New steel - fingers issue

[D. Scheindlin]

Just got a brand new steel delivered today. Sat down to play and sitting there I noticed what looks like nicks or pits in some of the changer finger tops. Seems not right to me but want some opinions here to make sure I’m not just overreacting….

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[Richard Sinkler]

Brand new? As in it was never owned by someone else? Looks used to me. Looks as though there are string grooves in the fingers.

[John Larson]

Could also be someone was working on the underside with the steel on a flat surface with nothing protecting the changer and the strings or surface make marks into the changer. Looks like tool marks in addition to the string grooves like Richard said. Those fingers look like they are cast as well they aren't as smooth as changer fingers usually are in my experience. Might be casting marks that weren't filed away as they should have been. What make is that steel?

That said if it's not creating audible problems like buzzing and you like the guitar I wouldn't worry about it.

[D. Scheindlin]

Brand new from the factory. It’s a GFI. I didn’t share the make initially because I’m not trying to throw anyone under the bus. I love GFI guitars, I think they are incredibly well engineered, and their customer service reputation is great for a reason (and I have emailed Bob the photos as well—just waiting for a response). Sometimes things slip through. I’ve owned several GFIs and several other makes as well and never seen fingers that look like this. But I also wanted to gut check it with some others.

[D. Scheindlin]

Could also be someone was working on the underside with the steel on a flat surface with nothing protecting the changer and the strings or surface make marks into the changer. Looks like tool marks in addition to the string grooves like Richard said. Those fingers look like they are cast as well they aren't as smooth as changer fingers usually are in my experience. Might be casting marks that weren't filed away as they should have been. What make is that steel?

Casting marks makes sense given the general uneveness across all the finger tops. Yeah, maybe a step got missed in cleaning them up.

[D. Scheindlin]

Reply from GFI to my email:

“Those look like cosmetic imperfections caused when the slots were being sawed into those parts. The sanding equipment we have available would mean trying to get those out by hand holding the piece against a belt which means keeping the radius perfectly round pretty much impossible. That is much more important than the marking so the choice was made to leave them in. They will have no bearing on how the instrument plays.”

He also fairly pointed out that zooming in is going to show a lot of cosmetic imperfections and inconsistencies. No argument there. But the fact is I only took the pictures to highlight what I was seeing with my naked eyes when I sat down to play.

I asked for more clarification on “cosmetic only” as it seems to me that indentations or tool marks that breach the surface of the metal in the string path would be problematic including potential string breakage. Perhaps these truly are just visible marks in the surface vs indentations.

[Erv Niehaus]

I've never seen that on any of the guitars I've owned.
They shouldn't be on a new guitar.
Erv

[D. Scheindlin]

Thanks Erv, I feel that way as well. But just to be sure, here’s a photo from farther away. Am I making too much of this? I feel like for what a new guitar costs everything should be perfect - especially on a key functional component. I’m just not seeing how this is just cosmetic (not that that wouldn’t matter either).

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[John De Maille]

If it were me... I'd send that steel back for a new changer without perfections. Even from a distance you can still see the imperfections. I'm not knocking GFI, but, they should never had let that steel out the door looking like that. After all, It's a new steel not one that's been used for many hours.

[D. Scheindlin]

Yeah, I’ve been thinking through it today and that’s what I’m going to request. And I’m not knocking GFI either. As per my comments above, I’m a big fan. And mistakes happen. I just don’t want to have to bear responsibility for it.

[Larry Allen]

I’m with Erv, not one of my 20 steels in 50 years ever looked like that!!! ID SEND IT BACK .

[Ron Pruter]

Man, GFIs are suppose to have stainless steel rollers aren't they?

[D. Scheindlin]

Man, GFIs are suppose to have stainless steel rollers aren't they?

Yes. What makes you think they’re not?

[Per Berner]

Totally unacceptable, but at least the changer sort of matches the awful orange peel powder coat finish...

