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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 29, 2005 16:17:38 GMT
Charlie,
What scale length do you want? Lap steels seem to come in two types, those with full scale lengths as per a normal guitar/Dobro etc and those with a much shorter scale length, such as most of the post war Rickenbachers, Supros, Nationals etc.
If you are also playing a Dobro for example than a lap with the long scale will feel more at home for you, while if you play no other lap style instrument the short scale makes playing, slants in particular easier...
Lee will probably sell you a Supro or similar that he has pinched the pickup from, (say after me, Lee, "I am a very bad boy to abuse old instruments that way") You'd have to fit a modern pickup and, depending on the model, a bridge/tailpiece since these were often integral to the pickup, but you'd then have a very funky and playable short scale instrument.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 23, 2005 0:16:43 GMT
Just came upon these at the Taropatch.net site, the lead filled one looks really interesting for Hawaiian and lap style playing! rickalexander.com/BigSteel/BoyettGlassBars.htmlHowever they don't give any sizes & I suspect they are for pedal steel and not for 6 string lap..
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Apr 9, 2005 18:55:20 GMT
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Dec 9, 2007 16:49:35 GMT
I just contacted the guy who told me another 'Maui' had appeared, who confirms that it is actually this Silvatone at folkwaymusic...
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Dec 9, 2007 1:24:59 GMT
Hi Jesse, Pop over to our www.notecannons.com site, scroll down to Charles.E Brasher in the Patents section for pictures of other Brasher built instruments. The mysterious man you are hearing about for info about Brasher is, I suspect, David Glass of Pincher Creek near Calgary (if you can get him to talk to you). Sadly he took offense when I put up the Brasher info I had at notecannons, Peter Sloan who has 2 Brashers visited with him a few years back and apparently David seems to think that in some weird way I was slighting him by treading in 'his' field of expertise. I haven't time for such @#$% and declined to take down my pages which apparently he wanted me to do(!). So, since a Silvatone is the instrument I don't have pictures of, may I add 'yours' to notecannons, and I'll post them here too. Aloha, Colin McC Whistler BC
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Oct 14, 2006 5:30:56 GMT
I couldn't resist this one... A young Eric Bibb with Bert's "More holes cover-plate" Collegian, and I believe, Bert. All 3 are a wee bit older now! Notice the JD, drunk from a tea cup, a pre-requisite for playing these tin cans. (Michael, move this elsewhere if you wish!)
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Oct 14, 2006 5:02:21 GMT
Re: the Supro/National Collegian Guitar family.
I have a catalogue, with pictures, sadly undated (but bearing a stamp saying that 'due to existing war conditions all prices listed in this catalogue are subject to change without notice').
It shows a guitar with the large coverplate holes, and describes it as having a metal body, 'finished in a beautiful light, modern maple finish'. Reminds me of the m3...
Interestingly too, it lists these models:
#23 Supro 'Arcadia' Spanish guitar. (same coverplate, WOOD body!) $22.50 #25 Collegian Spanish guitar $35.00 #26 Collegian Hawaiian guitar $35.00 #27Collegian Tenor guitar $35.00 #28 Collegian Mandolin $35.00 #29 Collegian Ukulele $20.00
The only pictures in the brochure are of # 23 and #25, both with Supro headstock logos. I have never seen examples of the others (or the 'arcadia' so doubt any were made, but am always happy to be proved wrong!
Looking through another catalogue, (Tonk Bros, Vol 51) I spy a publisher's date of 1939, for the same pictures and model description, so these existed earlier than I thought.
The Collegians also came with coverplates with more holes, ( I have pics of two with National headstock badges) but still less holes than the Duolians. I place these earlier than the 'big hole' models, just on the basis that they got cheaper to manufacture as the years went by.
I'll try and put some pics and info up at notecannons this weekend..
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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 Colin McCubbin on Jan 25, 2006 21:23:44 GMT
I've just heard from a guy in Toronto who has two different Charles Brasher guitars, both wood bodied.
He also gave me the patent # for the strange cone that Charles Brasher fitted in his instruments, so I now have a copy of the patent and a picture of the cone from one of the wood guitars.
He apparently used glass, steel and other materials in his bridges. It would be intresting to hear how they sound!
This is the same guy who built the metal bodied Maui which is pictured in this thread.
I'm going to add a page to notecannons under the patent headings, so if anyone has any other Charles Brasher information please let Michael or I have it!
Thanks,
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Jan 14, 2008 16:25:17 GMT
From left to right, Murray Lucas, Senator Huey Long, Ralph Pearson and Earl Wynn.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Nov 6, 2007 3:37:22 GMT
I'd also like to have some pics of your guitar if you can post them here please..?
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Nov 6, 2007 3:36:44 GMT
bbx2007Pop over to our www.notecannons.com site, Iook under patents>Schireson you will find a copy of the Schireson patent I scanned , and pics of two different versions of the guitar. I have also seen this 'resonator'in a tenor guitar, but have lost the pics I took... Colin & Michael
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 13, 2006 2:10:13 GMT
Bwowsing through all these pages, I notice quite a few images, including some I posted have vanished. I'll try and correct my links, but if anyone has copies of the other 'vanished' ones can they either repost them or send them to us and we can host them on our server? Thanks, Colin McC UPDATE: Missing images solved. See my post on page 21 of this thread. michaelmesser.proboards.com/thread/10/interesting-rare-photos-resophonic-players?page=21
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 13, 2006 2:08:10 GMT
Waah! How did we miss these guys? Both taken from sheet music covers, it is of course Jim and Bob!
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Nov 7, 2005 0:58:36 GMT
What a nice National style 3 tenor! The MOTS headstock is the giveaway, but what a great picture, even now it is hard to get such a clear shot of the engraving. Just shows that for all our technology an old fahioned b&w photogapher can still get the goods!
I emailed the vendor in case there is any recordings, other pics etc about, I guess it is sadly an 'estate' sale but will see if any more info is available.
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