Finding the age of a Continental tricone

[pete1951]

Have a C. Tricone with no number, any clues as to its age?

It has hex key bolts holding on the coverplate.





PT

[creolian]

Hello Pete,
There is a similar if not identical Continental Tri for sale in the Chicago area Craigslist listings. His has a serial # and it is described as an early 90s model. Can't tell if that one has hex head fasteners. Priced at 1300 usd

Just speculation... but why hex fasteners? I find these are common in mechanical use ( motorcycles, bicycles etc) and lend themselves to repeated use without stripping. My guess is yours is a possible early or proto model with hex screws used for easy access...


If I was closer to Chicago I'd be looking at it for possible adoption. What do you think of yours?

Cheers ! Jeff

[pete1951]

Hi Jeff (and anyone else reading this) your guess is as good as mine as to the reason for the hex screws. The guitar plays well, the neck is very good, much better than most modern tricone copies. The sound is not very different to a Busker Deco, but the strings are old and of unknown origin.
PT

[creolian]

A good close up inspection of those screw heads should tell if they've been repeatedly used. Maybe some detective work inside the box would indicate any tweaking by a builder.

Are those flatwound strings ?

J


Edit: I wanted to mention that you may want to check those screws and the holes for oxidation and decay.  Sometimes mixing dissimilar metals will encourage galvanic corrosion.  If they came out of someone's box o bolts...

On MC race engines I used to fill them with colored silicone, kept the dirt out and looked cool.  

[lexluthier]

Hi Pete!
The Allen key bolts are definately not stock, by the time my guitar came into my posession it had only one original cover plate screw left, they're not a great fit.
 That truss rod cover was introduced approximately mid '93 and continued to be used early into the new millenium when there was a hiatus in production. There after the truss rod cover was the same design but in black plastic.
 If there is no screw in the body just below the heel, that also means it's post mid '93.

After that it's hard to say much more if the label is missing, which I assume it is. If it is missing, I have to say that is slightly strange as they are very firmly glued in place and it would be actually quite tricky to remove all traces of it. Does it look like there was ever one there?

The majority of these tricones seemed to come from between '93 and '98, the majority after '98 I have seen in searches have MOTS headstocks. The early ones were also a little 'untidy' looking, the bodies not quite as flat and straight as they became 18-24 months into their production and the plating also got better. So given all that, I would personally guestimate your guitar is likley to be from 94-5' to 98'.

Hope you don't mind me asking Pete, is it actually yours? Nice find if it is!

Chris

[pete1951]

Thanks for the info. It's not mine, but I have an option to buy in exchange for some guitar work, I have not 'bonded' with it yet, so I may not buy it.
PT
(It has no body/neck stick screw)

[Deleted]

It looks like the one advertised here, a 1994 model

www.adverts.ie/other-guitars/continental-resonator-guitar/6460758

From 1991 - 1997 they were made in the Czech republic. I had one of the first models from China, made in 1998, a single cone.

"AMISTAR HISTORY.



The idea began soon after the New Year of 1991, when I got my hands on a pre-war Tricone metal body National to use as a sample. It took us most of that year to research various materials, technologies, moulds, and construction techniques.



Then in December 1991, we made our first two Tricone bodies becoming the first on the market since the ending of the 2nd World War!



The New National Co. made some single cone, wooden bodies at that time. They started producing the tricones bodies beginning 1993-94. Our first Tricones (under the Continental brand name – were assembled in Munich by the AMI GmbH.) were exhibited at the NAMM Show in Los Angeles, California at the SAGA booth.



Those were an absolute Sensation! Everyone wanted one immediately!



That was the beginning of it all.





Following the next year we made new moulds and introduced the Single cone and Single cone Cutaway models.



During the year 1996-97, we had ended the Continental production line, with the AMI Company." 

www.jpstingrayguitars.com/AMISTAR.html

[bo]

Looking at a 1993 Continental Tricone. Does anyone know what the original truss rod cover was like. It has a simple black one.