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Post by oldgitar on Sept 13, 2009 10:51:13 GMT
Does anyone have any knowledge on the Shaftesbury resonator guitar? I have had mine over 25 years (mainly as an ornament!). I believe they were made in Japan. It has 6 "tea strainer" covers above the resonator and 2 more in the upper body of the guitar. It looks identical to a DEL VECCHIO DINAMICO pics at elderly.com/vintage/items/50U-2037.htmany info would be greatly appreciated. |
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 13, 2009 11:50:28 GMT
Shaftesbury was the name of the Japanese brand of guitars and amplifiers that were imported/distributed by the London company, Rose Morris. The Shaftesbury Les Paul copy was probably their most well known guitar. The Del Vecchio copy was supposedly made in Japan. It is a long time since I saw one. They used to be quite common in UK guitar shops in the 70s. I can't remember the last time I saw one.
With a proper set-up and a good quality set of classical or Flamenco strings, your Shaftesbury Del Vecchio will sound great.
Shaftesbury also made some great amplifiers in the 60s; the Shaftesbury 66 and one called a Fuzz Tone.....or something similar.
Can you post some detailed photos of your guitar please?
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 11:25:43 GMT
I've fixed up 2 Shaftesbury DelVecchio copies. The first one had a completely collapsed cone, so I got National to make me a new one.
The 2nd one I did for a friend, and he always said that it was rather 'polite sounding' for a resonator. It had no soundwell and a very weird 'soup-plate' cone which just rested on the lip of the hole in the front. It also had a 'Dobro' style coverplate rather than the rather nice wooden DelVecchio pattern. I installed a soundwell and put in a regular biscuit bridge cone. It certainly improved its tone and volume, but I found both of them relatively quiet, as reso guitars go.
They are certainly attractive instruments (to my eye, anyway), and with a bit of knowledgeable 'tweeking' can be decent players....so don't just use it an an ornament!!!
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 17, 2009 12:10:46 GMT
A Del Vecchio Dinamico with nylon strings is a quiet, but beautiful sounding guitar. Paul McGill is a well known Nashville-based luthier who builds great Del Vecchio copies. For a good example listen to Chet Atkins; he played both Del Vecchios and McGills.
I missed a Del Vecchio Dinamico in LRC a few years ago. It was a beautiful sounding guitar. LRC closed down and the guitar dissappeared. Another one that got away!
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by oldgitar on Sept 27, 2009 21:39:48 GMT
Apologies for not responding sooner. My aged Acer laptop finally packed in. Spent a week binning Vista off my new one and loading XP.
Thanks for the info supplied about the guitar. When I find out how, I shall post pics of the guitar.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2009 21:45:47 GMT
Photos can't be posted directly, they have to exist somewhere else in cyberspace first. Put them in photobucket or some such and then link to them there. The voodoo power of the interweb should do the rest, unless I've forgotten some vital step in the process!
take care
LR
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Post by oldgitar on May 3, 2010 14:09:15 GMT
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Post by marshcat on May 3, 2010 17:57:01 GMT
I bought a Shaftesbury for a hundred quid twenty years ago.  On balance, I preferred the dog. After a while, I part-exchanged the Shaftesbury for a 1930 style 1 tricone (needless to say there was a large dollop of cash involved in this somewhat lop-sided transaction). I don't regret parting with the Shaftesbury, but I was daft enough to sell the tricone a few years later. And even dafter not to buy it back again when it became available a couple of years ago. I could have avoided all the heartache if only I hadn't bought the Shaftesbury in the first place...  |
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Post by Michael Messer on May 3, 2010 18:49:43 GMT
Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't these Shaftesbury Del Vecchio copies have nylon/classical strings, rather than the steel ones that both Oldgitar and Marshcat have used? It is more than two decades since I saw a Shaftsebury (possibly Marshcat's), but I have seen & played a few Del Vecchios that all have nylon strings.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by marshcat on May 3, 2010 19:09:41 GMT
Hi Michael,
Well, the tailpiece and nut on my Shaftesbury certainly seemed to be expecting steel strings, in terms of fitting and slot sizes respectively... I dunno, it was very quiet even with steel; I suspect the Del Vecchios were better made and probably better sounding.
The adjustable saddle was a neat idea, for a biscuit bridge type construction. Oldgitar's is missing the clunky palm rest, which was a nut and stud type fixing.
The cone was located somewhere close to the dustbin lid end of the thickness spectrum. And yes, that is a length of white curtain wire they used to keep the cover plate in position...
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Post by Michael Messer on May 3, 2010 21:10:33 GMT
I thought as much. I suspect that Mr Shaftesbury and his team of guitar designers failed to notice that Del Vecchios are Spanish guitars with nylon strings.
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 3, 2010 23:36:55 GMT
My 'genuine' 1960s Del Vechio Uke (actually a ' Dinâmico cavaquinho' has steel strings...... Like most DV instruments it needed a new fretboard to be in tune, made for me by Steve Evans while he was still in the UK. Played with finger picks it sounds like a harpsichord!. I believe that Chet Atkins had 2 DV guitars, and had new fretboards fitted on both... I think(?)that DV made both steel and classical strung guitars, although classical were far more common, but..... And the wood coverplate is indeed located with a bit of plastic coated wire... The sound holes are ali stampings and are similar to those sold in hardware shops as soffit vents! Wikipedia has a page at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Vecchio_%28guitar_maker%29 |
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Post by oldgitar on May 5, 2010 9:50:52 GMT
Thanks for the replies. The guitar has been many years without strings. I purchased it around about 1975 and shortly after had a work accident ripping my middle finger on my left (fretting) hand from top to bottom hence it was left in the cupboard. Haven't tried it with nylon strings but may well do. Just purchased a Canon and waiting for a MM Blues with flatbucker so the Shaftesbury may spend a little longer wrapped up in the cupboard. Interesting comments from Marshcat, hindsight is a wonderful thing. How many of us have bought the "wrong" guitar I wonder. Although I have to admit if I wanted a tricone sound I wouldn't have purchased the Shaftesbury. No doubt the amount of pennies we can afford at the time determines what we purchase. Taken me all these years to be able to "afford" to purchase the guitars from Buskers, a small bribe to the "other half" helped as well. Hopefully she doesn't see Marshcat's dog pic as she is going to suggest I get a dog instead, it would be difficult not to prefer that dog to any guitar.
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