Cones for Republic/National tricone

[tjklay1]

Hey Michael, my question is,
Do the national hot rod cones come in the tricone size, and if they do, will they fit in a Republic tricone

Do you think this will make enough difference to justifiy or even tell a difference for the better?
Thanks for your time & wisdom, TJ Klay

[leeophonic]

Shouldn,t you ask NRP or republic this question

A set of Hot rod cones would be considered an upgrade, but there are too many variables to know if it will give you the difference you are looking for.

Start cheap with strings.

Lee

[Michael Messer]

Hello tjklay1,

Welcome to our forum.

Lee has made a good point, but I will explain with more clarity, first with some facts, then with an explanation.

My advice is not based on favouring any of the manufacturers over another.

National (NRP) 6 inch cones will fit your Republic Tricone.

NRP cones are hand-spun by expert spinners in the USA and are very good. Along with Fine Resophonic cones, hand-spun in France, NRP are the best.

Continental cones are hand-spun by an expert spinner in China and are very good indeed, in fact extremely good.

NRP cones may sound slightly different to the Continental cones that your guitar came with, but not necessarily better.

Your Republic tricone will never be a National Tricone, but it can be improved and can sound good.

I do not believe that buying a set of NRP cones for your guitar is worth the money. $130.00 USD (£95.00 GBP) plus import tax if you are not USA based. I have done many tests comparing guitars with NRP and Continental cones, and just fitting NRP cones is not the answer.

I do believe that having your guitar setup properly by an expert resonator guitar luthier is worth the money.

Before taking your guitar to a luthier, the first thing I would do is take the T bridge off and remove all the black paint from it. The black paint kills the tone of a very well made component. If you don't want to dismantle your guitar, order a T bridge from Republic and strip that one.

The next thing I would do is take your guitar to an expert resonator luthier (of which there are very few) and get it properly setup, optimised. I don't know where you are based, but I am sure we can help you there.

Setup is everything. Your guitar can and will be improved dramatically if it is properly setup. This may require major surgery, or may be relatively simple, but it must be done by an experienced expert resonator guitar luthier, not just 'a luthier'.

Tricones are complex instruments. In my opinion, neither manufacturer, NRP or Republic, can make Tricones that sound like 'real' 1920s and 30s Tricones. However, they do sound good when they are setup correctly.

Having said all that, now I have a question that I probably should have asked before making any comments. What is wrong with your guitar and what are you trying to make it do. What gauge strings are on it?

I hope I have been helpful.

Shine On
Michael

[bluesdude]

What Michael says about set up is bang on!!! with the right guy cutting the saddle and set up they sound great! Continetal cones are awesome


Kenny

[Michael Messer]

What Kenny said!

Shine On
Michael.

[lexluthier]

Hi! I've never tried the NRP cones myself but nearly every time I've read the comments of those that have, the report is usually not that they are better(or worse) but just ''different''. A search in this forum I think will bear this out.
 I couldn't agree more with the learned comments above about the set-up and the difference it can make to a resophonic guitar that needs one. The accumalative effect of a number of seemingly subtle changes can add up to dramatically better sounding guitar. I would say this about any guitar but non so much as with a Tricone.

Chris

[gaucho]

I agree with the above. I have replaced several Continental cones (in single and tricone instruments) with Hot Rods and I'm always disappointed. In some cases the Conti's have even sounded better! I had a Republic tricone and put Hot Rods in it awhile back. Traded that guitar for a Dobro but later got another republic Tricone and I'm not changing the cones this time! In fact, I also have a NRP Tricone (with the factory installed Hot Rods that come in all the NRPs since 2008 or so) and I prefer the tone of the Republic. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, considering how much more I paid for the NRP!

I have also done the black paint removal off the T-Bridge of all the Republic's I've had, and it definitely makes a difference. So does replacing that ebony capped bridge insert with one that's just all maple. As Michael said, a proper set-up is the key. I've had a number of Republics (and a Hot Rod) and none had a "proper' set-up out of the box!

[kiwi]

I replaced the cones in an Amistar tricone with the National cones and swapped them back. Just wasn't a wow rare moment like swapping the pressed cone in a very early Regal single cone.

Did it again with a Republic and honestly, it just sounded a little different, no better no worse. The Continental cones are fine. Just bought a few weeks ago an Aiersi tricone (they make Republics and others), and with a decent set up and tweak sounds great.

[brad]

I have a Johnson Tricone, brass body, that I put a set of Paul Beard cones (~$75, US) in about a month ago. (They are smooth cones, no vertical wave stamped into them after their spun by Paul, like National and others do.)

They are a fair bit louder, fuller, smoother, have a lot more chime and more sustain than the stock cones.

I really like them.

Brad