OK,,,second session,,,and this one will be a little shorter,,,I hope, and will be dealing with setting strings that both raise and lower. Now mind you,,,I'm just sorta' hitting the high spots on all of this. Hopefully, if you encounter a problem here and there, you'll be able to recognize what to do to get around it. If not,,, email or call me (281-856-9453) and maybe I can help you.
When setting/adjusting strings that both raise and lower you "MUST" give presidence to the lower when setting the raise.
1'st: Activate the lower and keep it activated solidly by what ever means you can. ie,,,with an elbow, another person, that "third hand" (haha!), or whatever you figure out to hold it in.
2'nd: Bring the locking collar on the raise rod up to the bellcrank and leave just ever so slightly a little room between the collar and bell crank,,,,maybe a 32'nd of an inch.
Now, if you have other changes on this pedal/lever, you must keep in mind to address the one that requires the longest amount of travel first. Other changes that require less travel will be adjusted after you attend to the "long" one. This is usually where the absorber springs come into play. Unless I just have to for some reason, I don't usually put a spring on the long throw. Only on the shorter one and I prefer to use no more spring lengths than is necessary to "balance out the feel" and still maintain a good and solid pedal/lever.
Yes, this means you will be cutting springs to the proper and desired length to achieve this. Sometimes you only need a coil or two and sometimes more. On rare occasions have I ever used a full length "factory" spring.
If you don't have a grinder wheel or a belt sander to "dress down" the cut end of the spring, at least try to make your cut as clean, straight and square as possible and put the finished "factory" end next to the bellcrank.
Next: You are going to have to address the stops. I'll not argue whether or not the raise finger should hit the guitar body or not. I think it's best if it does. (as far as that goes, it's best for the lower fingers to also hit the lower stop screws in the same manner too)
On a Emmons push pull if you have a string that has two or more different changes, then the only one that makes contact with the body, or the lower tuning screw, is the longest or "dominant" one. The other changes are usually adjusted (tuned) with what is commonly called a "half tone tuner". Of coarse, these lesser changes will not make contact with the body or lower tuning screw.
If you want your guitar to have a chance to feel the way it should, this whole area is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE!!!! Hell, it's all important,,,but this really is. And this applies to any guitar,,,PP or all pull.
Stops tell your pedals and levers "OK, this is as far as I go for me to feel right". Much attention has to be given here.
Ultimately,,,you want the finger to hit the body at the "precise" moment the pedal/lever hits the stop screw. Now, the stop screw is usually the place where you make the adjustments. There are some exceptions to this every once in a while, but I'll not get into that here and now.
With this all done, you had better go back and check everything, making sure the the raises do not inhibit the lowers.
"How do I tell this?", you ask. Well, it's simple! Just look at both of the changer fingers (the raise finger and the lower finger). As the lower finger travels toward and finally comes to rest on the lower tuning screw, the raise finger should move all the way with it. If the raise finger stops moving before the lowering finger makes contact, then you have to move the raise collar away from the raise bellcrank untill it does. The raise is inhibiting the string to lower to the proper pitch. This also usually means that you have to readjust the stop screw.
I know that this all sounds complicated. And it is until you "get the whole picture" in your mind and see these things in action. If you "pay attention", make notes and put a little thought into all of this before hand as well as when you are doing the work, it really becomes pretty simple. Well,,,I hope so anyway.
Just think,,,after a few dozen tries and maybe a hundred or so guitars, you might can say,,,,"Hey, I know how to do this!".
That's all for now.
Later,
BB
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If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!