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Post by Colin McCubbin on Oct 15, 2014 2:06:36 GMT
Ebay now says 5kg... (11lbs approx..)... Anyone actually played one? I wonder why they didn't use a National type cone, seems to me the Dobro style setup wouldn't have the 'punch' the 'looks' promise! ;-)
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Sept 13, 2014 20:23:43 GMT
We're hijacking the thread, and please forgive me, Marc and Michael, but that is just a spectacular video find.. Thanks wolvoboy!
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Sept 13, 2014 2:17:36 GMT
Wasn't Ray playing a Duolian in the intro to L.O.L.A? And Mark, another (maybe the same?) one-off beauty, pictured on P 161 and titled "National Custom, unknown Model, 1965?" crossed my screen this week. Have loads of pictures.. :-) In Maui, Hawaii..
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Aug 31, 2014 22:52:51 GMT
A visit to Newbury might be helpful too. Shine On Michael. Newbury...? That's my childhood stomping ground! I vividly recall the live music in the Corn Exchange. ;-) I took my driving test there on market day, aged 17, there was a traffic jam in the main street caused by the market and I sat in the jam for 30 mins of my test... Passed! What is in Newbury that Snakehips might visit I wonder? And, Snakehips did that tricone come from Marc? I'll probably get shot down, but if bottleneck is your intent, then you could try fitting a 2nd string as the 1st string, that is what most of the Hawaiian style sq neck players did to get the string/bar tension in the first string.. Might work on a round neck to get you 'up and off' the frets. Aloha Colin
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Aug 31, 2014 22:40:41 GMT
Hi Lee, Only this one from Steve Evans' site.. it is at the bottom right. I do have a pile of pictures on an old pc, one day when I get this self-built house finished (AKA 'The Folly' to friends and family, makes Hill Farm look like amateur hour. Seismic issues here mean that ICF construction is far more involved and complex) all my stuff will reappear from storage where it has been for the past 4 years, and I'll be able to engage more in the wonderful world of 'tin'.. ;-) Aloha Colin
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Aug 22, 2014 13:30:42 GMT
Yes, although the cone rattle from nylon strings might make for an interesting sitar like sound! Seriously, you'd also have to file out the string slots in the nut and saddle to fit nylon and that's hard to 'un-file'. I have the tricone uke made by Steve Evans (Beltona) when he, Michael and Mark first saw Andy Griffith's instrument, it had nylon strings on it and friction tuners, (actually I think Steve used tennis racquet strings on all his metal body reso ukes for some extra tension). After discussion with Steve he rebuilt it for me with steel strings and planitary banjo tuners and wow!! the sound volume increased, and the cones come alive. Aloha Colin
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Aug 19, 2014 19:51:43 GMT
Do you plan to play or test it with nylon strings ? I'm curious of the result... Hi Alexandre, I very much doubt that nylon strings will work, they just won't achieve the tension/down pressure needed to get the cones working. These instruments were made for steel strings, as were the early 'standard' single cone, large body National ukes.
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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 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 Jun 9, 2014 2:30:45 GMT
One recently came thru notecannons.. It was used and had stupidly light strings on it, even lighter than Fender's recommended 60XL set, (.010-.048) And, as one might expect sounded wimpy and unpleasant if I can use those terms to describe a resonator's output. Presumably the original owner wanted an easy playing electric guitar and knew naught about resonators.
As an experiment I fitted a set of Martin Bluegrass 80/20 Bronze strings, (.012-.056) (sorry Michael, I'm out of MM's) tuned it to open e and, wow, what a difference, the resonator came alive and it doesn't play or sound bad at all, I was impressed. I didn't re-cut the nut or biscuit slots for the larger string diameters, and the strings seemed to settle in well. It is strange to play a tele neck with fat frets on a resonator, vaguely tele shaped, with a very deep body for sure but it worked amazingly well.
In standard tuning it was quite hard work, frets 5 and above and I suspect some truss rod adjustment, and re-cutting the nut/lowering the action would help, my guess it finally depends on what one wanted it for. I have a '52 tele, big neck, and it sure 'aint that, it isn't a duolian either, but a reso with access above the 12th (or 14th) and 'pluginability' has a certain appeal.
Sold on now, but if you try/fancy one, it's a reso, ignore Fender, fit heavier strings, you'll be pleasantly surprised, I was.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 28, 2014 20:33:16 GMT
Thanks, Tymus! Sounds like an excellent idea. I will look into it and report back!
Colin
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 24, 2014 0:29:16 GMT
Sold... Or, rather, bought! Heading to notecannons HQ as we speak. Can't wait to get a good look at the cone/resonator in one of these at last. Mahalo Snakehips for the heads up ;-) Drove over the border and picked it up today. I noticed the box wasn't exactly substantial or 'rectangular' and opened it up before going through customs. The big horn is, er , crushed to put it politely, although the body, small horn, resonator cone etc are intact. Had to decide whether to send it back, (major hassle), or suck it up and bring it home. I paid customs duties and brought it home. The horn is very thin ali, I'm wondering how to attempt to 're-circulise' it (is there such a word?) Expanding a balloon inside it comes to mind, or taking it off and to a car restorer, but if anyone has a thought I'd appreciate it! Apart from that the instrument looks like the ebay pics, very clean.. BTW I've been talking recently with an elderly luthier in California, who, although he has no documented proof told me that the Dopyeras were agents for Stroviols, and had Stroviols instruments in their shop. More confirmation that JD had seen, and based his cone on Augustus Stroh's design.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 20, 2014 23:21:57 GMT
Anyone had any dealings with them.They seem to have a great stock of Nationals for sale. I've known and dealt with Timm for over 20 years, he used to be the 'vintage buyer/expert' for Mars guitars in Florida I seem to recall. He never changes his Vintage Guitar Mag adverts for Nationals, though many are 'long gone', so don't rely on that. He ain't cheap, but I'd trust him to be in possession of, describe truthfully and be able to supply any instrument he says he currently has when/if you contact him.
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 18, 2014 2:02:15 GMT
Are you guys all looking at this on your phones or something? It is clearly radiused...looks like a modern fretboard with modern frets and a modern radius to me. Ooops... Sorry folks, I just went to the ebay auction, looked at the description which mentioned the new neck, looked at the headstock overlay pic, thought 'no way is that not original', it must have been cut round from square, looked at the heel, thought I could see the tell tale outline and posted. Should have looked at the other pictures too! BTW Over the years I have had five Nats through notecannons which had previously had their sq necks converted to round, (3 were XPTs!). They all had flat fingerboards. I'd agree that in this case it does look like a new, modern fingerboard & am happy to 'stand corrected'!
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Post by Colin McCubbin on May 16, 2014 20:09:16 GMT
I doubt the neck has been replaced, far more likely it was a square neck and it has been 'reshaped' to 'round'. Hard to see in the pictures, but I think I can see a slight discolouration where the wide square neck heel would have touched the body. If the original fingerboard, it might well be a flat, un-radiused board, which for some slide player might make it very attractive.
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