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Topic: Help! Emmons SKH 4th string lower not returning |
Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2018 7:56 pm |
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My gigging steel and my living room practice steel are both Emmons short keyhead models. Tonight, the 4th string on my practice steel broke.
In my brain fogginess I thought I had broken the 5th string, and I installed a .018 where a .014 should go. I had it not fully up to tension before I realized my mistake (I tightened it up to a B).
I took it off, and put the .014 on and tuned it up. All was well until I hit my D lever to lower the Es. The 4th was not coming back all the way! The 8th comes back fine. The E raises are fine.
I figured that this was just grime in the changer, so I've been soaking it in my cleaner of choice (Slick 50 spray) which a steel mechanic I know uses. It is still not coming back. I've been working the changer up and down A LOT trying to get it to return. I looked to see if maybe the return spring was broken- but it looks ok. These can't be adjusted without disassembly.
I can't imaging that I damaged anything with my wrong string escapade- but it is a weird coincidence.
It scares me because this could have easily happened on a gig!
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"You call that thing a guitar?" |
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Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2018 10:45 pm
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Did you find the ball end of the broken string? Could it be in the changer? Is it lowering all the way to an Eb? Sometimes the roller member of the changer gets caught on the wrong side of the bottom member. Look to see if it looks lined up with the other changer fingers. Lastly, the lower return spring should not suddenly become too "loose" but you need to check that.
Jerry
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http://www.littleoprey.org/ |
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Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 5:38 am
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| Jerry Roller wrote: |
Did you find the ball end of the broken string? Could it be in the changer? Is it lowering all the way to an Eb? Sometimes the roller member of the changer gets caught on the wrong side of the bottom member. Look to see if it looks lined up with the other changer fingers. Lastly, the lower return spring should not suddenly become too "loose" but you need to check that.
Jerry |
I retrieved the ball end when it broke.
Yes, it is going all the way down to Eb.
When it is back up to E, all the fingers look lined up.
The return spring doesn't feel different from the others.
I'm going to slack all the pull rods on that string and try to get lube down in between the sliding pieces.
Thanks for the ideas, Jerry
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"You call that thing a guitar?" |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 6:00 am
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| Another thought - Make sure the roller on the other end, by the tuning keys, is free and not binding. |
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Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 6:18 am
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Here is what I found just now.
If I tune the 4th string down- say, to a B. Then the lower returns correctly. So I tried different notes. I tune to C and it returns. If I tune to D, it doesn't quite come back all the way. D# or E and it comes back significantly flat.
So, it seems like that return spring needs a little more tension. Since I can't get to the heads of the screws that attach the springs, I'll see if I can turn the spring body itself and get a little more tension. It seems like I shouldn't have to do this.
BTW, The roller nut is free. When I change a string I always lube that and turn it. The problem I'm seeing is far more than a stuck roller nut would cause.
_________________
"You call that thing a guitar?" |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 6:28 am
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Perhaps you used another string of the wrong gauge ... now too much tension?  |
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Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 6:47 am
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| Lee Baucum wrote: |
| Perhaps you used another string of the wrong gauge ... now too much tension? |
Bingo!
Occam's razor strikes again.
Yes- there was a .018 in the .014 packet and that is what I put on! Dagnabbit. I have a vast collection of misc strings and I just grabbed a loose SIT .014, or so I thought...
Lee, I had the same thought as you and grabbed a digital caliper to check it. Then I saw your post- thanks for helping me think through this.
Ok, move along folks, nothing to see here...
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"You call that thing a guitar?" |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 7:03 am
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It just had to be something simple ... |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 26 Sep 2018 11:44 am
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Excellent !
Another example of something VERY simple and overlooked causing what is assumed to be a problem which wasn't at all.
Strings. When an issue is directly connected to a string, be it broken or replacement, and things go awry, the first order of business should always be "go back" to the string again. Especially if everything was fine PRE string change.
These instruments are not rocket ships so we don't need to apply rocket science ! 
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Bob Cox
From:
Buckeye State
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Posted 27 Sep 2018 7:56 am e
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You may have a e raise not coming back causing this.
If you move the e raise rod and it has no slack. The e lower will be prohibited from returning properly.
Add some travel to e raise and this will solve your problem, bu slightly loosening the pedal stop screw where your pedal connects.only a turn starting out. Not much more |
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Lynn Kasdorf
From:
Waterford Virginia, USA
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Posted 27 Sep 2018 8:20 am Re: e
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| Bob Cox wrote: |
You may have a e raise not coming back causing this.
If you move the e raise rod and it has no slack. The e lower will be prohibited from returning properly.
Add some travel to e raise and this will solve your problem, bu slightly loosening the pedal stop screw where your pedal connects.only a turn starting out. Not much more |
The problem was that I accidentally put a .018 on instead of a .014- when the correct gauge was installed, as was well.
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"You call that thing a guitar?" |
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