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Topic: First post! Sho-Bud jamming up |
Joshua Jove
From:
California, USA
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Posted 18 May 2020 10:15 am |
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Hey there fellas,
Been a long time lurker and am grateful for all the knowledge you guys have shared over the years. Being stuck inside has allowed me to shed on the pedal steel a bit more lately and it seems like I have been reading this forum non stop for everything from playing tips to gear reviews anytime I'm not sitting at the instrument.
I am hung up on a instrument problem and would LOVE some help. Guitar is a Sho-Bud Pro-1 tuned to E9.
I was starting to really make some progress this week when a sudden problem sprung up. Randomly, my E lower lever started only lowering on 8 and not on 4. Bear in mind, I am not a tinkerer and aside from tuning this thing I have never tried to fiddle with the inside mechanics of it. (Also bare with me on terminology) I thought it was unusual since it had been working fine, and so I started trying to retune the lever thinking it was a fluke. BUT the lever would no longer get me down a half step. As a matter of fact, it started to have almost no effect no matter how wild I was turning the right side tuner for that string/lever.
I then read some tips from here that it may be worth trying to detune any other pulls on that string and then try to tune up again. No dice.
As a next resort, I decided to flip the steel over and check out if I could see anything wrong. Sure enough, the 4th string finger was out of line. I nudged it back into place, then when pulling the lever again saw although the rod was moving usually, the spring for string 4 wasn't being pulled by the lever at all. Then to check the mechanics I forcibly pulled and extended the spring towards the center of the guitar and could hear the pitch lower. Then the finger was stuck out of line again and not returning. So I think I am dealing with a jam of some kind. I haven't changed the strings anytime recently, and couldn't find any old ball ends inside the mechanism.
Sorry for so much information but I am trying to break down what may have caused this, maybe learn something and also deal with process of elimination of some ways to fix it. This has stalled my shedding entirely! I guess back to picking exercises !
Any ideas from you masters??
Here is a short video clip of the jam in action. As you can see, I pull the lever and even though both rods are moving, the 4th string (4th from top) spring isn't budging. Then I show myself extending the spring and how its not returning to position.
https://youtu.be/omtoCuxkedw
Thanks!!
JJ |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 May 2020 12:45 pm
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| Try and lube. If that don't work, the changer finger may have a worn spot on the mouse ear. If it is worn you will have to remove the finger and fill the worn spot with some J B Weld and then file down. Their is a guy on Ebay that sells Sho Bud parts. He has the fingers. I bought a couple from him a year ago. His parts are new old stock. I had the same problem. It took care of the issue. (Super Pro) under carriage issue only with the mouse ear ware. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 May 2020 12:52 pm
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| Another thing to look for is that you may have the finger walking in to the finger next to it. That will make it hang up. I loosened the pull on the bell crank and moved it very little so the pull rod was on a angle. That allowed the fingers to stay away from each other. The bushing on the changer finger had a little wear play in it.. |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 19 May 2020 7:56 am
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Well as Kevin touched on a couple possible; I also can assume 8 more things can be going on, without my hands on it; in which I could fix in 5 minutes..ah..ha....
So first misunderstanding; is in the vid you pulled the lever and the rods pulled back but the lower section didn't even budge for the 4th string....so did the nylon tuner on the rod slip back?? or was it not even touching the changer finger before you pulled the lever????
yes I see you moved the lower section with finger and very sluggish coming back....> well there 4 to 5 possibilities why this is happening and Kevin touch on a couple...
So; to find out if the raise section is actuated in open E position(which would cause the lower section to work badly); de-tune(counterclockwise) the two Raise nylon tuners for 4th string....start with the nylon closest to top of guitar; that should be the C pedal rod...and when de-tuning a turn; does the E note now flatten at all?? if so; there's a huge prob. that might be the fix... if so; here's what you do. De-tune both those nylons that raise so the finger is not being pushed in at all and re-tune the open E note. (oh make sure there is NO RAISE SPRING on that finger or unhook it from that bracket screwed to bottom of guitar)Now try the E lower lever; look and make sure the nylon tuner is touching the finger lower section...then push lever and is it now lowering?? if not; is the nylon slipping on rod?? If it is going and coming back, then yay..and if it needs to pull further; adjust the stop for that lever out so it makes it.
Now screw nylon tuner closet to top of guitar(the C pedal rod) to where it barely touches the finger; then push the C pedal and if it doesn't make it to the F# note you want; adjust the stop screw for the pedal out till you get it. Then same thing with other raise nylon LKL.. and now you should be good. Now if it still lowers fine but doesn't all the way come back; then you need to cut a loop off that lower return spring and bend end back out so will re-hook on finger or lower bracket...which ever easiest for you to put lower spring back on.
Ok start with that..and good luck...and hopefully you learn a little as you go through...or like others; you just send it to me and I can fix and makes sure non of your fingers ever go through this again.....as that's why I make the big bucks restoring/working on over 100 Sho~bud's for the last 24 years....ah...ha....
sshawaiian@austin.rr.com is my email if I can help further; but i'll have a million more questions in your procedures as you go along; which is the only way I can help without putting my hands on it.
Ricky
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Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
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