Need help and/or advice regarding modifying a Dekley S12, B6/E9 tuning into E9 Extended

[Walter Webb]

Dekley bottom.jpg

I would like to put this U12 Dekley single neck into E9th extended. So much of it is weird to me, and nearly unplayabe. For starters, the E and F knee levers are on the right side, way out there, so I'll need some long rods to put them on the left like God intended. I think the ABC pedals are in Jimmy Day order. I'd prefer Emmons. It has a normal vertical lever above the left knee.
It is missing one knee lever, but I was able to locate one from Tom Bradshaw in CA. Missing is the crossbar and bellcrank parts for adding that knee lever. It's the older style of crossbar/bellcrank without the metal runner in a groove: just smooth approx. 3/8" fat rods that stick into nylon bushings in the side frame. My crossbars are smooth, and the bellcranks just pinch onto them with a bolt.
It has 8 foot pedals for all the B6 stuff, but I'd go down to 4, or 5 at the most for E9 Ext.

I'm doubting my ability do this kind of work, having never done anything like it. Does anybody have leads for this era Dekley parts, especially the crossbar rod and bellcrank?
Or, does anybody know of a competent PSG mechanic within driving distance of the SF Bay Area?

[Larry Jamieson]

Steel Guitars of North Country in Oceanside could probably help you out. That's the only tech I have heard of in California.
Good luck with your project.

[Walter Webb]

Thanks, but California is mighty long, and Oceanside is very far South. I don't think they do mechanical work like this. Maybe I'd be better off to sell it and buy exactly what I want new or used. Interestingly, when I bought it off Facebook Marketplace, it came with a boatload of Jeff Newman booklets and tapes, another box full of E9 instruction books, and Emmons publications, and tapes to go along with them.

[Pat Chong]

Hi Walter,
Working on the Dekley is not that difficult, but it would depend on your mechanical understanding and abilities.

The metal runner that runs most of the length of the crossbar, although on original parts, is not needed on replacement parts.

Since you are reducing the number of pedal functions, you should have enough parts to cover the alterations that you want, and to add the extra knee lever too.

You can do it yourself, or have someone else do it. I'm in New Mexico, if you are headed this way, I can help. I wish you well on the repair.

.......Pat.

[Bobby D. Jones]

Looking at the picture, On the rear apron, (Where the knee levers are positioned), There looks like there is 4 pairs of screw holes. Along the length of the guitar.
Is there a cover plate that can be removed to access the ends of the cross shafts, If the screws are removed?

Changing the guitar from Day C-B-A to Emmons A-B-C is not hard to do. Just the A-C pedals linkage, Will require reversing.

You want to keep 5 pedals, You may want to move ABC pedals 1 to right, And keep present C pedal for what is called a Zero Pedal. And put the 5th pedal to right of Emmons C pedal. So pedals are setup 0-A1-B2-C3-?4.

There should be 2 cross shafts, 5 Bell cranks and 5 pull rods left over, To use installing your knee lever.
Hope you can find someone to set the guitar up for you.

[Chris Brooks]

Walter, Oceanside is indeed a hike from the Bay area, so why don't you just send it to Jim at North Country (after you check with him)?

Jim works on and restores all kinds of guitars. I'll bet he could do this one.

[Joseph Carlson]

Ian Worley is Sacramento does great work. He's bailed me out a few times over the years.

[Walter Webb]

Thanks for the tip!
Ian is now on board, doing the conversion job. I just have to figure out what I want for two extra pedals...