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Post by linkous on Jul 30, 2021 7:33:43 GMT
The history of musical instruments is full of bad designs, construction errors and cheap solutions, and that is normal. It is a fascinating search and discovery, a wonderful history of a bunch of geniuses and enterprising adventurers!
The strange thing is that these flaws have been built for decades (for example, how many Gibson headstocks have been broken over the past few decades? A few thousand?). And why? Probably in the name of tradition, nostalgia and marketing?
Anyway, with a resonator that fiddling with a wedge under the fretboard is also such an poorly designed and bad solution. Those who think a little further nowadays will discover that there are better, easier and even cheaper solutions to produce. Consider, for example, the fretboard support as with an archtop, which is perfectly achievable in combination with a neck stick construction.
Difficult to determine from your photos, but the string break angle seems fine, I would indeed look inside for that damn wedge..
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Post by linkous on Jul 21, 2021 14:35:02 GMT
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Post by linkous on Jul 16, 2021 7:30:12 GMT
Based on todays US Government inflation data: 1931 National Triolian - 1931 new price was U$45.00. Equivalent price today? U$805.00 !936 Dobro M-32 Fiddle Edge - 1936 new price was U$32.00. Equivalent price today? U$626.00 Rough average price of "mass produced cheap Chinese partial copies" today in the USA is US750.00 from what I can see on t'net. Interesting figures, think I, considering modern manufacturing techniques and materials.
Best, PD
Also with regard to the working conditions of a current Chinese worker, the comparison with those of the United States from 1931 is certainly interesting..
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Post by linkous on Jul 16, 2021 7:15:57 GMT
‘Cheap’ seems to me an unfortunate choice of word, if one does not intend to suggest an element of inferiority, as that is one of its meanings. If one simply means inexpensive or relatively inexpensive that seems a happier term. ‘Copy’ - well, yes, but aren’t all guitars of this type made today copies? Less expensive than an original? This might not be so straightforward: Are we talking, so to speak, in ‘real terms’ (new price then adjusted and compared to new price now) or in today’s market (vintage vs modern)? In ‘real terms’ some of today’s copies are, I believe, very expensive compared to the originals. Likewise, some of today’s copies cost several times the price of others. Some may be worth the difference, others may not. Country of manufacture may condition cost, not sure that it necessarily impacts quality. Yes, I know, for some people the term 'cheap' is a bit sensitive, preferring to use 'less expensive', especially when talking about their own possessions. Those same people don't care where anything comes from, unless they're talking about someone else's stuff.. Yes, I know, for some people the term 'cheap' is a bit sensitive, preferring to use 'less expensive', especially when talking about their own possessions. Those same people don't care where anything comes from, unless they're talking about someone else's stuff..
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Post by linkous on Jul 15, 2021 15:56:55 GMT
There's nothing wrong with a cheap, Chinese guitar, I think. Unless it's wrong to call the guitar by name, which is:
* Chinese * A copy * Cheaper than the original
Think carefully about who feels inferior because of these qualities.
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Post by linkous on Jul 15, 2021 9:10:54 GMT
Or.. You remove the wax layer from such a 'raw' National (degrease the guitar) and spray (with a plant sprayer) a diluted (with water) mixture of selenium dioxide and iron sulphate (aka stained glass patina) on the raw steel or brass plate: Super Black PatinaMy experiment: Maybe also the secret behind the Mule patina..?
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Post by linkous on Jul 15, 2021 7:21:22 GMT
Mule Guitars does not go unnoticed by National Guitars, hence their 'Raw Series'. Steel or brass bodies that are finished with only a thin layer of wax, so that the material gets more (or faster) the chance to patinate. For you perhaps a good choice between either: a fake Mule patina or a cheap Chinese copy that will always be considered a cheap Chinese copy, even after thirty years?
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Post by linkous on May 14, 2021 14:09:48 GMT
PM
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Post by linkous on Apr 25, 2021 7:43:10 GMT
This is actually my favorite cover plate. For my next project (wooden top and back, steel sides) I also want to make a Collegian cover plate. Yours looks really good!
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Post by linkous on Apr 20, 2021 6:25:22 GMT
Because I don't like truss rod covers I make an access via the neck stick. The disadvantage is indeed that the neck has to be removed when you want to adjust the truss rod, but from experience I know that with a well-adjusted guitar this is rather a rarity. Fingerboard support is because I don't like hiding screws in the fretboard either.. Reminder..
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Post by linkous on Apr 19, 2021 15:47:13 GMT
Because of that so-called perfection, Pete, Mr. Dopyera is now practically regarded and worshiped by some as God. And that is funny, ironic and unfortunate at the same time, because the man himself would never have achieved any results without his belief in curiosity, experiment and evolution.
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Post by linkous on Apr 18, 2021 10:32:30 GMT
Fretsaw is a Stanley, deuce, but it can be done with any other.. The saw blades I use are those from Proxxon (model 28113). But again, there are many other brands that are just as good, as long as they are suitable for cutting metal. Whenever possible I use the jigsaw, such as with a had rest for example: Keep in mind that building a (reso) guitar is not rocket science (contrary to what many may say here ..). Just like with so many skills (guitar playing, for example) it just has to exert some kind of addictive attraction to you. Then it will work. Good luck!
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Post by linkous on Apr 18, 2021 8:30:49 GMT
Most of the work is sawing with the fretsaw, Stevie, and that is done before forming the dome. The following is making the wooden mold. Shaping the dome actually doesn't take that long, depends a bit on the material, I noticed that brass sheet (1mm thick) seems a bit tougher. I work with two hammers, deuce, a rubber mallet (actually just the head) resting on the plate and a heavy hammer that I use to hit the rubber one as I move it around on the plate. Here's one more: To hide this..
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Post by linkous on Apr 17, 2021 15:32:32 GMT
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Post by linkous on Jan 7, 2021 7:32:31 GMT
Not me. But I once built an all-aluminum archtop. Sounds a bit like a reso.
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