Full PSG Set Up Advice

[Ben Miller]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for advice on how to do a full set up by yourself. I recently got a new to me MCI SD-10 4x5 off the forum (thank you Steve). It's an awesome guitar that appears to be in great shape. I just want to change it to my preferences. I'm hoping to get a longer/smoother throw with the pedal action but I've already twisted on the barrels as far as they'll go on to the pedal rod. With that, I think I'm going to have to change where the pull rods sit on the bell cranks.

Regardless, I want to better understand the instrument and how everything works so I want to do this myself. Are there any common mistakes I should be aware of before I start messing with things? I have the MCI manual as well as steelguitar.com 's "adjustments" page ready to go. I've also read that moving slow and taking notes helps with the process.

Please share anything you wish you had known before you started setting up your own instruments. I appreciate the help!

Ben

[Jerry Overstreet]

https://steelguitar.com/
Here's a pretty good place to start thanks to the Carter company. These guitars are very similar to the MCI having had Bud Carter's hands on both brands.

You will also find an MCI owner's manual there as well as some general information concerning the operation and technical pedal steel guitar aspects.

[Andy Brown]

Take pictures of everything before you start - which hole the rods are in on the changer and on the bellcranks. If a change turns out not quite right, you can easily put it back from the photos. Someone posted this image on the forum before. It's helped me in the past.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If the guitar is playing proper now. Take many pictures, Also
Make a chart with changer hole position and bell crank hole position, To identify where each rod goes.
Pictures are great, But the changer area sometimes is hard to see and photograph the exact hole, Pulls are in.
Good Luck on your dive into steel mechanics, Happy Steelin.