[Dennis Detweiler]

I'm not impressed with it. Cast fingers? It's lacking quality control. Maybe GFI is sub-contracting to a new milling provider? However, most of the changer and metal looks like cast parts and imperfections throughout?

[Ron Pruter]

D. In response to your ? to me... I just felt like stain-less steel would look shiny-er and not look so worn already. Ron

[D. Scheindlin]

So Bob confirmed that it was human error, made by the guy who was sawing the slots in the fingers—he didn’t realize until he was done with the batch that he had marked them all up. Bob said he’ll make some new ones and when they’re ready I’ll ship the steel back and they’ll swap them out. Mistakes happen. It would have been better had they fixed it before shipping to me, but Bob will make things right.

[D. Scheindlin]

I'm not impressed with it. Cast fingers? It's lacking quality control. Maybe GRI is sub-contracting to a new milling provider? However, most of the changer and metal looks like cast parts and imperfections throughout?

I don’t know if they’re cast but this is not at all typical of GFI quality (I’ve owned several, both new and used and they are generally top notch). This was a case of human error and Bob’s going to replace the fingers.

[Micah Larson]

These are the tops of the changer fingers on my brand new steel. There are chips and other cosmetic imperfections elsewhere that are much more noticeable. From what I gather, visual attention to detail isn't prioritized as much on a $6000 pedal steel as it might be on a high-end regular guitar.

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[D. Scheindlin]

These are the tops of the changer fingers on my brand new steel. There are chips and other cosmetic imperfections elsewhere that are much more noticeable. From what I gather, visual attention to detail isn't prioritized as much on a $6000 pedal steel as it might be on a high-end regular guitar.PXL_20250523_030404361.jpg

What kind of guitar is that, Micah?

[K Maul]

What kind of guitar is that, Micah?

GFI

[D. Scheindlin]

What kind of guitar is that, Micah?

GFI

I’m not sure what it is, but it’s definitely not a GFI

[Jerry Overstreet]

That's a recent Williams with black anodized cantilevered bridge/changer rollers.

The chip and striations are on the spacers between them.

[J D Sauser]

Looking at these pictures of the OP (D. Scheindlin) I first wondered if they'd really used potmetal fingers like Sho-Bud used in later models, much to the displeasure of most owners, may I add.
But then, Micah's pictures seem to suggest that they are CNC milled from some material which can chip.

I could take Micah's but I must join the sentiment here, that D. Scheindlin's "New" PSG's fingers don't even look used, because the random marks and uneven indentations which seem to have been polished over are not something we've seen on even a bandstand workhorse from 50 years ago.
Again, the marks are a-typical of any manufacturing process I would know, unless someone would go about making fingers our of some scrap material with a hack saw and a rough file (and maybe even a little hammer to give it that final "touch") by hand one by one.

Now, in both cases, I doubt that it will audibly affect the tone. I for one, just posted recently that I don't find mirror polished changer-finger surfaces desirable because it allows string to move sideways on typically a 1/4" behind the tangent point... a phenomenon I feel sucks dynamics and sustain out the strings vibrating energy and may only "return the favor" by feeding buzz-noises into the mix.
That being said, were this the NEW guitar I would unpack with excitement and anticipation on my front porch... it'd be disappointed and would most likely return it for a refund and look for more satisfaction elsewhere.

I brakes my heart to see this not only feeling for the customers, but I have the highest of respects for Gene Fields long history of innovations. While I was never attracted to the cosmetic design of the GFI, I've inspected many at shows Decades ago, and never seem to have seen anything but a mechanically precise and well machined instrument.

... J-D.

[Donny Hinson]

I don't think the marks I see will affect the playability or sound. But, I have to admit that the imperfections (divots) that are seen in at least three of the fingers make them look crappy. Don't know what caused them, or how they got past even a cursory visual inspection (I'm assuming the assemblers at least look at the parts they're putting together?), but I can understand your concern. Would I return the guitar for it? No, but I would ask for replacement parts for the three that look worst. I figure that's the least they oughta do.