Carter S10 Moving Cross Shaft

[Paul Hutzler]

I have to move a cross shaft on a 1999 Carter S10. I don't know how. It looks like I have to AT LEAST remove the entire "aluminum side rail" that one end of every cross shaft lives in... is that correct? thats a time consuming job. Is there a simpler way?

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[Richard Sinkler]

You don't have to remove the back apron (aluminum). There is a spring loaded pin in the end of the shaft that goes into that back panel. There is a set screw on the back side of the cross shaft. Loosen that. Get something thin and stiff I I ground down a small screwdriver) and try to push the pin into the cross shaft. Then remove the shaft.

Before I knew that, I did loosen the back apron. All cross shafts are loose and have to be re-set into the back apron, and probably the front apron as well.. It's very frustrating and time consuming, but can be done. Having another set of hands will be a good idea. If you go this route, just loosen the back apron enough to access that pin.

[Jerry Overstreet]

What Richard said, except I do remove the entire back panel or at least loosen enough for the cross rod to pass, because you still have to remove all the bellcranks on the shaft in order to remove it from the guitar which entails pulling out the pull rods and re-aligning the annoying little brass bar bells.

Either way you go, it is time consuming and tedious work.

[Richard Sinkler]

I never had any problem getting the shaft out with the bell cranks still on it. But, he may need to remove rods from other shafts to get the shaft out. Removing the back apron makes it much easier to just lay the shaft over so the bellcranks will slide under all the other installed rods.

[Richard Sinkler]

And a word of caution.

If you have to remove or move bellcranks, get a good t-handle torx wrench. The size is T-10. Those screws holding the bellcranks to the cross shafts can be very hard to remove and they, and the torx wrench, strip VERY easy. Put the torx wrench in the screw head and tap the wrench lightly with a hammer to loosen the screw. Once the screw strips, it's major surgery to get it out.

[Paul Hutzler]

Ah, this is all good news. Steel Guitar Forum is a great reference. Honestly never minded the dog bones or the Torx screw heads. Give me those any day over having to work with tiny C-Clips like on my Sho Bud for example.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the cross rod bullet ends have thin fibre spacers that fit the shaft to it's particular position so just be aware as they're easy to lose.

[Richard Sinkler]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the cross rod bullet ends have thin fibre spacers that fit the shaft to it's particular position so just be aware as they're easy to lose.

Yup. I pulled out all the hair on the right side of my head trying to find one of those rascals.

[Donny Hinson]

On the guitars with spring-loaded pins holding in the crossshafts, I could never figure out why the builders didn't just put the pins on the player-side of the shafts, and then drill tiny holes through the rear apron so you could push in the pins with a straightened paper clip. A hole about .042" would be barely noticeable, and probably invisible if you rubbed over it with a crayon of the right color. (A trick I learned from restoring antiques.)

[Richard Sinkler]

On the guitars with spring-loaded pins holding in the crossshafts, I could never figure out why the builders didn't just put the pins on the player-side of the shafts, and then drill tiny holes through the rear apron so you could push in the pins with a straightened paper clip. A hole about .042" would be barely noticeable, and probably invisible if you rubbed over it with a crayon of the right color. (A trick I learned from restoring antiques.)

One of the steel guitar's biggest mysteries.