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Post by pete1951 on Mar 11, 2021 17:52:14 GMT
Here’s one with the lid off This shows the inside a little better This is a typical cross section, I made it about 5 years ago and it has been my main ‘jamming’ guitar. I didn’t really think it would be so successful and used odd bits and pieces to make the body. The back was a shelf, and as I said the front was an old road sign. The neck ( I did change the head shape) was on a Stag Les Paul ( Stag imports all sorts of stuff, much of it cheap) which had broken off it’s body. The only new bits were the 2 14x20” 6mm birch ply that form the core of the build and become the 12mm white stripe that runs round the whole thing Pete Not sure where to fit the mic capsule, any advice? The pickup was on an Epiphone Les Paul, the knobs from a radio, but the pots and jack (and strings!) were probably new.
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Post by bramley on Mar 12, 2021 4:41:17 GMT
A thing of great beauty!
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 12, 2021 7:36:58 GMT
Thanks bramley, most of the beauty came from the original design, and here I was ‘ standing on the shoulders of giants’ , ( though I was very pleased with the F holes which National forgot to put on the Glenwood) Pete Would like some advice as to position of capsule. Planning to use a stereo jack and add a push-pull pot. The pot will let me put the magnetic pickup or the mic on the ‘tip’ of the jack so I can use one or the other with a mono cable ( and let me swop channels in stereo.) . I do have a stereo guitar but at a jam/open mic gig setting up a stereo system might take too long, even though I am used to the concept.
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Post by bramley on Mar 14, 2021 15:51:03 GMT
As usual I was so eager to put the guitar back together I took no pics of the process.
I've attached a rough diagram of mounting position relative to the cone .To hold the capsule I used one of those clips that keeps a mic cable attached to a mic stand shaft. Looking at the guitar with the cover plate screw closest to the mag pick up as 12 o'clock, the capsule is at 8 o'clock . I experimented with it mounted on the treble side at about 2 o'clock and liked it best where it is now.
FYI on my earlier Telecoustic build I mounted a mic capsule under the cone facing up , it was built similarly to yours with a platform rather than a sound well. You can hear that on the Soundclick clips.
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 14, 2021 18:05:58 GMT
Thanks, 8 o’clock is great as it give me the most space to fit the capsule.. Pete
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Post by bramley on Mar 15, 2021 17:06:17 GMT
Can you string the guitar up with the top off? That has been the key for me in experimenting .
While talking about the top, I'm intrigued by how you did the faux maple paint job, it looks beautiful. ( Was shocked to discover it was formerly a road sign )
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 16, 2021 8:34:12 GMT
I could try to string without the cover , the electrics and tailpiece are both mounted on the cover, might have a go. Have already put an old capsule in, it works, but not well, may try different capsule ( have a cheap one in my spares box) Here it a pic of one of my guitars and a plate under construction. I call the effect ‘flamed aluminium ‘ . Getting a smooth polished finish is hard ( some makers don’t make guitars with a smooth finish because it’s harder to do, the name Mule comes to mind). I am not a very good panel beater, so the tops often have minor lumps and bumps , a textured finish hides these a little. I love flamed maple so tried to replicate using an orbital sander. By using various grit sizes and pressing the corner of the sanders bed I can get the wavy flame like effects. The whole lot is the sprayed over. Pete
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Post by bramley on Mar 17, 2021 16:41:57 GMT
Clever process! It looks great . I hope you can find a capsule that works for you, it's tough as every guitar will be different.
Next cab off the rank for me is based around a beautiful sounding body I bought from Crafters of Tennessee ( the late Tut Taylor's company) when they closed down.
The coverplate is also from Crafters, neck is an old Airline , magnetic is a '60s MIJ gold foil . I'm experimenting with a piezo film strip about 2.5 inches long clamped onto the top rear side of the biscuit, sounds promising so far.
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 19, 2021 12:35:40 GMT
Here is another that got the ‘Full metal Jacket’ This has Y bridge like some National mandolins . This allowed me to use a 14 fret neck, with a T bridge one cone gets too close to the edge.Good luck with the piezo Pete
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Post by bramley on Mar 19, 2021 20:10:36 GMT
It's very effective and a brilliant idea, you must have a steady hand with the grinder!
Re the Y bridge, I have a Fender Telecoustic body ( fully hollow) that had a broken top which I've replaced with an aluminum top. I would love to do a tricone in it, any idea whether either a T or Y would allow that?
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 20, 2021 7:29:37 GMT
Will do some measurements later today. Pete
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 20, 2021 11:09:33 GMT
The Y cone might work. But only just, and finding someone to make the Y will be a challenge! But not the T
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 20, 2021 13:48:15 GMT
Re: Y bridge
I made the pattern you see in the picture, then got it cast by the engineering dept of my local university. There was then some minor metal work to do the cone seating and saddle. Pete
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Post by bramley on Mar 21, 2021 0:35:19 GMT
Thanks for taking the time to post all that ! Nice work. I come from a foundry family and know how demanding pattern making is.
I've never owned or worked on a tricone, is there a lug the end of each leg that sits in the hole on top of each cone?
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Post by pete1951 on Mar 21, 2021 11:15:17 GMT
Underside pics of modern Far Eastern T ( usually they sound better with black paint removed) and old style T. This old style T was made in the UK and has an angled saddle, most (all?)original National are straight?( NRP May have gone over to the ‘compensated ‘ shape) The centre pins on the Far Eastern one are part of the casting, the UK made (and the ones on my guitar) have steel pins. Pete The final position/machining of the cup and pins was left until after casting in case of any shrinking
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