| Author |
Topic: ElectrAdair - Solenoid based pedal steel - in 1949! |
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 3 May 2020 4:22 pm |
|
Wow! That's very cool.
_________________
Bradβs Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
|
Gabriel Edell
From:
Hamilton, Ontario
|
Posted 3 May 2020 5:10 pm
|
|
Crazy!
_________________
GFI S-10 P U, Moyo Volume, Fender Steel King, Fender 5F4 Super-Amp |
|
|
|
Dan Kelly
From:
Boston, MA
|
Posted 3 May 2020 8:32 pm
|
|
Very interesting patent. It looks as if this is a "raise only" instrument. However, that could be changed by having a set of opposing solenoids set up in a "normally closed" position.
The electro mechanical solenoids employed here are the same used in pinball machines at the time. They acted quickly, with force and with a lot of noise.
It is interesting that rollers were not employed at the three bridge points and at the point the plunger pulled a given string. Without rollers, it seems this would be the consummate "string breaking machine."
Conceptually, it seems that this thing was way ahead of its time. I had read that the idea of pedal changes at the time (1950) was to modify a whole tuning, and not just individual strings within a tuning. This patent seems to demonstrate the idea of the modern PSG was already conceived in 1947.
_________________
blah, blah, blah.
Hey You Kids! Get Off My Lawn!
blah, blah, blah.
Last edited by Dan Kelly on 4 May 2020 6:01 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Joe Krumel
From:
Hermitage, Tn.
|
Posted 4 May 2020 5:39 am
|
|
| Great find b0b! I've wondered what the "out of the box"designers could come up with if building these things were profitable. |
|
|
|
Bob Sykes
From:
North Carolina
|
Posted 4 May 2020 3:31 pm What a facinating find
|
|
Having pedal fulcrum points in the middle of the pedal(s) is novel. The 3 positions (up, down, backwards) could open up something interesting. With the mercury switches on each end, a level playing surface would be key. It looks like it's digital in that the solenoids are hard on or off. If they could be accurately controlled with variable DC....
Of course all that can be accomplished today with micro-stepper motors and micro-processors, but this thing deserves analog electrics 
Thanks for posting b0b
_________________
Carters Starter, D10 8+7, SD10, Chandler RH-2, Rogue RLS-1
ISO Sustainus Ad Infinitum |
|
|
|
