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Author
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Topic: Sideways" pull rods...
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Bob Carlucci
Member From: Candor, New York, USA
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posted 09 July 2005 07:11 AM
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Setting up another steel ,I keep wondering if I am the only one with this problem.. On steels with solid pull fingers, it seems it is quite difficult to get ALL pull rods pulling completely straight..
Sooner or later you MUST go around a few fingers and SOME rods will be pulling the changer fingers at an angle.I know the rods can be bent to go around, but sometimes that is not easy to do neatly with a pliers while under the steel..Anyone with any good ideas??.. I come pretty close, but the look of those slightly angled rods bugs me.. It does not seem to effect the performance, but looks lousy. Maybe thats why I prefer guitars where the pull finger is split in two,allowing rods to go through.. {MSA, Carter}.. Easy to keep everything running straight and true,looking neat as a pin. Do you guys BEND the rods or let them pull at a small angle??.. I am NOT having a problem really ,the guitar re rodding/copedent change/set up is going well, but I am just wondering if I can make it look "factory"... bob |
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 09 July 2005 07:24 AM
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I never have the rods run at an angle. If absolutely necessary, I bend them to make them work.
Erv |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 09 July 2005 07:42 AM
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The key is to set up the pedals nearest the changer first. It's very important to have the shorter rods pulling straight. The longer rods can operate at a very slight angle with no ill effects. Bending rods is a last resort in some cases.If the changer was designed properly, it wouldn't really matter if the rods were on an angle. |
Darvin Willhoite
Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
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posted 09 July 2005 07:47 AM
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Usually it is necessary to bend the pull rods to get around bellcranks, or knee lever mounts to keep the pull on the changer in a straight line. Here is a picture of the bottom of my MSA Classic SS that I added 4 knee levers to, for a total of 8. I use a pair of large vise grips and custom bend the rods as needed for clearance. Sometimes it takes a couple of trys, but they'll work fine when you're finished.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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Jon Light
Member From: Brooklyn, NY
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posted 09 July 2005 07:53 AM
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I will NEVER bend a rod while under the guitar or while it is in any way connected to anything else. Study the problem, remove the rod, bend with visegrips & pliers, or even better, with a bench vise and pliers, check fit and repeat as necessary. It's the difference between sloppy & half-assed or precise & clean. Not to say that my undercarriage is immaculate--I've done some stuff in a rush that cries out for upgrade but I would never try to bend a rod in place. |
Ray Minich
Member From: Limestone, New York, USA
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posted 09 July 2005 07:56 AM
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Darvin, that looks like the tank farm plumbing at the refinery next door. Awesome. |
Bob Carlucci
Member From: Candor, New York, USA
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posted 09 July 2005 08:16 AM
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Getting the knee rods close to the changer straight is usualy not a big problem, but both my E pulls ore on right knee[RKR=E/ Eb.. RKL=E/F].. So there is NO way get those lined up exactly.. Something has to move or be bent.. I usually "split the difference" and the "L" in the rod will make up for the angles a bit.. Now, when I run the E-F# rod on pedal 3,it MUST go around these two bellcranks.. Again ,I prefer to let the rod kind of "glide" past any obstructions,{within reason of course"]as oppossed to bending it. I guess a lot depends on how many pulls there are.. I recently sold a ProI S 10 w/5+5 and there were rods angled and bent up, going every which way... It worked fine but was creepy looking. Bill Rudolph worked on this particular Williams a year or so ago, and I saw no bent rods as I got started tearing it down... anything that interfered was
"gone around" at the slight angle I mentioned. I will probably keep it that way, but I need to order some parts anyway and I'll ask his opinion... thanks for the input... bob |
richard burton
Member From: Britain
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posted 09 July 2005 11:55 AM
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Get a Push-Pull Emmons.
One rod from the changer finger, through as many bell cranks as you like.
No bending of rods, and no mis-alignment.
R B |
Bob Leaman
unregistered
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posted 09 July 2005 02:07 PM
Try bending the rods on a Sierra and you will have a tuning problem. |
Curt Langston
Member From: ***In the shadows of Tulsa at Bixby, USA***
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posted 09 July 2005 04:49 PM
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Carter has a rodding chart on their website. It is really helpful in arranging the pulls. You might be able to use the blank chart to regroup. Might help. |
Darvin Willhoite
Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
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posted 09 July 2005 05:18 PM
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Hmmm... I guess my MSA looks "sloppy" and "half----" as I formed most of the pull rods as I was installing them. I'm glad I'm now enlightened. Here's some closer pictures of my bent rods.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
[This message was edited by Darvin Willhoite on 09 July 2005 at 05:35 PM.]
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Bob Carlucci
Member From: Candor, New York, USA
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posted 09 July 2005 08:17 PM
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Darvin.. yikes!!... looks like you could get somethin' caught in there if you're not careful  ... bob |
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