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Author
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Topic: MSA Changer problem on C6 neck...
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Grant Johnson
Member From: Nashville TN
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posted 26 March 2005 05:38 PM
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I recently purchased an MSA D-10 1976 from a fellow forumite who had the c-6 neck set up for a non-pedal 8 string. He had left all the pulls in place. I restrung it for 10 strings and the lowers barely work out at all; the most I can get on a lower is barely a half note. The boowah on the low C string will not go at all. I rolled up my sleeves and lubed the underside and changer, and increased the pedal and lever throws, and made sure that the belly rods all were seated correct with just a tiny bit of slack. Still nothing on the lowers. I inspected the changer and noticed that the lowers are pulling the raises as well cancelling out the lowers. The raises work fine.
If I unhook the return spring the lower will work...Any thoughts on how to proceed? I have never had to pull a changer before and am a little scared.... The C6 Changer shows very little wear so I am worried that something may have froze up in years of non-use... ------------------
www.bigsmokey.com
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Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 26 March 2005 05:46 PM
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That's possible, but I suppose the problem is more likely a combination of not enough slack in the pulling train, and the lower-return springs being too tight. If the fingers were froze, they wouldn't move when you removed the return springs. Are both fingers against the stop-bar on the bottom of the changer when no pedals are activated? |
Grant Johnson
Member From: Nashville TN
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posted 26 March 2005 05:49 PM
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All fingers are against the stop bar....
I'll slack up the belly rods a bit more, and see if that helps.
[This message was edited by Grant Johnson on 26 March 2005 at 05:59 PM.] |
Jim Phelps
Member From: just out of Mexico City
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posted 26 March 2005 07:05 PM
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Maybe some of this info from last week's question about the same problem will help:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/009804.html |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 27 March 2005 11:22 AM
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Grant, unhook the pull rods from a troublesome string, and then just try to effect the change by pushing on the finger raise and lower levers (from underneath) with a screwdriver. That will tell you if the changer is working properly.( Note: The lighter the string guages used, the lighter the lower-return springs must be on an all-pull changer!) |
Grant Johnson
Member From: Nashville TN
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posted 27 March 2005 01:16 PM
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Donny its working.
Just for laughs I tuned my low C up an E and the boowah pedal now works, so it looks like I will have to up my string gauge for more tension or lighten my return spring....
Thanks for you help everyone!
Please close this thread. |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 27 March 2005 05:47 PM
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That's the ticket, Grant. The springs in the old MSA's were pretty heavy, for the sake of longevity, but they do demand a certain string tension to work properly. I bought some springs 5/16" x 2 3/16" at either Pep Boys, or Home Depot, part number 340662.1 that seem to work pretty well with lighter-guage strings, but any standard steel guitar string set should work. Since the previous owner was playing that neck non-pedal, he may have lightened the guages to get a different sound. |
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