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Post by Alan on Jun 26, 2006 20:33:22 GMT
on ebay at the moment
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 26, 2006 20:50:43 GMT
Now that's not funny! >>>> WHAT IS IT??Shine On Michael
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Post by Alan on Jun 26, 2006 21:45:18 GMT
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Post by LouisianaGrey on Jun 26, 2006 22:27:26 GMT
Gordon Bennett, I'm not surprised it's very rare. I've seen some bodge-ups in my time but nothing to match that. Whoever did it seems to have taken the entire body of a zither banjo, cut the back off, plonked it in the guitar body and then stuck the back on again.
There was a craze for the zither banjo in the UK at the beginning of the 20th century and vast numbers were made by various English manufacturers. If you find a good one they actually have a very nice sound.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 26, 2006 23:18:34 GMT
It could be an early Dave King model......only joking Dave ;D It's in Berkshire, so it can't be far from me. I might have to make them an offer! Here's the blurb from the eBay seller... This is an opportunity to buy one of the most unusual and rare guitars that I have ever come across.
I believe it to date from the 1940's or '50's; and it could have well been used by a street singer or busker, using finger picks to attain the customary loud volume when using picks.
This 12-stringed instrument is one of the largest I have come across, measuring a total of 45 inches in length, and 17-and-a-quarter at its widest point. Its depth is three-and-five-eighths inches. As you can see from the photographs, it has a skinned-banjo insert in the front and resonator back, which gives it the type of sound that one usually associates with a banjo (yet, because it has 12 strings, the sound remains unique). The neck is straight and playable, with minimal fret wear, and there is a zero fret. All the machine heads are fully functional: it has an adjustable ebony bridge, and the neck is also adjustable via the aid of a screw which will take the action higher or lower, as one desires. The addition of two lower f-holes makes it worthy of being an accessory in a pop video. You may, of course, have detailed photographs upon request.
I cannot seem to find a maker's name on it; and if anyone can help concerning this, I should love to hear from them. Please, however, remember that the guitar itself is probably over 50 years' old, and as such, has the appropriate wear to it - but this is nothing serious!And here are some more pics... Sixty five quid is a bit steep, but I'd pay the postage! Shine On, Michael.
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Post by Andy S on Aug 8, 2006 22:12:37 GMT
Thought I'd post a project that I have just finished. I have just successfully finished a nice slab bodied Les Paul Junior, which I made using a spare SG neck and a P90 pickup, a guitar I have alway hankered after to complement my Tele, and made with a custom body made more the size of an L5, but with one pickup. I had a spare cone lying around from upgrading my Vintage VR400, and both projects got me thinking about a resophonic solution to two problems, 1) how to make a guitar with electric guitar playability with a bit more volume for impromptu jams, and 2) how to make a resophonic guitar that was more suited to late night noodling on the sofa when the kids were asleep/neighbours were on shifts. So inspired by the Student model 1133 on another thread, I thought I'd produce a prototype to see how much volume a solid bodied reso would give. This is the result;- I acquired a budget electric with a reasonably playable neck for a tenner at a car boot sale, used two pieces of 3/4 inch beech from an old store cupboard, which I laminated together, after cutting the 9 1/2 inch cavity and the neck pocket out of the top one. Rather than use a back cover plate, I merely drilled through the back with a variety of drill bits in a pattern to give the back sound holes. The cover plate is wide around the biscuit, because the thin body means a high cone, which gives a good string break angle over the bridge, but means a fairly shimmed neck. This cover plate is made from black plastic. The body shape draws on many influeneces, the top horn is Tele based, with a tilt towards the early 1980s Fender Bullet, the bottom horn is both 1133 and Fender Jaguar inspired, giving better clearance for your hand when using a slide up at the dusty end of the neck. The scratch plate is a bit more artistic license, the holes inspired by the switch position of a Les Paul, the influence of working in an art college, and the availability of a set of hole saws! The pickup is an old Tele neck (The donor guitar now has a Seymour Duncan humbucker instead), it has one control, but room in the cavity should I decide to wire in a cone pickup. If anything this pickup is a bit weak, something with a bit more ooomph may well replace it. Soundwise it does what I want, it is loud enough to compete with another acoustic, yet it has less volume than my upgraded reso acoustic. It is an ideal sofa guitar, plays close to an electric without the need for plugging in amps and leads, and has a brash, yet wiry kind of sound. It works best with a set of heavy electric strings, and is light and easy to sit/stand with. I dont know what other forum members will think of it, I would love to hear your opinions, but it serves many purposes, it gives me a different take on a resonator, it gives me an electric that doesnt need an amp, a resonator that doesnt deafen the household, and proves that a solid bodied resonator can work, even one that is made from timber which is not normally associated with guitars. For the cost of a cheap guitar, the wood from an old cabinet, and a spare cone, I have my own version of a national 1133. Now,just wait till I apply my router to a Telecaster!!!!!! Andy S
