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Post by lexluthier on Apr 13, 2015 20:04:17 GMT
Hi! I find myself agreeing with all that mickeyz said (again!) Moving the listener or making the listener move is everything. Technical accomplishment is fun for other musicians to talk about and admire but generally the average punter cares nothing about it, or where the hell the music comes from for that matter!
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Post by lexluthier on Apr 7, 2015 23:23:09 GMT
Hi. mikenewport, you are of course correct, you don't have to have any neck relief. Was going to mention it in my previous post but A. it wasn't the point and B. it's less than common to say the least. I have never been asked to set a guitar up in that fashion ever and I have to say getting the neck relief/string height just right for a client is what brings them the most satisfaction as it usually transforms the whole feel of a guitar and goes further to personalise a set up to the player than probably any other procedure. I don't disagree with anything mickeyz has posted on the subjected.
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Post by lexluthier on Apr 7, 2015 1:57:18 GMT
Hi. This is meant to be nothing more than honest, friendly advice. If you haven't even figured out yet that your fingerboard isn't supposed to be 'as straight as a laser', then you should perhaps stop what your doing to your guitar and do a whole lot more reading and research on the matter. I have 30 years+ experience working on guitars but when faced with my first reso a few years back, didn't operate on it for months until I had done loads of research, mostly I have to say in the goldmine on the subject that is this forum. Procedures like changing the neck angle by removing material from the heel are pretty much none reversible and may not even be the answer you are looking for. Think of the guitar as a three dimensional puzzle and how every change to a component effects other aspects of the overall balance of construction. Resonator may look simple in their construction but are like suspension bridges, every thing must be 'just so' and in harmony for the overall whole thing to work. Its difficult when you just want to get your guitar working but have patience and use the 'Search' facility of this forum, many answers are already there!
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 31, 2015 15:16:08 GMT
Little red rooster was the first slide guitar I ever heard as a kid and I loved it. I wonder for how many other folk in the UK this was their first experience of this cool, catchy sound? Quite a few methinks! Chris
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 31, 2015 15:01:20 GMT
Hiya Dave! Didn't realise you were an amp geek as well, maybe I should have picked up on the clues Found uncle Doug's channel myself a few months back, excellent! Some dead cool amps and a great inspiration to go out and find point to point wired gear to convert to guitar amps. As an complete aside to all that, he's just got a really listenable speaking voice, should be on the TV! Chris
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 24, 2015 23:42:10 GMT
Hi! Paramount guitars are, as the other guys have mentioned already, generic Chinese made and ordered in small batches by a company who own the 'Paramount' brand name, which, like Regal, is a brand name that goes back to the thirties.(Probably why it sounds kinda authentic ) Aiersi is certainly one of the brands on this type of guitar', there are many. Check out how many have the same headstock, three dots at the twelth fret, star at the third etc etc. The difference in between all these similar looking brands is what specifications are asked for at source and how they are set up at point of sale. The effect of these differences can be massive! I had a conversation with someone 'at a German web store' about the paramount tricone and the report on it was not good, poorly finished compared with other guitars at this price point, no real set-up, so overpriced to say the least. They couldn't even tell me what the body was made of(described in the advert as 'Metal') Nuff said. Chris
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 22, 2015 1:00:40 GMT
Hi. I realise this is not quite what everybody is talking about but heard great things about it anyway. mybeatbuddy.com/ Chris
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 17, 2015 17:54:00 GMT
If your nut is made of bone, 'nut sauce' will probably discolour the nut(making it less opaque) and more importantly soften it and reduce its life span. Nut sauce also gets into the windings of your strings doing nothing for you tone to say the least. (I believe) Nut sauce is short term solution and doesn't surpass or even replace getting your nut cut well, a massively underestimated (by many)component of a guitars set-up. A bit of an art to get spot on, it's often rushed by people assembling guitars under a time pressure. If guitars were cars, most wouldn't be road worthy straight out of the box in my experience.
