Half Stop On Carter S-10, Meh

[Paul Hutzler]

Trying to use my half-stop setup on my Carter S10 on my 2nd string so I can have the D# - D - C# change. But I just blast right through the stop at D. Really can't hardly feel it. I have it set on the hardest pull too. Does the Carter half-stop work for anyone?

[Richard Sinkler]

On the half stop finger, take off the spring, cut one loop off, bend it back so it can mount to the finger. That increases the tension of the half stop. Works great.

[Paul Hutzler]

I'm going to try that, Richard.

[K Maul]

I’ve never met a half stop lower I didn’t hate.

[Mike DiAlesandro]

I’ve never met a half stop lower I didn’t hate.

The factory Emmons p/p 1/2 stop where they used the raise finger for the first drop works great in my opinion.

[Donny Hinson]

I had the same problem. That's when I decided to have separate levers for the half and whole tone lowers.

Works for me!

[Richard Sinkler]

I’ve never met a half stop lower I didn’t hate.

I'm right there with you Kevin. For years I had a 2nd LKL and had it lower 2 to D and RKL lower 2 to C# and 9 to C#. I eventually wanted something else on that LKL and made my RKL back into the half stop.

[Tucker Jackson]

It may also be a matter of setting expectations; "half-stop" is kind of false advertising. It's better to think of it as a "feel-stop" -- some are better than others, but I've never played a steel of any brand where the feel-stop was really solid and easy to feel and nail. So, it's never going to be a really solid stop like everything else on the guitar.

Using it ends up being a skill to be learned, like half-pedaling the A-pedal (which is very doable even though there's no feel-stop at all on that one). It's very much a finesse thing, and even with practice it might be a little off at times.

[Chris Brooks]

For what it's worth, the 2nd string lower on my 1999 Carter SD 12 features a pretty solid half stop--and has done so for 25 years now.

[Stew Crookes]

The half-stop on my EMCI (possibly quite similar to the Carter mechanism?) is more subtle than I would like - but the split tuned drop on my Excel is really solid... It almost takes too much force to lower from D to C#

[Bruce Derr]

I'm curious about this new type of half-stop mechanism:
https://magnistop.laughingpick.com/

Any thoughts from those who have tried it?

[David W.D. McCormick]

I agree it’s definitely a feel thing that you get used to over time. I hated the half stop on my Carter for a long time and eventually tuned it to just pull D# to D. Then one day I changed it back, adjusted the half stop mechanism, and it just started feeling good. You’re never going to get the D perfectly in tune but you get close enough - especially if you’re just playing the D as a passing tone which is usually how I use it.