Mullen's Half-Stop Gadget

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 7 Jul 2016 4:54 am

If you're like me I have always thought most guitars have a "mushy" half-stop on the 2nd string.
I just bought an add-on piece from Mullen (for my RP) that fixed that for good.
Took 5 minutes to install and now I get a very firm stop before continuing to lower my 2nd string the additional half step.

Makes a BIG difference.

Mullen doesn't show the piece on their site, but I think any guitar with similar
cross shafts would benefit this little add-on.
Check it out if you get a chance.
JB

Dick Sexton · Post by **Dick Sexton** » 7 Jul 2016 5:10 am

John, could you post some pics of your installation. Thanks...

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 7 Jul 2016 5:58 am

Here's a pic of the piece.
Around $50 shipped and man it really works well !

2 screws in the bracket and attach to the cross shaft then set how firm you want the stop. 5 mins total.
JB

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 7 Jul 2016 6:07 am

I do not see where it attaches the crosshaft. Is it on the RKL shaft?

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 7 Jul 2016 6:16 am

RKR
JB

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 7 Jul 2016 6:20 am

Ok! Looks good, neat installation.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 7 Jul 2016 6:44 am

Great idea and after all these years Shot's barrels still get used. I think I need one on my RP.

Dick Sexton · Post by **Dick Sexton** » 7 Jul 2016 6:47 am

Thanks John

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 7 Jul 2016 6:56 am

Its a well done unit, but still its just a standard design 2nd string feel stop thats been around for multiple decades, used by many different builders... bob

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jul 2016 7:23 am

They must have been looking at an Emmons.

Clem Schmidt has those for sale on the internet.

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 7 Jul 2016 7:24 am

Like Bob said ,it's a fairly common design, Mike Yahl at PSG Parts has a nearly identical unit on his website.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 7 Jul 2016 8:12 am

If you turn it around to pull the rod to compress the spring, you can have it working on more than one lever or pedal, if desired.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 7 Jul 2016 9:46 am

Good tip John. There are probably a lot of players who aren't aware of such a device. Some guitar mfgs. offer it as an option, but many may not know to ask for it.

Much more positive and usable than the feel stop.

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 7 Jul 2016 11:35 am

Jerry Overstreet wrote:
Much more positive and usable than the feel stop.

True, much more positive than without. For some reason I have always tended to over travel my RKR and I have often locked them down at the first stop to get a positive half step. This fixes that for me
JB

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jul 2016 11:44 am

I'll tell you what I did, I reversed the functions of the right knee.
Instead of having the 2 string lower on the RKR, I placed it on the RKL.
I have a better feel for the 1/2 stop when configured this way.

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 7 Jul 2016 1:01 pm

Erv, I wonder if that switching cause of one leg feeling the stop better is fairly common. I have done the same thing for the same reason, in my case it's the left leg that feels the stop better, hence I try and get both 1/2 steps I use on the left leg/ knee levers....Stormy

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jul 2016 1:09 pm

Storm,
I think you have better control bringing your leg in rather than out.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 7 Jul 2016 1:47 pm

True, Erv.

Lynette Richards · Post by **Lynette Richards** » 8 Jul 2016 8:59 am

I am glad you like the part John. I'm sorry that it is not on our website. I will try and get that done soon.

They are available for purchase for $45. You can call or email to order. They should work on any guitar with a 5/16 or 3/8 hex shaft.

We have been using this method for 40+ years. Some of the parts were modeled after our old rack and barrel Mullen guitar. (old old stuff)

They really do work great.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 8 Jul 2016 10:27 am

That's what I want do on my Carter, but it has square shafts. I will check with Michael Yahl to see if I can use his on my guitar. I currently have a shortened spring to add more resistance to the knee lever. The bummer of that is the change on my C6 neck (C to B) is much harder activate.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Jul 2016 10:54 am

Have you ever tried an extra pull rod to a finger that doesn't raise or lower?
That's the way it's done on a Zum.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 8 Jul 2016 12:43 pm

I have a similar arrangement (adjustable with spring) on my Franklin. Both the adjustable 1/2 stop and the 9th string lower enhance the 1/2 stop feel.

It is on my RKR. After having that 2nd string lower and feel stop on both the 71 Emmons PP and then the Franklin (45 years total) I'm used to that change on the RKR.

FWIW, the 71 Emmons PP had the spring loaded feel stop, thanks to Johnny Cox "scrounging" parts from
Duane Marrs at Sho-Bud and Johnny installing it on my Emmons.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Jul 2016 12:56 pm

Richard Sinkler wrote:That's what I want do on my Carter, but it has square shafts. I will check with Michael Yahl to see if I can use his on my guitar. I currently have a shortened spring to add more resistance to the knee lever. The bummer of that is the change on my C6 neck (C to B) is much harder activate.

Mullen has square shafts. As long as you have a bellcrank that can accommodate a puller/swivel, you're golden. The Mullen kit should work for you

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 8 Jul 2016 1:15 pm

Wrong. Except maybe for the very early ones, Mullen shafts are 5/16" hex. It might still work though, you still have 2 opposite flat sides on those.

Derby and Emmons LeGrande used 5/16" square and had adjustable half stops available like that, but I don't know what size Carter shafts are.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Jul 2016 2:14 pm

I blame the small screen of my phone. The pictures looked square to me. Oops.
For square shafted guitars, I'd ask either Jim Palenscar, Tom Bradshaw, or Michael Yahl if they have any bellcranks that can take a swivel or pull.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Mullen's Half-Stop Gadget

Mullen's Half-Stop Gadget

Half Stop

Great...

Half Stop