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 12, 2015 17:26:02 GMT
petej, Hi, thanks for your reply. Was really interested to hear about the Regal, the only one I've handle was really heavy! They are advertised as being 3.8kgs or even 4kgs in places, that's so weighty I thought that it must be inclusive of the case! Is yours a nickle finish or the 'Texas Tea' paint job?
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 12, 2015 17:13:22 GMT
Mark, hi. Thanks for pointing out the point of the thread! The guitar being well set up and all else being in order is hopefully a given in the conversation. Yes, the sound IS the ultimate objective, this is a conversation about the impact of one particular component of that sound and, as an aside to that, the need for the guitars to be so heavy as to its impact on handling and comfort. Sorted! Yes, I knew a bit about the Rickenbacker stamp and die company from my Ricky mania period(done lots of work on Rics for Beatles fans and tribute groups, still do a bit!) Imagine my surprise when I start absorbing all things National and up pops the Rickenbacker and Beauchamp names again, pretty important figures in guitar history to say the least. Was aware of those two piece bodies you mentioned, hope to just hear/handle one one day, found those fascinating manufacturing wise, in fact find all the manufacturing process of Reso's interesting being an engineer and coming from a former heavy engineering City(Lincoln) Drop forges and stamping machines were part of the sound track to my early life. A lot of important technology and skills have been lost.
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 11, 2015 21:54:49 GMT
Mike, Hi! Thanks for trying, sounds like you have a vernier caliper type of mic(digital?) flat surfaces only, I'm using the traditional engineers G shaped one. No worries, the gauge would be interesting to know, the weight would be better. Being objective, yes, tricky! Be as informed as possible, read everything I possibly can(obsessive personality helps with that), listen to what everyone has to say, listen to every recording I can and hopeful come to a decision. Hopefully then I can find a retailer who has what I decide I might want and then hopefully I can wangle the time to pay them a visit and then hopefully fall in love and buy it, hopefully! Otherwise I'm going to have to do what most people do who buy a busker or a MM or even NRP's, go by reputation and order one on line without trying it first and hope the semi-arranged marriage goes well! Seriously, I wonder how many guitars are bought these days without the buyer ever getting to try it first.
Michael, Hi! Yeah, I really get all the time frame thing and the need to get it right, I was just looking for a bone to be thrown that might improve my patience and help narrow down the range of my potential targets. My problem anyway, damned GAS attack!
Mark, Hi! Wow, 7lbs, that's amazing, thought my 8lbs 4oz was light! Have always wondered if modern reso's were made so robust to preclude failure under tension. All the old national tricones I've seen in pictures have looked really well stamped, very flat and even looking compared with modern stuff which can be a little rippled. I would bet the old ones were stamped out at much higher pressure than the new ones. Big machinery was much more common back then and instead of a modern dedicated machine that exerts just enough pressure to do the job, the old machines would have really banged them out and added a higher degree of 'work hardening'. Flatter is also stronger. Contrary to that, have you every seen the tops of old tricones buckle due to string tension? There's a degree of it happened to my Continental because the idiot who owned it previously wrecked the tailpiece trying fit an end pin jacksocket. I've arrested the 'creep' this caused but need to disassemble it and let it spend some time in a special jig I'm building to reverse it, just can't bear not have a working Tricone in my life so putting it off until I get another! Regards to all, Chris.
