niaro
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Post by niaro on Apr 20, 2020 20:13:34 GMT
It's definitely only for lap style considering the action on it. I must confess that I don't have much practice so I won't be such a great help with the technique but I still wanna learn, just miss the players in the neighborhood!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 0:35:25 GMT
I decided to string it up. Turns out not sooo bad for a 91 year old... put on a set of light LaBella silvered copper over steel strings...any cowboy would be happy it can be fretted to the 7th fret and even beyond. Action up 1/4” or more at the 12th. Great for slide. The original cone in there now, though the new NRP cone was louder. Just enough tension at the tailpiece...didnt need to under-string it. Sounds like an old National metal body - but without the echo and reverb (actually Marc Schoenbergers words when I spoke with him earlier...and that describes it to a t). Very dry sounding without the coverplate...a bit of echo with... I will leave it strung and play and watch it for stability...then make some decisions about restoration... Edit- the original cone is more nasal/quacky sounding but very loud when played hard. I prefer the “dry” way it sounded with the NRP cone and no coverplate, though did not play the original cone with no coverplate. The strings are an odd set also a tone factor... Putting the cover plate on added more reverb than my initial observation. Makes an interesting case for different cover plate materials... trying also to give the guitar full humidification since it appears quite dry
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 13:26:30 GMT
The headstock is the one location that is holding the most of what I would guess is the original paint. It looks brown. While on the body under the rim of the cover plate appears to be off white... i see there were some early metal body triolians with brown wooden necks on yellow palm tree metal bodies. So this could be a yellow wooden body with brown neck, or less likely a wooden walnut finish...
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niaro
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Post by niaro on Apr 21, 2020 20:18:30 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 20:32:44 GMT
Niaro, Thanks. Yes it does look like mine. Serial number about 40 lower. Looks like the same guy with the paint stripper and black painted dots got a hold of it...
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Post by calvoi on Apr 22, 2020 6:27:28 GMT
I know it isn’t original but I actually quite like the wood look. Admittedly I’m not a fan of the mustard yellow that the original triolians came with. Whatever you decide finish wise you’ve got yourself a lovely guitar there Fred!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2020 9:29:55 GMT
Calvoi, Thanks for your comment. Yes I agree. I do not like the yellow motif either. I dont know what type of laminate was used on my triolian, but it seems to have a nice grain. I will likely put a thin coat of light brown lacquer at some time to match the back of the headstock. Presently the guitar is in a higher humidity room since it looked dry to me.
The original cone is settling in and the action is down a hair. But I believe that the cone was stressed and the resonance was impacted by the fitting the previous owner had installed. I will put on a more typical set of strings and see if the tone improves...basing it on what I heard with the new NRP cone I tried earlier.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2020 17:47:00 GMT
I was getting ready to go back to the NRP cone but I think I fixed the original cone with (the wrong end of) a screwdriver. The biscuit platform was seriously distorted by the plumbing flange. I tried to massage it out but was still uneven and was getting a lot of quacky tone. So I removed the biscuit, flipped the cone over onto the biscuit platform, and running the rounded end of a screwdriver handle along the circumference of the platform, reshaped it. It sounds good to my taste (without the cover) and looks good. Will put the cover on later and compare.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2020 13:44:04 GMT
We are calling the triolian (and the Supro - both recent ebay finds) “done” for now. Took the non-original paint off of the coverplate and readjusted the saddle. The biscuit still pulls a bit to the right, but otherwise fine. Action is high towards the body but fretable... could call it setup for slide. The neck relief is minor, so going to hold off on any neck reset or heat press. Sounds real nice. Abused and unhappy guitars are still out there at a reasonable price.
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Post by snakehips on Apr 24, 2020 16:03:18 GMT
Hi there !
Good job on the cone reshaping, Fred !!!
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Post by janatore on Apr 25, 2020 16:23:21 GMT
I say thank you for sharing your route with this wood body Triolian here. I liked how you came back to the original pieces and set it up the best possible way (fretable set up for slide playing). The actual (original?!) wooden surface coulour hardly reminds me of the Michael Messer Blues 28 guitars.
I am interested how it sounds now. Do you think you can realize a sound or video clip playing your Triolian and display that here?
Most of my (theoretical) knowledge (like so many others i guess) about resonator guitars comes from here.
Thankfully
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 19:09:18 GMT
Janatore, Thanks for your interest. Yes it has been an interesting project...just a lot of basic cleanup. Its all 91 years old except for the tailpiece and one tuner button. I tend to put lighter weight strings on my older guitars, and did so here, basically a set of phosphor bronze 12’s. As such, the tone is a bit compromised, a bit too light, but has that classic National tone. I said it before but I like the dry woody tone without the cover plate installed. The plate brightens the tone and somewhat thins it to my ears. My playing is not worthy of a youtube presentation, but will see if I can get something posted. Thanks
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Post by vastopol on Apr 26, 2020 9:07:30 GMT
I hope to not say anithing stupid, but the white painting inside make me think of the very few walnut finishes on wood Triolians...I remember one of those with a light burst on neck, like a Style0 neck, but fitted on walnut wood body.(one of a kind for this, but it prove this can be possible). It seems most woody walnuts have the same white base on neck. The base is kind of creamy white; could be an interesting alternative if you don't like the flashy yellow ones, but correct from an historic point of view. Rick Besser is a master on the art of the real grain on old sunburst, with the right pressure, the right dispersion... (If I was lucky enough to find such a great guitar for a fraction of his value, I may seriously consider a top notch refinishing)
Have you waited enough time for the differents cones to bed in, before judging the sound?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2020 12:48:22 GMT
Vastopol, Thanks for your comments. I appreciate all thoughts and ideas about this guitar. The only color that I would bet on is the neck being the light brown color as shown in the photo of the back of headstock. See the new photo below that also shows light brown around the tuning strip and tiny patch on the headstock face. Regarding the body, the white-ish ring under the cover plate could be primer, but elsewhere on the body not a trace of finish. The tone of the guitar has been quite variable as I have tweaked the cone and saddle. The cone was quite out of shape initially but I got lucky with my reshaping attempt. I have not disturbed it for several days and the tone seems to be firming up. To me, the tone is distinctly the tone of an old metal body National, with less reverb and echo, but not the dry tone I heard without the cover plate. It really should get a neck reset, but the way it is now is fine for playing a “counrty blues” slide style, fretting and walking thru around the 7 fret or so... Right now no plans to put a finish on it, except maybe a thin coat of tinted nitro to match the light brown.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2020 10:05:42 GMT
Have you ever seen the videos on facebook by the guy "RL Rainwater". He has a BEAT wood body triolian, that sounds amazing! RL is fab. TT
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