Bass pedal issues on b3...

**Chris Keyman** · 08-15-2011, 03:41 PM

Hi,
I have a request to help a B3 in church with a bass tone (or tones) sticking. The only way to stop the sustaining notes is to push in the 2 bass drawbars all the way in. What's worse is that the guy already tried my first suggestion: Remove the pedals. That did nothing. Can a plunger in the bass pedal assembly get stuck? Maybe a grain of something (like sand) jammed itself in there? What else could suddenly start a bass tone endlessly sustaining? I don't mind helping out but I don't even live there anymore and it's over an hour away.
Thanks

**Hamman** · 08-15-2011, 09:10 PM

Maybe its the metal tab end(s) that could be bent down just enough to hair trigger one of the bass pedal switches and yet the pedal return isnt pulling it up far enough to release the contact? Are the pedal tensions tight enough? If not that could cause a situation for the pedals not to return. There are nuts on the backs of the pedal boards (remove rear wood pedal cover...under where the bench resides) tightening them will give you more "up" tension

**geoelectro** · 08-16-2011, 01:39 AM

Yes, plungers get stuck. Also the contacts can get stuck if played hard. The stuck plunger can be pulled up and a drop of oil on it can solve that problem. The contacts are another matter requiring going into the pedal switch assembly. If you pull the plunger up and the sound stops, its the plunger.

Geo

**Chris Keyman** · 08-18-2011, 01:48 AM

Plunger can be pushed in but does not come back high enough to use. Only flush with the cylinder. Spring underneath might be bad?

**geoelectro** · 08-18-2011, 12:43 PM

It's sticking. The spring underneath is the contacts. That plunger should be very free to move. You may be able to tap on the cylinder and have it pop back up. A typical problem is people running it with a bad pedal felt or no felt at all. The spring steel pusher will distort the brass plunger and cause it to start sticking. I have used a small file to smooth the edges of the plunger and correct the sticking. Of course you have to get it back up to do that.

Geo

**ybrian** · 10-23-2012, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by geoelectro

Yes, plungers get stuck. Also the contacts can get stuck if played hard. The stuck plunger can be pulled up and a drop of oil on it can solve that problem. The contacts are another matter requiring going into the pedal switch assembly. If you pull the plunger up and the sound stops, its the plunger.

Geo

Geo:
where exactly on my pedals should I put oil? I'm having this same problem in church. At times if I get a little excited and play a D or an Eb with a little too much zeal, the pedal will get stuck in the down position.

Suggestions please?

**geoelectro** · 10-23-2012, 01:00 PM

There is a difference between the pedal itself getting stuck and what we were talking about earlier with the pedal contact/plunger getting stuck. If the pedal is getting stuck just remove the pedals from the organ and inspect the offending pedal. It simply moves up and down between two pedal guides made of metal. To prevent side to side motion and to keep it quiet there are two felts on each side of the wooden pedal.

You may have worn felts allowing the pedal to move from side to side too far. There could even be something stuck between two pedals. Of course the pedal spring adjustment should be checked. This is a very simple mechanism that a close visual inspection should reveal any problems.

Geo

**tonewheel1966** · 10-23-2012, 01:23 PM

I had this persistent problem on my C3 and had this advice. In the end someone suggested shifting the pedal busbars and that cleared it. The theory was that a little barb of metal was catching the spring. I had to turn the busbars quite a way before the sound stopped.

Worth a try!