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Post by Andy P on Nov 24, 2004 12:31:44 GMT
Doh! Just looked under 'Michael's guitars' and got all the info I wanted
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Post by Alan on Dec 16, 2004 14:36:37 GMT
Does anyone know where I can get a couple of strap buttons for a Danelectro U2, I've got a body that I'm working on.
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Post by Michael Messer on Dec 16, 2004 17:31:29 GMT
Hi Andy,
Good....you found the information!
Mine is a solid mahogany body routed out to be hollow. Then there is a maple top with 2 f holes, sycamore neck & Sperzel tuners. My pickups are a 1940s National lap-steel pickup & a repro Danelectro lipstick. Dave is currently making them with copies of 1930s Richenbacher horseshoe pickups which excellent.
These are wonderful guitars for playing electric slide. Dave King is undoubtably one of THE best luthiers around today, a master craftsman who makes beautiful guitars.
Shine On, Michael.
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Post by Alan on Dec 16, 2004 22:36:52 GMT
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Post by LouisianaGrey on Dec 17, 2004 11:12:23 GMT
"Perhaps other visitors to the thread could comment on this subject."
I like to use the .015-.056 Newtones on my electric resos. I don't know about them feeling wrong in standard tuning though. If you compare string gauges they're pretty much the same as any set of "medium" acoustic .013s apart from the unwound strings - which is usually where the sound starts getting a bit thin when you're playing slide.
I haven't tried it yet but it occurs to me that you could go a bit lighter on the bottom and maybe even up to .018 and .020 for the top two. Beefing up the top strings is fairly common in the dobro world.
Change of subject - Alan, till I looked at his site I hadn't realised that the Resodan guy was also using the Ashworth pickup. I assume for the same reason that I use it - it has a very high output for a piezo bug-type pickup so you don't get a big volume drop when you switch between the neck and the bridge.
Another change of subject - I second what Michael said about Dave King. As a fellow luthier I greatly admire his guitars, and the quality of his workmanship.
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Post by MM on Dec 17, 2004 16:05:50 GMT
Hi Pete, I use the Messer Slide Classics by Newtone (well I would!!!) 15 to 56 on my electric guitars. I have tried the heavier tops like a dobro 16 18 & 18 20 and it certainly has a different tone, but overall I prefer the 15 17 on the top strings. On my electric lap steel in low bass D & G tunings I use 16 - 18 - 27w - 36 - 46 - 65. The 65 really growls, I love it! In GBDGBD or other high tunings I use either 16 - 18 - 26w - 36 - 46 - 56. On my square neck Dobro I use those gauges as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Alan, that's great - you got the parts from Mr Resodan! And he didn't charge you.....even better! Those Resodans are okay, but not very robust. I had a Dan' U2 and after a year or so of using it, I was putting the strings on and as I tightened the bottom E string up to pitch, it pulled the bridge right out of the body! So be careful. They are wonderful guitars, they sound great & they look very cool indeed, but they are not very strong. Personally speaking, I am not a big fan of electro resonator guitars, they don't work for me. I would say it is much better to get a similar kind of thing to the Resodan but made properly. The Resocasters made by Pete Woodman are far superior to the Resodans & are very reasonably priced...... plus>>>I think the Telecaster shape is possibly the ultimate electric guitar shape. The reason I worked with Dave King to create the signature MM electric guitar was because I had owned & tried various reso-electric guitars and not found anything that could touch my lap steels for an electric slide tone. I first saw Ry Cooder using these kind of lap steel pickups back in the 1980s, but at that time I didn't know anybody that I could work with to create an electric slide guitar to my specifications. The new range of DK MM signature guitars will use the Richenbacher style horse-shoe pickups as standard. Using pickups from 1940s & 50s lap steels destroys beautiful old guitars, so we are trying to avoid that. However, if a 1940s Supro pickup is what the customer wants, no problem....another vintage lap steel will bite the dust! Dave King "Michael Messer" with Supro pickup Dave King "Michael Messer" with Richenbacher pickup Dave King "Michael Messer" with National / Supro pickup Resocaster - by Pete Woodman. Shine On, Michael.