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Post by Andy S on Aug 8, 2006 22:21:04 GMT
Thought I'd post a project that I have just finished. I have just successfully finished a nice slab bodied Les Paul Junior, which I made using a spare SG neck and a P90 pickup, a guitar I have alway hankered after to complement my Tele, and made with a custom body made more the size of an L5, but with one pickup. I had a spare cone lying around from upgrading my Vintage VR400, and both projects got me thinking about a resophonic solution to two problems, 1) how to make a guitar with electric guitar playability with a bit more volume for impromptu jams, and 2) how to make a resophonic guitar that was more suited to late night noodling on the sofa when the kids were asleep/neighbours were on shifts. So inspired by the Student model 1133 on another thread, I thought I'd produce a prototype to see how much volume a solid bodied reso would give. This is the result;- I acquired a budget electric with a reasonably playable neck for a tenner at a car boot sale, used two pieces of 3/4 inch beech from an old store cupboard, which I laminated together, after cutting the 9 1/2 inch cavity and the neck pocket out of the top one. Rather than use a back cover plate, I merely drilled through the back with a variety of drill bits in a pattern to give the back sound holes. The cover plate is wide around the biscuit, because the thin body means a high cone, which gives a good string break angle over the bridge, but means a fairly shimmed neck. This cover plate is made from black plastic. The body shape draws on many influeneces, the top horn is Tele based, with a tilt towards the early 1980s Fender Bullet, the bottom horn is both 1133 and Fender Jaguar inspired, giving better clearance for your hand when using a slide up at the dusty end of the neck. The scratch plate is a bit more artistic license, the holes inspired by the switch position of a Les Paul, the influence of working in an art college, and the availability of a set of hole saws! The pickup is an old Tele neck (The donor guitar now has a Seymour Duncan humbucker instead), it has one control, but room in the cavity should I decide to wire in a cone pickup. If anything this pickup is a bit weak, something with a bit more ooomph may well replace it. Soundwise it does what I want, it is loud enough to compete with another acoustic, yet it has less volume than my upgraded reso acoustic. It is an ideal sofa guitar, plays close to an electric without the need for plugging in amps and leads, and has a brash, yet wiry kind of sound. It works best with a set of heavy electric strings, and is light and easy to sit/stand with. I dont know what other forum members will think of it, I would love to hear your opinions, but it serves many purposes, it gives me a different take on a resonator, it gives me an electric that doesnt need an amp, a resonator that doesnt deafen the household, and proves that a solid bodied resonator can work, even one that is made from timber which is not normally associated with guitars. For the cost of a cheap guitar, the wood from an old cabinet, and a spare cone, I have my own version of a national 1133. Now,just wait till I apply my router to a Telecaster!!!!!! Andy S
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Post by Andy S on Aug 9, 2006 7:01:28 GMT
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Post by snakehips on Aug 9, 2006 7:12:47 GMT
Hi there !
Wow ! Looks cool - is that an original National cone ? It looks like it ?
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Post by Andy S on Aug 9, 2006 8:51:32 GMT
No, its the cheap Chinese one that was in my Vintage VR400BK before I replaced it with a Quarterman. It also has a homemade biscuit bridge too, made also out of beech! It sounds better in the solid guitar than it did in the Vintage, but as I said, the Vintage is now deafeningly loud, this little axe allows me to play quieter, and also gives me an electric guitar feel with an acoustic guitar volume for jamming. It may well come into its own as a travel guitar too, because of its small width.
It needs heavy guage electric strings though, 11s or 12s, it also gives higher fret access than the Vintage. Maybe I could have used a better quality neck, but I wanted to do it as a cheap experiment with whether it was loud enough. For what it cost, and the fun I had making and playing it, I am pleased with the results.
I love tinkering with guitars as well as playing them, as a woodworker I have the skills to make them too, and resophonics are so easy to pull apart and fettle;- the ideal combination of music and engineering!
Yours
Andy S
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Post by Mairena Red on Aug 10, 2006 11:38:34 GMT
Hi Andy,
Certainly looks like an interesting guitar and it's definitely on the right thread! Any chance of putting a sound byte on the forum to let us all hear what it sounds like?
