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Post by steverino on Sept 29, 2016 3:09:40 GMT
Love the experimentation Pete! This is how progress happens, after perhaps a few false starts. I built a back loaded horn biscuit reso which basically flubbed, but still offered something interesting in the tone.
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Post by steverino on Sept 19, 2015 4:39:10 GMT
Personally, I think that that the Schireson Bros. were dealt an unfair blow by the courts. The Schireson designs as described in their patents were at least as different as the National and Dobro designs were to each other. There should have been room for each in the marketplace.
I had to buy three Schiresons on ebay years ago before I got a usable body and cone, but once I combined them the results were very satisfying. The sound is very robust and pleasing, perhaps a bit closer in sound to a wooden guitar though still offering the volume and punch of a resonator.
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Post by steverino on Dec 17, 2014 6:59:41 GMT
Pete1951, you are correct in your conjecture about field coil speakers. The idea of varying the field voltage has merit, primarily for tone rather than volume variation though both would occur. Beyond a certain lower voltage limit though the voice coil would be taxed, as input signal that does not result in cone motion must be dissipated as heat. As the field strength is reduced the heating increases. Old speakers with paper voice coil bobbins and low temperature adhesives would not do well. We live (perhaps unfortunately) in an era of multi-thousand watt voice coil ratings though, so a modern speaker could no doubt be built to stand up to these conditions.
I am surprised that the guitar amp world is so ho hum about field coil speakers. In the prewar era most high output speakers were field coil due to the poor permanent magnet materials available, though after the war the improved magnet materials produced for radar use quickly obsoleted field coils. Many advanced modern audiophiles have discovered the fine listening qualities of field coil speakers, though the guitar world has yet to catch up.
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Post by steverino on Jun 6, 2014 16:52:32 GMT
Mark I had the feeling that I had seen this thing before; I should have checked your book first!
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Post by steverino on Jun 5, 2014 6:36:47 GMT
Other thoughts... I always thought that the Schireson Brothers got screwed by the court ruling that found their designs in violation of the Dopyera patents and awarded the Dopyeras possession of the completed instruments and parts in stock at the Schireson factory. The Schiresons had received two U.S. Patents and their work seemed at least as different as the National and Dobro designs were to each other. I read somewhere that John Dopyera inspected the Schireson goods after the judgment, found them of no use and sold them for $20 or some such to a junk dealer.
But check out this instrument. Isn't the coverplate and cone somehow familiar? Could these be leftover parts from the Schireson seizure? I'm hoping that the experts here can dispel my heretical thoughts, as I certainly don't want to entertain any bad thoughts about John Dopyera!
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Post by steverino on Jun 5, 2014 6:09:06 GMT
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Post by steverino on Feb 14, 2014 6:02:02 GMT
Has anyone here not yet gotten a copy of Mark Makin's incredible book? It advances the late Bob Brozman's documentation of Nationals solidly into the 21st century and expands the knowledge base enormously with current insights. Absolutely indispensable!
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Post by steverino on Feb 10, 2014 6:00:31 GMT
I had great fun years ago buying cheap new resonators in the US on ebay, both biscuit and spider, and upgrading them into decent performers. For a while there were some spider jobs that had decent necks and terrible resonator assemblies that sold new for USD$69 plus shipping. The spiders were crude castings, weighing twice what they should and often touching the cover plate! With new spider, leveled cone well, carefully thinned cone and a decent setup these things sprung to life and I enjoyed giving several of them to friends. The Rogue Triolian biscuit single cone sold by Musician's Friend was $200 new ($250 now) and often available on ebay as a freight damaged item for as little as $100. The damage was usually a collapsed cone that came right back. These make very nice instruments and greatly outperform their modest cost. Having said that, I think that Michael Messer's instruments represent great value and are several notches up from the aforementioned project pieces.
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Post by steverino on Feb 10, 2014 5:31:01 GMT
I was privileged to see this guitar in an exhibit from the Museum of Making Music at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA just over a year ago... or was it two? Noted guitar historian Robb Lawrence had told me the story of this guitar and his friend Dave Flood's ownership of it at a steel guitar show a couple of years earlier. I am pleased to be custodian of square neck triplate #069 at present. These artifacts of history are scattered about but still in existence, thank goodness!
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Post by steverino on May 26, 2013 5:22:29 GMT
In a word, WOW! One simply must support talent like this when it rises so far above today's pop sludge. I just ordered my CD from Lucy's web site. This talented young lady has certainly maintained her ascent since I last checked in. The new album sounds gorgeous on the video; congrats to Lucy, Michael, and all involved. Go Lucy!
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Post by steverino on May 26, 2013 2:15:05 GMT
Deuce I added a comment to the linked thread. I've seen instruments with setups from silly to pretty decent, all using that cover plate.
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Post by steverino on May 26, 2013 2:10:59 GMT
That cover plate really got around. In my saved photos I have pictures of a "Belltone" that actually had a paper loudspeaker cone installed as a cheapie resonator, and a square neck "Radio Tone" built by or for Schireson Brothers in Los Angeles that was fitted with their bowl shaped aluminum resonator and tall saddle. As I recall I bought a couple of stinkers on ebay; one with silver cloth glued to the guitar top and one with the paper cone before I scored a true Schireson. All used that same cover plate.
The Nick Cave guitar looks as though it may have had the Schireson resonator, but it is hard to say for sure.
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Post by steverino on May 21, 2013 5:18:38 GMT
John's Opus 3 disc has been in heavy rotation on my car stereo for a couple of weeks now. It is a typical Bottleneck John performance, which is to say superb, very toe tapping and authentic sounding. He must have grown up in Mississippi, right? The sound quality is really super and I have yet to take it in the house and hear the Super Audio CD layer! Highly recommended.
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Post by steverino on Nov 15, 2012 18:23:11 GMT
Be careful with string tension on this guitar. I bought a used Republic Miniolian on ebay about three years ago. At first it was very pleasing in tone, small size and light weight. Over time though the tone changed and when I disassembled it I found that the chamber for the cone was collapsing, grabbing the cone at top and bottom. In this featherweight design there is no neck stick and the entire lower bout tends to collapse and fold up under string tension. I am saving what is left of this instrument to reuse the neck in a future project. Oscar I hope that you have better luck; they are great fun while they last.
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Post by steverino on Jul 15, 2012 15:23:28 GMT
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