"Ask Bud!"

Question:

I am having a problem with both of my steels.

On the first steel, the 6th string lower to F# does not want to hold the proper pitch when being let up with my knee lever. It acts like it stays stable at first, but as I let it up, the pitch wants to drop back and then raise up.

On the other steel, it does the same thing with the 8th pedal on the C note on the 10th string on the C6.

I clean both steels regularly to your specs but I'm still having problems. I have the same knee lever raising the 1st string to G# as I do to lower the 6th.

Can you help me with these problems?

Answer:

What is happening is that when you start to lower, your lower goes only a certain distance (not far enough) and then the raise finger engages.

Then it sounds like when you are adjusting it to the note you want to lower to, the fingers are actually floating.

That is, the lowers are beginning to pull the raise fingers along with them.

That is my best guess as to why it is not consistent. What you need to do is UNhook the springs and stretch them a little bit (or adjust them so there is less tension on the spring).

That should fix your problem.

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