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Topic: Stiff Knee Levers on Sho-Bud Pro III |
Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2004 6:01 pm |
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Without completely re-doing the right knee lever working left (RKL), how can I adjust it to make it easier to push? It lowers two strings on the outside neck and lowers one on the inside neck. The left side knee levers all work much easier.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2004 6:33 pm
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| Jim.. It may be tough getting a 3 pull knee to feel "soft". Ricky Davis would probably be able to give some good advice on how to get a little nicer action on that knee, but I have had similar problems with several guitars when pulling more than 2 strings. |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2004 11:08 pm
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Several reasons why that knee is stiff....and one of them is the shorter rods...and where they might be pulling from and where they may be pulling on the fingers and how much tension they are pulling against.
Sooooo.....Best results I've had on your Pro III fingers, and you didn't really say which pulls they are....but I would guess your lowering the 4th and 8th strings on the E9 and lowering the 3rd string on the C6?? If so....then you want to make them pull a little shorter; therefore you won't be pulling so much spring tension. To do this....Move the pulling point on the puller(Bell crank) furthest from the body and to where it is pulling on the finger should be furthest hole from the Axle. So now you do this to all three pulls that lower...and they will lower much quicker..so you need to shorten the travel on the knee lever with the stop screw to make the knee stop sooner. Also experiment with each string....by loosening up the lower spring just enough to where the finger will barely NOT return all the way and you can see the finger do the, from underneath as you work on it....>than tighten the spring just that one more turn so that it will return....then you have the less amount of tension needed on the lower spring..and that will make each one easier. Also on the E9 neck....>if there is a raise spring on the 4th string....Unhook it....but leave the raise spring on the 8th string....and that alone will help those two strings pull together in unison...because the raise spring on a raised portion of the finger will actually inhibate the lowering movement...and that's what you want to do to the 8th string as it being a bigger wound string..will lower so much quicker than the smaller plain 4th string.......since you have them in the same pulling holes......yeee haaa....have fun.
Ricky[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 10 February 2004 at 11:12 PM.] |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 11:31 am
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Ricky and Bob,
Thank you for the info. I will inspect the hook ups underneath and adjust per your suggestion. Also, I do not have 'adjustable' return springs. Have to manually stretch them to loosen tension or cut them off to increase tension. My Pro-III is a 'newer' model; made ~83 I was told.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 10:24 pm
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Jim than you don't have a Pro III; you have a Pro III "Custom"....and that's a whole nother story now....
Just got home from the Studio and gotta get up early and go back...and cut more....>so I'll fill ya in tomorrow(today later) when I get home.
Ricky[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 11 February 2004 at 10:25 PM.] |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2004 6:23 pm
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Yes, it's says "Custom". I just thought that was on the there just make a fellow feel like he got something special.
Are there many differences in a 'custom' vs a non'custom?
Thanx,
Jim |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2004 9:31 pm
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Yes there are differences between every single model of Sho~bud....and even some exact same model Sho~Buds have some differences.....
So with that....Seeing your Pro III Custom would be the actual clincher in finding the smoothest travel for your particular Shobud.
I don't know what is inbetween the sleeves that divide the raise and lower sections of each finger...and if that is not completely clean and not bent/rubbing is very important to the fingers of your particular Shobud to play smooth and not stiff. Also on your particular fingers....you need to have the rods Level from the puller to the finger....and have to run perfectly straight and cannot be bent the slightest. Also if your rods are aluminum that will make those three lower pulls stiffer....as they need to be 1/8" steel rods.
Don't worry about loosening or tightening the lower springs(since you can't) because that won't matter on your changer fingers.....>those senarios I mentioned above are far more important to look into.
Stay with it.
Ricky |
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Dwight Cook
From:
Amarillo, Texas, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2004 7:49 pm
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hey guys,i have found all pulls that requires the knee leaver to pull a reverse as we know the pull is harder than the straight pull, so on the super-pro the drive pin that makes the system reverse, well i replaced it with a 1/4 needle bearing and milled the slot out for the bearing and it is very smooth now.
i have a machine shop and build a lot of parts for steels that you don't find everyday. if i can help email me------dwight
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Doyle Huff
From:
Broken Arrow, OK USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2004 5:50 am
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| I once had a Pro 111 that had that problem. I put helper springs on the strings that were stiff. I hooked the spring to the belcrank and anchored the other end to a cross rod. You have to adjust the helper spring so that it allows the string to return to pitch. Worked for me. |
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