All the best,
Joe (aka Mairena Red)
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Post by Mairena Red on Aug 10, 2006 11:41:55 GMT
Hi Pete,
Just spotted your earlier comment about zither banjos and was intrigued. What do they look like? Do you have a picture you can post? Where would you find one and what sort of price would they fetch?
All the best,
Joe (aka Mairena Red)
PS How's the Legend? Managed to get it out to Spain this summer?
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Post by Alan on Aug 10, 2006 12:58:59 GMT
www.andybanjo.com/beginners.htmThey are really cheap, you see them at car boots and junk shops quite often. There was one in a junk shop near me for a while that was a tenner, wanted a bit of a clean up, but odd instruments really
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Aug 10, 2006 16:08:21 GMT
Michael has never given me the ability to edit or remove posts here (wise guy ;D) But I took a look at Andy's post and rewrote it to display the pics. So, if/when Michael gets back from tour perhaps he can 'wack' Andy's earlier ones, and, if probaoards has the facility, attribute this post to Andy.? Great project Andy, my first 'real guitar' in the 60's was a tele, wish I still had it! Aloha Colin Thought I'd post a project that I have just finished. I have just successfully finished a nice slab bodied Les Paul Junior, which I made using a spare SG neck and a P90 pickup, a guitar I have alway hankered after to complement my Tele, and made with a custom body made more the size of an L5, but with one pickup. I had a spare cone lying around from upgrading my Vintage VR400, and both projects got me thinking about a resophonic solution to two problems, 1) how to make a guitar with electric guitar playability with a bit more volume for impromptu jams, and 2) how to make a resophonic guitar that was more suited to late night noodling on the sofa when the kids were asleep/neighbours were on shifts. So inspired by the Student model 1133 on another thread, I thought I'd produce a prototype to see how much volume a solid bodied reso would give. This is the result;- I acquired a budget electric with a reasonably playable neck for a tenner at a car boot sale, used two pieces of 3/4 inch beech from an old store cupboard, which I laminated together, after cutting the 9 1/2 inch cavity and the neck pocket out of the top one. Rather than use a back cover plate, I merely drilled through the back with a variety of drill bits in a pattern to give the back sound holes. The cover plate is wide around the biscuit, because the thin body means a high cone, which gives a good string break angle over the bridge, but means a fairly shimmed neck. This cover plate is made from black plastic. The body shape draws on many influeneces, the top horn is Tele based, with a tilt towards the early 1980s Fender Bullet, the bottom horn is both 1133 and Fender Jaguar inspired, giving better clearance for your hand when using a slide up at the dusty end of the neck. The scratch plate is a bit more artistic license, the holes inspired by the switch position of a Les Paul, the influence of working in an art college, and the availability of a set of hole saws! The pickup is an old Tele neck (The donor guitar now has a Seymour Duncan humbucker instead), it has one control, but room in the cavity should I decide to wire in a cone pickup. If anything this pickup is a bit weak, something with a bit more ooomph may well replace it. Soundwise it does what I want, it is loud enough to compete with another acoustic, yet it has less volume than my upgraded reso acoustic. It is an ideal sofa guitar, plays close to an electric without the need for plugging in amps and leads, and has a brash, yet wiry kind of sound. It works best with a set of heavy electric strings, and is light and easy to sit/stand with. I don't know what other forum members will think of it, I would love to hear your opinions, but it serves many purposes, it gives me a different take on a resonator, it gives me an electric that doesnt need an amp, a resonator that doesnt deafen the household, and proves that a solid bodied resonator can work, even one that is made from timber which is not normally associated with guitars. For the cost of a cheap guitar, the wood from an old cabinet, and a spare cone, I have my own version of a national 1133. Now,just wait till I apply my router to a Telecaster!!!!!! Andy S
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Post by Andy S on Aug 10, 2006 20:39:09 GMT
Thanks Colin for this,(a nice surprise too!), I really appreciate it
I own a late 1970s Tele which has had a hard life (including being smashed up on stage by a previous owner, and rehabilitated by myself). I have always loved simple electric guitars like Teles and Juniors, Strats and Les Paul Standards are a bit too flash for me. Telecasters are working guitars, and tend to be used by hardworking musicians. Theyre like bits of proper hardware, like a mechanics favorite spanner, or a joiners favorite smoothing plane and I would never part with mine. How many other designs are still in production and still selling nearly sixty years later? I wouldnt dream of taking my router to it either, but there are plenty on eBay ripe for dropping cones into.
The Sofaphonic is now happy in its ideal environment, hanging from a hook above the couch!!!!
Yours
Andy S
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