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 11, 2015 16:59:44 GMT
Hi Michael. Thank you for your response. I was only interested in the weight of an old national tricone out of curiosity as I'm highly unlikely to get my hands on one and they are a kind of benchmark in my(and maybe others)mind. I am more keen to find the comparative weights of more contemporary guitars. Even with the limited exposure I've had to resonators I have to say I do agree with and/or understand all the comments you made about the factors that contribute to the tone/volume of a tricone. As I read somewhere(probably here) Q. What's the most important aspect in creating a great resonator tone? A. Everything! I'm really not trying to over simplify the equation, just trying to gather some knowledge I don't have and can't find, to add to that part of the equation for myself. Members of this forum and folk elsewhere have commented on the difference in tone of, for example, NRP's when the body gauge changed and I'm just trying to get my head around these perceptions, even if it has to be in a vicarious fashion. Do resonators have to be as heavy as many are in the modern era? I'm suspecting not but trying to learn. I can't help but think that even an original National with a truss rod fitted wouldn't weigh as much as a modern guitar but don't know until someone kindly indulges me. One thing I do know for sure is that 1lb+ in weight makes a huge difference in just handling and playing a guitar, let alone the tone. Due to dependants I can neither travel far or for long, not ideal I realise but there we are. Currently have my beloved Les Paul standard and many other guitars and bits of equipment for sale to fund buying a 2nd and hopefully great tricone. Trying hard to be as informed as possible and make this one time only decision, the right one. Hopefully its an interesting conversation too. Any kind of date for a MM tricone yet Michael?(and is there really a waiting list already?) Yours, hopefully not too Aspergically, Chris.
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 11, 2015 13:40:13 GMT
Mike(and anyone), you can also get a micrometer in the top middle hole on the right hand grill if you open the mic up enough to slide it in first. Re-measured mine again last night just to be sure, 0.0024 on the hand rest, 0.0025 on the grill, the nickel plating can bring variables to the body thickness, and some times excess weight(check out Mike Lewis's excellent 'Fine Resophonic' video). At the risk of being annoying and teaching Granny to suck eggs, the best way to weigh your guitar if you don't have a small device is to weigh yourself on bathroom scales first, and then again holding the instrument. Modern digital kitchen scale are pretty good providing you can balance the guitar on them. Cheers all
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 10, 2015 22:35:38 GMT
Hi Mike! Its hard to get a Micrometer in anywhere on a Tricone but the bridge cover(hand rest) is usually made of the same material as the body and is accessible there. Sorry to keep you waiting, Charly Patton distracting me! Cheers mate.
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Post by lexluthier on Mar 10, 2015 21:34:25 GMT
Hi to all! I would be really grateful to anyone who could give me answers to the following questions:- I understand from reading a few threads on his forum that NRP changed the gauge of the materials they used to make their resonator bodies some years back. Can anyone tell me what year this happened and what a tricone weighed before that?(They are advertised to be 9lbs 8ozs currently) Could someone tell me the weight of Busker tricone and/or the weight of an original National tricone(round necks) Can't find this info anywhere! Trying to make a decision on which tricone I want to buy next. I've ruled out cheaper Asian made models as even after total strip downs and rebuilds, making them louder, bassier, brighter and just more resonant, not one of them has sounded as good as my Continental, despite it looking like a car crash. Everyone I've played them to agrees, to a man(or woman) The Continental, though not as loud or bright or even having the same amount reverb, receives descriptions like 'sweeter' and 'more liquid'. Easily the most addictive guitar I've ever had in my hands, I lose time and have to actually make myself put it down. The others, my ears have had enough after an hour or so. The main difference to my mind is the gauge of the body material. The Recording kings, Johnsons, Regals and the like, measure to about 28 thousands of an inch and weigh in at around the same as the NRP's, 9lb, 8ozs(or more!) My Continental measures at 24 thou' making the weight come in at 8lbs 4ozs. The MM blues I worked on recently had a very thin body gauge(no nickel plating under the paint) and has a killer tone compared with other modestly priced single cones I've had or worked on. Apart from the basic geometry of certain aspects of this guitar being right, it was (comparatively) light as a feather and again, addictive to play. Saving my pennies and thinking about an NRP, but the weight of them and therefore the tone is praying on my mind. Perhaps I've already fallen for the 'old tone' and the big, bold new tone's not for me, unfortunately can't travel much to find out for myself. All help and comments appreciated.
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