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Post by Alan on Dec 17, 2004 20:14:22 GMT
Those are nice but completely out of my price range. Petes's and Dave Kings' instruments are pro quality, this isnt really in that league, but good to play about on. I've been after a cheap guitar for a while and this was a £140 on eBay, couldn't go wrong. As soon as I got it I dismantled it to see how it was done ( I can feel Mark shaking his head, as he reads this ) Looks like a platform is made to rest the cone on, cut into bits then glued back together insdide, sounds fine. Means I can have 2 guitars in different tunings. I'm not surprised the bridge ripped out, theres not much to hold it on , the necks seem fine. I reallly like them, and will keep my eye out for spares and other bits. I got it of this guy Dave Arcari, with a padded gig bag and he also sent me all of his cds, about 6. Have a look at his site, sort of Rockabilly Blues. [ www.davearcari.com/www.radiotones.com/Seems like freebie week this week !
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Post by LouisianaGrey on Dec 17, 2004 22:18:06 GMT
Those Danelectros are semi-hollow aren't they, Alan?
If you can manage to get an air space which will allow air to get to the cone (e.g. if the soundwell goes all the way to the back of the guitar then have a couple of gaps in the walls) you will find the tone is much better than if the guitar is solid. The Amistar electric reso has a port from the heel of the guitar into the soundwell for the same reason.
If you have any problems with the construction then mail me offlist.
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Post by MM on Dec 17, 2004 23:00:18 GMT
Hi Alan,
I totally understand what you are saying. Professional musicians know more than most folk about being skint & getting great cheap instruments. Also, don't worry about what everyone else says; If I had listened to everyone around me back in my early 20s, I would not be playing slide guitar at all.
Dave Arcari - he's a good man. Ten or so years ago he was a booking agent for myself, Catfish Keith & a handful of other acoustic blues players. He used to book me concerts around Perth & Edinburgh and did a great job of it. The Twa Tams in Perth & the Rothes Hall in Glenrothes spring to mind.....happy memories! If you are in touch with Dave, please send him my best wishes.
Instruments are very personal - just because I don't get on with reso-electric guitars doesn't mean they're no good. I could name numerous musicians who use them and are very happy with the sound.
Shine On, Michael.
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Post by Alan on Dec 17, 2004 23:50:47 GMT
They are semi hollow, from what I could see its 2 pieces of mdf laminated in plastic, but blocks of wood for the neck to screw in ( goes to halfway into guitar) and a couple of other blocks. Sustain is not that good, What surprised me is the Dano pickup, difficult to explain, but it sounds natural. They are $29 on ebay (£15). Whats funny is if you take of the control plate covers you get much more acoustic volume. I dont think you can get a guitar thats made so well out of flimsy material, feels 'solid' . Its nice to not have to retune all the time, and as an added bonus plug it into an amp I dont know why theres no one doing a similar thing to Epiphone/Vintage les paul specials. Or is it more work than its worth? This guys had ago. www.rahul.net/gaa/reso/
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Post by Russ Young on Dec 18, 2004 6:33:28 GMT
I had a Supro Ozark for a short while -- as far as I know, it's the only Spanish-style guitar hat came equipped with the "string-through" pickup usually found on Supro lap steels: The guitar is also the answer to a trivia question ... Jimi Hendrix's first electric guitar was an Ozark.
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Post by LouisianaGrey on Dec 18, 2004 11:03:04 GMT
"I dont know why theres no one doing a similar thing to Epiphone/Vintage les paul specials. Or is it more work than its worth?"
With LP-type guitars the arched carved top is a complication, as you need a flat surface for the coverplate. If the arch was a proper dome it wouldn't be so bad, but it's more of a hump that goes from side to side so it's not the same height all the way round.
It's not impossible but it is a lot more work. For a luthier it isn't much more difficult to build an LP-shaped body with a flat top from scratch, and that way you have more choice over the pickup and control layout. It's on my "to do" list!
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Post by Michael Messer on Dec 18, 2004 11:25:15 GMT
The Les Paul/Supro shape is a very popular one with resophonic makers - it was used by National a very long time ago .... .......and again by National Reso-Phonic Guitars..... .....and by Beltona.... ....and by Fine Resophonic.... .....I am sure there's more! Shine On, Michael.
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Post by MM on Dec 18, 2004 11:53:52 GMT
Alan, you certainly do find them!!!! >Great stuff Shine On, Michael.
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Post by Russ Young on Dec 18, 2004 13:51:08 GMT
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