Newbie question..Guitar goes a tiny bit flat ????

Matthew Carlin · Post by **Matthew Carlin** » 6 Apr 2008 8:17 pm

I was trying to learn some extended chord voices tonight. I used a peterson tuner set to the SE9 function and made sure the open strings, 123 pedals and 4 levers were in tune. I noticed a slight tuning issue when I played My 9th (B) open string and pushed the 2nd pedal, the open 9th(B) goes very slighty flat. When I let off the pedal it comes back ... I can barely notice it with out the tuner.. but the strobe goes from dead on to a very slow downward motion and back. Is this OK or do I need to adjust or fix somthing? I tried it throught the amp and then direct in to the tuner and both act the same.. It may do it with other strings and pedals i haven't checked them yet, I figured I'd post a questions before going crazy.

Thanks
Matt

I am using the basic E9/Bb6 uni copedent from http://www.larrybell.org/id23.htm

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 6 Apr 2008 8:47 pm

phooey, double post again, sorry.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 6 Apr 2008 8:49 pm

Hi Matthew, welcome to the forum.

Sounds like cabinet drop.... increasing the tension on the body by sharping strings with pedals warps the body up just enough to make the rest go a little flat. Mine does it a little bit too... short of using some kind of compensator, there isn't much you can do about it that I know of. Search on "cabinet drop" and you should be able to find lots of posts about it.

Looking at your copedant I don't see any lowers on your 9th string that your 10th string raise could be rubbing against... so I think it's cabinet drop. If it is, it should do it when you step on your 1st pedal too, do that and watch on the tuner what some of the other strings do. If any other strings go flat too, you can be pretty sure that's what it is.

Matthew Carlin · Post by **Matthew Carlin** » 6 Apr 2008 9:50 pm

Thanks Jim,

I tried All kinds of Combos of Strings,levers and pedals, yep the tuner goes a bit out all over... I don't hear it but I can see it on the screen.

Just in case I played along with a few tracks real quick...Sounds sweet and in tune.

Cabinet Drop Huh? I read people mentioning that but I thought it was a speaker cab thing... I couldn't figure out for the life of me how a PSG would make an amp cab sound out of tune.

Thanks for the Heads up..

Jonathan Shacklock · Post by **Jonathan Shacklock** » 7 Apr 2008 6:17 am

Hi Matt,

Are you using the Jeff Newman E9 sweeteners on your Peterson? These offsets are designed to take cabinet drop into account, so they may work well for your guitar.

Here are two excellent threads from the old forum that will familiarise you with some of the issues.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/010967.html
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/007482.html

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 Apr 2008 4:34 pm

I can barely notice it with out the tuner.. but the strobe goes from dead on to a very slow downward motion and back. Is this OK or do I need to adjust or fix somthing?

If it's barely noticeable without a tuner, just ignore it. Tuners will magnify problems immensely. With your tuner hooked up, put your bar on 6th string at the 10th fret, and then pick that string. You'll find it's almost impossible to keep that strobe from moving! $:\$

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 8 Apr 2008 5:38 pm

Tune your Es,pedals down then tune every thing off this pedals up and down.Play loud notes and tune the beats out.Tuners are helpful once you get an idea what your guitar is going to do in deflection.This will very with each instrument,so unless your tunner was made for your guitar it will not work per E9 or c6 tunning that came with it in most cases.It may make it close enough to go with but still a tad off.I have seen a few that were close to no deflection but not very many.Emmons has got theirs about close as it gets with out having to use compensators on The Legrand 111.I think we all here different and what is in for you may not be for someone else.Get it close as you can get and Play it pretty.

William Fraser · Post by **William Fraser** » 9 Apr 2008 10:16 am

I'll ask the silly question. Do you ever check & snug down any of the fastners ? If you transport your steel in an auto they tend to vibrate apart ,you CAN minimize the problem with a screw driver.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 10 Apr 2008 3:33 am

If it is really bothering you , you can install a compensator rod and that will take care of it. A lot of info is on the Forum about this. If you can't find it , email me and we will go over how to do it.

Bud

PS: Of course the compensator is one more thing to tune too...

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Newbie question..Guitar goes a tiny bit flat ????

Newbie question..Guitar goes a tiny bit flat ????

Cabinet Drop ?