The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Grooves worn into changer cause buzzing (Page 6)
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
profile | join | preferences | help | search
Steel Guitar Strings Strings & instruction for lap steel, Hawaiian & pedal steel guitars http://SteelGuitarShopper.com |
Ray Price Shuffles Classic country shuffle styles for Band-in-a-Box, by BIAB guru Jim Baron. http://steelguitarmusic.com |
This Forum is CLOSED. |
|
|
The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Grooves worn into changer cause buzzing (Page 6)
profile | join | preferences | help | search
|
| This topic is 6 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Grooves worn into changer cause buzzing |
|
Bill Llewellyn Member Posts: 1882 |
posted 27 August 2001 07:38 AM
The changer wheels/rollers on my ol' MSA U12 have seen enough use in their 28 years that there are grooves worn into them. It's easy to tell which strings got the most picking over the years because thoase particular wheels have the deepest grooves (the low notes have almost no noticable wear). The grooves are kind of raspy and cause the strings to buzz. I'm sure they also increase the wear at the bending point of the strings which causes them to break earlier than they otherwise would. Is there any way to improve this problem short of getting the wheels (I hope that's the right term for them) re-machined or completely replaced? (Finding replacements could be hard....) ------------------ [This message was edited by Bill Llewellyn on 27 August 2001 at 07:38 AM.] |
|
Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 27 August 2001 09:02 AM
Many players use sandpaper on the tops of the changer finger when they change strings. See: http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/000296.html I wet-sand mine with 1200 sanding paper about once a year. It gets the grooves out. ------------------ |
|
Bill Llewellyn Member Posts: 1882 |
posted 27 August 2001 10:14 AM
Thanks, Bob. |
|
Larry Bell Member Posts: 4116 |
posted 27 August 2001 10:21 AM
I try to remove the grooves whenever I change a string. If you catch it soon enough, something as gentle as a pencil eraser can polish out the 'micro groove'. The longer you wait the deeper the groove will become. Obviously, you can't take the time to do that if you pop a third on stage, but whenever I change strings under less stressful conditions, I try to polish out the groove. A Dremel Moto-Tool with the felt polishing pad and buffing compound is the best solution I've found. I use that method whenever I replace all the strings at the same time. That's what has worked for me for many years. Your mileage may vary. ------------------ |
|
Jack Stoner Sysop Posts: 8119 |
posted 27 August 2001 10:28 AM
I use #600 wet sand emery paper and VERY LIGHTLY sand the finger if I have a burr. Otherwise a quick polish with Simichrome or MAAS (same as Simichrome) will keep the fingers in order. I had some grooves in the old Emmons PP I had and they did not seem to be a problem. The buzzing may be the roller nuts. Make sure they are lubricated and not binding or out of round. On some of the old Sho-Buds with the gauged rollers that inherently buzzed winding the string on the post backward seemes to fix the buzzing since it puts more pressure on the roller nut. (On the old Sho-Buds I've been told a different gauge roller will also fix the buzzing). |
|
Michael Johnstone Member Posts: 2535 |
posted 27 August 2001 12:33 PM
I use a super fine jeweler's needle file.It kind of feels like a hat pin with a "peach fuzz" surface on it.In a pinch,I'll just use a 3" section of wound string(.038 or so)as a file to dress a burr on a cam. Question - why doesn't anyone make cams out of hardened steel? -MJ- |
|
Larry Bell Member Posts: 4116 |
posted 27 August 2001 12:51 PM
MJ, I've heard several builders say that aluminum is the material of choice because of the sound. I would suspect that would be the only reason not to use a more scratch-resistent material. I COULD be wrong, but that's what I've heard. ------------------ |
|
Sage Member Posts: 525 |
posted 27 August 2001 02:12 PM
In addition to the appearance of the groove, what is unseen is the formation of aluminum oxide (alumina) at the surface. Alumina is very abraisive and just makes any tendancy to cut the string worse. Simichrome leaves a residue behind that should reduce the formation of aluminum oxide. It is a lot harder to work with steel than aluminum, obviously. I think that a good hard annodizing over a hard aluminum would make for a wear-free surface. It is not shiney, and comes in one color- gunmetal grey. Would most steelers go for that? I don't know- I would. T Sage Harmos |
|
Lee Baucum Member Posts: 3201 |
posted 27 August 2001 03:31 PM
That's what Del Mullen does on his guitars. ------------------ |
|
Jim Smith Member Posts: 6399 |
posted 27 August 2001 04:18 PM
Dekley's changer fingers are chrome plated steel. After 20+ years of playing mine, there is absolutely no wear on the fingers at all.  ------------------ |
|
Bob Mainwaring Member Posts: 918 |
posted 27 August 2001 04:50 PM
What could be done sometime in the future, is to machine, or have machined the finger ends to accept stainless steel "horseshoe" shaped pieces like the Z.Bs did. A machine shop with milling facility or someone who`d be handy with files could make some up for you. Alternatively, a piece of round stainless steel barstock could have the square groove milled along it`s edge, then cut into segments to fit over the newly squared off finger changers. I`m one of those that personaly think that using stainless, grooves are kept at a minimum. My old Z.Bs. show no sign of any grooves Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs. and other weird things. ------------------ |
|
chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 27 August 2001 06:51 PM
I agree with Sage, I think aluminum is used because it's very easy to work with and it's easily cast, though not as easy as zinc, witness Sho-Bud fingers from the '70s on. Annodizing is a possibility, it doesn't conduct electricity though and it would probably have to be hard annodizing as soft annodize is primarily cosmetic. Keep in mind that you are creating an M&M, hard on the outside, soft on the inside. |
|
Jack Stoner Sysop Posts: 8119 |
posted 28 August 2001 04:34 AM
I too have been told the aluminum is the choice for changer fingers because of the sound. My Franklin is almost 19 years old and only has some minor grooving in some of the fingers. The 3rd and 5th changer finger on the E9th changer are the only ones that I've had to wet sand, because of burrs. However I do hit both changers with Simichrome about every 6 months. With that little wear, I don't see aluminum changer fingers as a problem. I don't know what Excel uses on their fingers, but it looks like more than aluminum and I have a friend that had a lot of problems with burrs on one finger on a "new-demo" guitar. |
|
Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 28 August 2001 10:07 AM
I thought they used aluminum for cosmetic reasons.  |
|
Al Udeen Member Posts: 1164 |
posted 29 August 2001 09:40 PM
I have had a jillion guitars, & found the harder the fingers, the thinner the tone, I go with aluminum, & do the light sanding routine! |
| This topic is 6 pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 All times are Pacific (US) | This is an ARCHIVED topic. You may not reply to it! |
Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46
Our mailing address is:
The Steel Guitar Forum
148 South Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA
Support the Forum
Bobby Lee - email: