 am

Chris Lucker wrote:I haven't been there, but I bet all playing surfaces in Australia are not perfectly flat.

You obviously have never been to Australia, Chris. All surfaces are flat.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 19 Sep 2012 11:23 am

Larry Bressington wrote:I think they have a replacement part for those so i read somewhere..Would those MSA one's fit??
I've never broke or wore out an MSA componant!

Rich....I just measured my MSA ones and they are 1/4 round by 3/8 long.

Larry,
Al Brisco in Canada is the one who has what's left of Carter parts.
http://www.steelguitarcanada.com/

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 19 Sep 2012 11:35 am

EMMONS: LeGrande cross-shafts are difficult to remove (e.g re-flocking the guitar). Otherwise, it is an excellent instrument to play, work on, or listen to. My favorite modern guitar currently being built.

ZUM: My second fave. agree with Clete. I hate the "hitch-pins" and much prefer the slotted bell cranks. agree w/ Lane: I don't like the mini toggle neck selector and miss the tone control/defeat switch that were present on Emmons, ZB's, "Buds etc.

Dale Hansen · Post by **Dale Hansen** » 19 Sep 2012 12:17 pm

This is not my guitar, but I once owned a Dekley that was almost exactly like this one.
The design problem was in the pedal linkage.
From the picture, you'll notice that the rods attach to the pedal by utilizing a ball hitch, and spring sleeve system. The 'ball', in that era of production, was on the top of the pedal.
One, or both components would completely wear out, and need replacing every three or four months.

Bill Fisher · Post by **Bill Fisher** » 19 Sep 2012 9:14 pm

Hi, Chris: In answer to your Anapeg question, one of the rear legs is adjustable at the base. A small portion of it screws out, if necessary, to compensate for unlevel surfaces. Works great.

Hope this helps.

Bill

Bill L. Wilson · Post by **Bill L. Wilson** » 19 Sep 2012 10:02 pm

I pulled the legs apart, cut a short length of a drum stick, enough to keep the leg the height I wanted it. After awhile, the stick began to collapse, so I started using, good old American dimes. It doesn't take many, so weight is not a problem, and the length never changes. And if the floor is uneven, I still can adjust either rear leg.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 19 Sep 2012 10:15 pm

ZB turnbuckle rods.

2nd place: Sho-Bud brass "barrels".

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 20 Sep 2012 1:51 am

Non-changeable pick ups. Quick change, that is...

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 20 Sep 2012 2:27 am

B0b, why do you dislike the barrel? If you don't mind inflexible pull timing, you can have as many raises or lowers on a string as you have crossrods.
Single Raise, Single Lower, my eye!!

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 20 Sep 2012 3:30 am

Carter Reverse lever system.

Dick Sexton · Post by **Dick Sexton** » 20 Sep 2012 4:56 am

I worked on a friends GFI Ultra once, a couple of the changes would pull up on the money if you were playing something slow, but if you started playing a little hotter and did some quick on and off of the pedals moves, it would come back badly out of tune. Traced the problem to the worn brass bell crank collars that Richard mentioned above. If they are new and kept lubed very well, they may last a long time. But a Stainless to Brass system of moving parts will eventually be a problem, no matter who the builder. Several have gone to the slotted bell cranks which are maybe stainless to stainless or at least steel to stainless. Over the long haul those will be more reliable. There is a trade off however, if your pull rods have to be bent to the exact length, making changes "can" be more difficult, costly and even time consuming. I like the Fessy set up, and a few others, but I hate those push on locking thingies. Reminds me of my lawn mower and grill wheels. And they gurr up the rods. JMO

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 20 Sep 2012 8:32 am

Richard Sinkler wrote:little brass barbell piece of

What is a barbell?

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 20 Sep 2012 8:47 am

barbell is the piece that is the union between the pull rod and the bell crank on carter steels. it is a brass cylinder that has a smaller diameter machined along the center portion of its length. somewhat similar to the brass 'pull pin' that msa used, in that they are both brass and both function to join the pull rod and bell crank. the msa pull pin is one diameter and uses a setscrew to secure the pull rod, while the bar bell has a second (minor) diameter over which a 180-degree bend in the pull rod fits.
~rw

The Steel Guitar Forum

Your opinion - Worst design element on a PSG

Your opinion - Worst design element on a PSG

psg

Pickups delaminated

Microphone type legs

Worst?

Re: Your opinion - Worst design element on a PSG