Changer pin challenge.

[Jamie Howarth]

AITAH for thinking the pin on the changer should be at like 3oclock with clearance around it to snub the ball end of the string on?

As contrasted with the pin at 5:30 literally all the way around and under the roller, with stainless steel flanges flanking the slot making it impossible to get anything on the ball end while it's flipping and twisting this way and that?

Any sharpies have a suggestion for even finding it, let alone snubbing it on so the string can be tightened?

On the old ShoBud just slip the ball on the visible and accessible (and more than a 1/16" long) pin and hold it with a finger while cranking the peg.

[Tucker Jackson]

Are all the pins at 5:30?

If so, what kind of guitar is this?

If not, it sounds like that finger is just over-rotated out of place so that it's not actually sitting at neutral. You might have to use some appropriate tools to shove it back in place.

[Jamie Howarth]

Nope. They're all like that.

One idea i had was to move the rod to the lower (it's the B raise now) and if i depress the pedal it will rotate in the direction I need, then once the string is replaced change the rod back. Imagine doing that on stage in a hurry.

I'm looking for a solution, and would prefer not to name the brand. The builder of the guitar is one of the big names, says it's no problem.

[Tucker Jackson]

That's unusual -- never come across a finger design where it was really hard to put on a string.

Maybe others who have a guitar like that will chime in with their tips and tricks?

[Jamie Howarth]

here's a gallery of options

[Jamie Howarth]

more

[Donny Hinson]

Is this an all-pull guitar, or a pull/release? It looks like it's overtuned or improperly set up on some strings, with the tuning nuts pushing the finger out of its proper position.

[Jamie Howarth]

it's an all pull and it's not overtuned. All the tabs underneath are flush.

[Bobby D. Jones]

From your picture of the problem finger, Something has happened in the linkage on ( looks like 3rd string) and is causing the problem.
Look down into the changer with a good light, Then turn the guitar over and check from the bottom very close.
With the other fingers looking to be in line.
From the 3rd finger position, The first guess would be the is a broken string and ball caught somewhere in the linkage. When comparing 2nd string and 4th string ball alignment. The 3rd looks the thickness of the little brass ball out of line.
Good luck finding the problem and cure.

[Jamie Howarth]

I'll see if something is jamming it.

By the way the other strings are a bitch to put on. The photo doesn't do justice to how there's utterly no way to hold the ball ring on the peg.

If anyone wants a premiere instrument with a flaw i can't put up with PM me.

[Donny Hinson]

I'll see if something is jamming it.

By the way the other strings are a bitch to put on. The photo doesn't do justice to how there's utterly no way to hold the ball ring on the peg.

Poppycock. (The ancient but polite way of saying b___s___.)
Make a "dingus" from a piece of wood (like a wooden clothespin), or a piece of rubber (like a big eraser) and cut it down (maintaing a slim taper) with a sharp knife so you can stick it down in the hole to keep the ball from coming off the pin.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember to remove the dingus before you tune up the string to full tension because the ball has to be solidly seated all the way on the pin. (You may have to use a small screwdriver to do this.) If the ball isn't solidly seated against the finger, you may break the pin when you tune it up to full pitch.

Yes, the ball pins are a pain in the ass; I hate them. But it's not an insurmountable issue. Probably more than half the guitars out still use pins, and those who play them have adapted to the task. You can too!

p.s. The finger with no string is definitely out of position for some reason, and that's why that pin is hard to access. Make sure both the raise and lower parts of the finger are against the stop.

[Jamie Howarth]

Thanks for the condescension- we all need some humility now and then.

To which I say poppycock.

No the problem is not sticking something in there to hold the ball on the pin.
The. problem is getting the ball on the pin in the first place, which if you looked at the photo you might observe that the way the decorative back of the changer is milled - with such narrow channels between fingers - there is no way to hook the pin in the first place.

Bad industrial design.

[Donny Hinson]

Jamie, I do apologize. My attempt to interject some levity to assuage some of your frustration was evidently unpleasantly received.

That said, did you just get this guitar? It "appears" in your photos that all the fingers do not have the same issue. At any rate, if you want assistance, it might help if we also had pictures of the bottom of the changer. And if you would give the make/model of the guitar, it might prompt others who have such a guitar to offer more suggestions. (Being buyers, we have the right to gripe about things we buy.) I do know that some players bend a hook on the ball ends of strings to make them easier to install on the pins on some guitars, that's not a big deal. However, I'm concerned that this is not germane or a solution to the problem you're having. Maybe something is broken or mis-installed? Maybe someone made a part or did a repair that caused the issue? Surely, if a bunch of guitars were made with the same problem, we'd have heard of this issue very frequently. Do you see what I'm saying?

Understand that some of us here really want to help you, and this instrument can be very perplexing, at times. I enjoy solving problems and helping others to solve them. (Probably the reason I play more chess now than I do music.)

[Jamie Howarth]

Thanks, no problems, we're all broad-shouldered..

I'll flip it over and see if something is jamming string 3's finger. .... looking from below at the changer all the raise and lower tabs are fkush at rest. My understanding of the mechanism is that if it were jammed, the tab would be protruding because it couldn't completely retract.. That does not appear to be the case. But I'll dig into it.


It still doesn't cure the fact that getting the ball snubbed on the pin when you can't actually touch the pin and the pin is past 3 o'clock (from the player perspective). The string needs to be bent to wrap around the circumference beyond 90 degrees.

Another separate issue that this guitar has is that the string 2 drop won't go all the way to pitch. The manufacturer told me to adjust the stop, which actually is an allen contacting at point where the lever mechanism hits a small steel plate affixed to the underside of the body. Even with the allen screw and plate completely removed, such that the mechanism itself is digging into the.wood the string wall not drop all the way to C# and no it's not over tuned. Try different slots on the bell crank.? done. I don't know how this thing got out the door in the shape that it's in.. I might send it to the manufacturer with a check and ask him to go through it.

I do admit to being a bit cryptic about the brand/model which I'm happy to reveal in a private message, but which I don't want to get into a huge potentially blackballing situation here because I don't like this axe. The manufacture is a big name and I don't need the controversy.

It sounds good and apart from the tuning issues which I can work around it's a good guitar. Doesn't have the mojo that my ancient show by the Ricky Davis set up has but but it's also a lot less of a rattletrap..

Anyway enough for now. It's frustrating but it will be Saturday before I can disassemble the changer to see what's up,