half-stop

Florent Guépin · Post by **Florent Guépin** » 22 Dec 2023 2:02 am

Hi,
I've just bought a Mullen G2 (2009) and i don't understand how the half-stops works (the one in photo, unless it's not the half-stop !)
Anyone can help me please ?

Wayne Brown · Post by **Wayne Brown** » 22 Dec 2023 3:38 am

I'm sorry but that picture is a reversing assembly not a 1/2 stop
thanks
wayne

Florent Guépin · Post by **Florent Guépin** » 22 Dec 2023 5:14 am

Wayne Brown wrote:I'm sorry but that picture is a reversing assembly not a 1/2 stop
thanks
wayne

Thank you Wayne, I understand now, the half stop feel comes from the changer, when the second string begin to raise/lower.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 22 Dec 2023 5:52 am

Unless your guitar has the half stop mechanism under the guitar, it's an optional mechanism that allows tuning of the half stop, then they are probably using the 9th string lower (to C#) as the half stop. It is timed so the 9th string nylon tuner hits the finger when the 2nd string gets to the D note. When the tuner hits the finger, it adds more resistance so you feel the half stop.

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 22 Dec 2023 9:02 am

To ad to Richards totally correct comment; you can tighten up the return spring on the 9th string to get a more positive feel. RP

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 22 Dec 2023 9:33 am

Now, if you have this hardware, as in this 2021 G2, this is a very positive half-stop. It can be purchased and added. The string 2 + 9 method is ingenious but for some people it can difficult to get used to the somewhat more subtle feel.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 22 Dec 2023 11:30 am

The string 2 + 9 method is ingenious but for some people it can difficult to get used to the somewhat more subtle feel.

I hate that method. Luckily, my Carter has a half finger (the bottom half with only the holes for rods) that is used for half stops. It's the cutout next to the plug in the picture. It has 3 holes so you can effectively have 3 half stops on the guitar. I did have to cut 1 loop off the spring They are not adjustable) to get to a harder feel I liked. This is my favorite system for half stops as you don't have to reach under the guitar to adjust the half stop.

Larry Allen · Post by **Larry Allen** » 22 Dec 2023 12:43 pm

If you want to add one, Wolf at WBS guitars in Germany has “Real Stop”. Easy to install and very effective.

Raybob Bowman · Post by **Raybob Bowman** » 22 Dec 2023 2:04 pm

Richard Sinkler wrote:Unless your guitar has the half stop mechanism under the guitar, it's an optional mechanism that allows tuning of the half stop, then they are probably using the 9th string lower (to C#) as the half stop. It is timed so the 9th string nylon tuner hits the finger when the 2nd string gets to the D note. When the tuner hits the finger, it adds more resistance so you feel the half stop.

Richard, I just bought a Mullen Discovery that has the same half stop. How is it adjusted? Do you tune half stop with nylon nut, then adjust the C# with the full stop adjuster?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 22 Dec 2023 2:25 pm

Richard, I just bought a Mullen Discovery that has the same half stop. How is it adjusted? Do you tune half stop with nylon nut, then adjust the C# with the full stop adjuster?

If you're talking about the Carter style, you tune the C# on the second string with it's nylon tuner, and tune the D with the nylon tuner in the 11th position.

Raybob Bowman · Post by **Raybob Bowman** » 22 Dec 2023 2:56 pm

Asking about the Mullen Discovery I just got.

John Palumbo · Post by **John Palumbo** » 22 Dec 2023 3:16 pm

This is from the Mullen Owners Manual

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 22 Dec 2023 3:21 pm

Raybob Bowman wrote:Asking about the Mullen Discovery I just got.

I've never seen one live.

Dennis Montgomery · Post by **Dennis Montgomery** » 23 Dec 2023 9:12 am

Jon Light wrote:Now, if you have this hardware, as in this 2021 G2, this is a very positive half-stop. It can be purchased and added. The string 2 + 9 method is ingenious but for some people it can difficult to get used to the somewhat more subtle feel.

I can't recommend this Mullen half stop mechanism highly enough!

I tried for a couple months after getting my G2 with the string 2&9 adjustment approach and the resistance kicking in was so slight I never could get used to it and constantly overshot the mark. Once I added the Mullen half stop (installation was easy and took maybe an hour - though note you do have to put screws into the underside of the body and line it up properly) it was like a different world! Also, since it's totally adjustable you can really dial in just how much resistance you need

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 23 Dec 2023 9:33 am

These photos are from my bench. I was doing some other things to this guitar for my friend/client and I absolutely loved this hardware.

I play 12 string Universal so I don't do "9th string". And I tune my 2nd string string to D natural so I REALLY don't do this half stop. I never had to learn to get the feel for the 2 & 9 method but after working on client E9 10 strings and setting up the feel-stops I started to see that I could probably learn to get the feel. Not enthusiastically but.....

Funny thing -- the client had played the 2 & 9 half-stop setup for years. Presented with this hardware on his brand new G2 I was able to easily get a REALLY positive stop and was excited to present it to him. "You're gonna love this, man!"
He hated it. Five seconds. "Take this off!!" I had to totally disengage the spring. He knew what he liked and a soft, hard-to-feel stop was what he liked. He even wanted me to remove the hardware. I didn't.

He died and I found a new home for this guitar and I'm glad it's still got the half stop rig in it.

Dennis Montgomery · Post by **Dennis Montgomery** » 23 Dec 2023 4:44 pm

Jon Light wrote:
Funny thing -- the client had played the 2 & 9 half-stop setup for years. Presented with this hardware on his brand new G2 I was able to easily get a REALLY positive stop and was excited to present it to him. "You're gonna love this, man!"
He hated it. Five seconds. "Take this off!!" I had to totally disengage the spring. He knew what he liked and a soft, hard-to-feel stop was what he liked. He even wanted me to remove the hardware. I didn't.

He died and I found a new home for this guitar and I'm glad it's still got the half stop rig in it.

Crazy story. Just goes to show when you get used to doing something the hard way even a major improvement can feel wrong

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 23 Dec 2023 11:12 pm

That's basically the same half-stop that MSA was using in the 70's along w other manufacturers. The key to a good half stop is to minimize any movement not in the direct line of the motion or it will feel sloppy. That means shimming the spring w a partial sleeve, using the heaviest rod that the mechanism permits, and making sure everything fits perfectly as well as using a spring that you can adjust the tension on w changing the collar that holds it tightly against the pedestal.

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