Here is fobro Lee Wheeler's new changer.
He is somewhat cryptic about the materials--must be top secret--but here is his description:
"Basically, the actual string engaging member (which has the 50 year guarantee) is 21st/22nd century material which I craft. It WILL ruin, burn-up carbide cutting tools!...it has no aluminum or sig steel in the member-hence the 50 year guarantee.. it has mass and durability AND provides a SOLID!! foundation for the string to vibrate against. And will not wear down even on the wrapped strings....craft the instrument around the changer.....it is not designed as an "add-on."
Lee Wheeler is the guy who built Wheeler steel guitars.
He was based out of Portland Oregon [not to far from the Sierra shop]. Last I heard he relocated to Nashville back in the late 70's.
Also, he seems to have jumped the gun inventing a 22nd century material in 2006.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Glassman on 15 March 2006 at 12:26 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Glassman on 21 April 2006 at 03:29 PM.]</p></FONT>
It looks like an interesting design. It would have to be installed in a guitar and heard to see what affect the materials used had on the sound (tone) as the material used for the changer finger can have a major affect on tone. And how the materials used would really hold up.
However to say it has a "50 year guarantee" is hard to take. That statement sort of throws up a "red flag".
Looks very massive and heavy, almost twice as deep as most other changers.. I get the impression it would rob a lot of tone from the guitar? Though I've seen many, many changers get wear where the strings contact the tops of the fingers, I've yet to see one actually "break", so a 50 year guarantee is almost a moot point.
I'm up to trying new materials, though. Alloy 22? Nickel-cobalt? Titanium? Borium? Tungsten carbide? Irridium? Munimula?
My point on the "50 year guarantee" is, if some young guy (not me - I'm 68) bought a changer and it failed at say year 49, who would be around to honor the warantee and provide parts or a replacement....
I don't know who came up with the word (which is actually "aluminum", spelled backwards). Yes, it was used in the old R&R cartoons, but was probably used before that in scientific parody. At any rate, who'd have ever thought it would rate 27,000 hits on Google"?
If munimula would keep the radiused portion of the finger (what do you call that surface?) from getting grooves, I think it would be a substantial change.
Still trying to get Lee to respond; he seems to be reluctant to brag.
I'd brag if I built a changer.
There are a number of "coating" processes that may be applied to aluminum, and other metals,ceramics, etc. to make the surface harder...the best one that I can think of at the moment, and for the purpose is DLC = Diamond Like Carbon. It is applied via a vacuum system (deposition/sputtering). The part(s) may be masked so that the deposition is applied locally.
Titanium coatings are being used on cutting tools and knives...those might work well in the application also.
Mounting the shown device could be done by having the bottoms of the separator plates extended a bit front and back. These would be pressed against the body (underneath) by a bar and screws.
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by ed packard on 16 March 2006 at 07:14 AM.]</p></FONT>
Actually, the error difference would be proportional to the difference between the rod lengths of the old and "new" changer configurations, all other things being equal. In other words, probably insignificant.
Not sure what you mean by "rod length" but the difference would be proportional to the distance between the changer axle, and the spot where the tuning nut pushes on the raise bar (or lower bar). Looking at the photos above, especially the second one, it really doesn't look twice as long as a "normal" changer. In fact, it looks almost exactly the same as my Zum, Franklin, or Sho-Bud. So I don't think this new changer would be any better in that regard.
