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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 25, 2014 19:16:42 GMT
I've been lurking around this forum for a while, and I never expected my first post to be about ukes - especially since I don't play them. However, I do play mandolin, and in the last couple of years I've become enamored with resonator mandolins. I have a '75 Dobro reissue and a custom-built Hyde biscuit-bridge mando, and lately I've started dreaming of finding an early tricone mandolin. I know they're scarce and probably more than I could afford, but I just found something almost as great: I didn't know what it was at first, since I didn't know that National ever made tricone ukuleles. After finding them in Mark Makin's book, I realized that this could easily be strung as a 4-string mandolin. Fortunately, the store does layaways so I'll have it paid off in two months (if I'm not able to sell another instrument first to pay for it). While the wait will be agonizing, at least I'll have lots of time to research it. No other tricone ukes I've seen have guitar-style tuners, and these appear to have been trimmed specifically to fit the headstock. They look old enough to be original, though, so I'm wondering if they could be; anyone know? Also, was this one of the 6 known tricone ukes mentioned in Makin's book? It's not often that the original owner's name is recorded after 85 years; anyone have any info on Percy Frazer?
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Post by alexandre on Jul 25, 2014 20:07:16 GMT
... Here's what I call a great find !!! I guess that you could be the Noah Miller of the Valcopages, then glad to hear from you again...
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Post by snakehips on Jul 25, 2014 22:00:56 GMT
Wow! About the Ukelele !
And wow ! Look how flat that coverplate is !
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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 25, 2014 22:36:53 GMT
... Here's what I call a great find !!! I guess that you could be the Noah Miller of the Valcopages, then glad to hear from you again... Yup, that's me. Most of that site is now incorporated into part of my Old Frets website , dedicated to my instrument collection.Wow! About the Ukelele ! And wow ! Look how flat that coverplate is ! Huh; I hadn't noticed that. I know that the lip around the coverplate was introduced to accommodate the T-bar (or Y-bar, on these instruments), so I'm guessing that no additional height was necessary. With a domed coverplate, the bridge and tailpiece would probably be raised too high. I forgot to ask - is there a case that fits these well without being hugely oversized? Unfortunately, this one doesn't come with a case.
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Post by snakehips on Jul 25, 2014 22:44:30 GMT
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Post by Mark Makin on Jul 26, 2014 5:41:47 GMT
Hi Noah, Lots of early four strings had their friction pegs changed for better gears - tenors, as well. This is a very nice find- style 1 from 1927. If you can remember we would love to know the number when you get close to it. Yes Richard, the lip raises the cover plate up so the plate is much flatter and also has no hole for the biscuit of course.
I remember taking one of these apart with Bob Brozman and was astounded at how complex the inside construction is. The well is barely half an inch smaller than the outside body shell. It must have been an impossible soldering job. This probably accounts for the very small amount made. The regular small single cone ukes are a much simpler idea!!
Michael Messer also had a similar experience when dismantling one with Colin McCubbin . The cones are so tightly fitted under the cover and the body edge that you have to use an unnerving amount of pressure to re-seat them.
The engraving is typical of National's early name customising. This large block lettering style was also used on a Tricone at this time customised for "Henry Dixon".
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Jul 26, 2014 13:42:49 GMT
Hi Noah, As Mark says, it would have had friction tuners when originally built, what a great find though! National advertised the instrument as both a Mandolin and Ukulele, they would just fit the relevant neck and tailpiece/bridge as required. I'm sure you have seen them, but there are pictures at notecannons of style 1 and 2 tricone ukes and a style 2 mandolin. When Michael Messer and I had one apart at my workshop in Canada many years ago we took some interior pictures, here is a close up showing the 'tight fit'! Strung with steel strings (As were the first single cone large body ukes BTW) they have a crystal shimmering sound, played with finger picks you could be listening (almost) to a harpsichord. Enjoy, you'll never want to play Mandolin again ;-) ! May I add your pictures to those at notecannons please? Style 1 tricone #148 Interior
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Jul 26, 2014 13:57:50 GMT
Here is another engraved side, Tricone Hawaiian guitar 1104. The circle you can see in the first M is where someone had drilled a hole for a jack socket when electrifying it! Luthier Michael Dunn has filled the hole in (with a silver coin) and had re-engraved it. I have quite a few pictures of instruments with owners' names or initials engraved on them, sadly no info on many of the folk themselves though. I will try and collect them together and start a thread of just 'named' instruments.
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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 26, 2014 18:18:15 GMT
Thanks for the info, everyone! Colin, feel free to use those pics.
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Post by pete1951 on Jul 28, 2014 12:53:57 GMT
Interesting to note that the bridge is placed ,not over the centre point of the `Y` ,but a little to the `south` so that the saddle did not overhang . The asymmetrical pressure would make `tuning ` the cones (putting a thinner one at the top) possible, as there will be less downward force on it. The `Y` bridge would be good for a 14fret tri-cone guitar , the well could move up the guitar, which it can`t do with a `T` bridge PT
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Post by snakehips on Jul 28, 2014 13:16:16 GMT
Hi there !
Are the 6" cones in later Tricones the same as early Tricones ?
I know the 9.5" cones had a few tweaks to the design over the years (eg. the outer rim was curved up so that the scissor-cut rough edges were not the actual point of contact with the well, and radial lines added in about 1934)
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 8, 2014 21:12:19 GMT
It's here! I was able to sell a few other instruments and pay it off early. Click here for an online album with some new pics.Generally, it's in excellent condition. Everything appears to be original except the tuners. The action is low, the neck is dead straight, the frets and board are almost free of wear and the intonation is pretty good for a resonator. Underneath the tuners I found the imprint of planetary banjo tuners, as my tricone tenor guitar used to have. I have it strung as a 4-string mandolin, and while the sound lacks the chorused effect of a mandolin it has the warmth and sustain I expected of a tricone. Plus, I get two sets of strings for every mando pack I buy . I'd like to clean up the body a bit. I know that National Resophonic recommends a particular polish to add shine, but first I need to remove the green oxidation. I'm thinking of using a weak acid like vinegar; any other suggestions?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 22:48:15 GMT
Hi Noah - my guess is that it is very loud - and the covered bit of the coverplate takes some treble away? I'd like to hear a clip of it. And I'd love to find a t-bridge like that to mess 'round with... TT
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 9, 2014 0:42:47 GMT
Yup, it's mighty loud. At first there was a lot of buzzing, but then I strung it with loop-end strings from the bottom of the tailpiece and the extra tension solved that problem. You may be right about the cover plate, but I have no frame of reference. I'll try and record a clip over the weekend.
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 10, 2014 14:33:38 GMT
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