Jazz on a tricone

[Gadjojazz]

Hi, I'm new here. I am a jazz guitarist who is known mostly for playing Django Reinhardt, gypsy jazz music. I promote Gitane guitars for Gremlin and recently got one of their new Regal (hammerite grey) tricones to experiment with.
I am a great lover of Django's contemporary Oscar Aleman who as I guess yo know played a National Tricone during his stay in Paris. His sound was close to Django's but obviously because of the unique gutar was unmistakeably his own. It is for this reason I am trying to use a resonator in my set.

Now, I enjoy messing with guitars and do my own set-ups. I have read about taking out the central mushroom etc and have played about with this. I have made a new nut and accepted the existing bridge's action of around 2.5-3mmm at the 12th fret. At present I use D'Addario bronze 12-52 because that is what is in the house and play with a heavy right hand clasping a 2mm pick.

Any suggestestions? The guitar sounds well balanced with only a slight resonace around G. It reverberates well and plays great. I know Malcolm Newton, should I be thinking about heavier strings? I can play on a set of 14s if necessary but beyond that the tricky stuff becomes hard and the music suffers. My guess is that Oscar would have used whatever was around at the time. He may have even used the copper wound French strings Django is thought to have used.

Is it worth new National cones or is this too nit-picky for what I want to use the guitar for?

If everybody takes out the middle mushroom why do all the makers insist on putting it in?

I will record with it soon so will send some examples if you like. The problem is I don't know anyone else into (picked) single note jazz on these things. All the great 'cone heads' I talk to are into great blues tones.

I am assured you are the man!!

[Michael Messer]

Hi GadjoJazz,

Good to hear from you.

I know Oscar's music and have heard many stories about him and his guitar during the Second World War. Nationals, both Tricones & single cones are wonderful for jazz.

I am pleased that you are getting the tone from a Regal, but you should be aware that the National Tricone Oscar recorded with had a very different tone to a modern mass produced copy. I am not being negative about them, they are great, but have their limitations. That guitar on Oscar's recordings is as sweet and warm as it gets, and as much as I support and respect all the budget mass produced instruments, they will never give you that tone. The only thing that will really give that tone is a 1930s round-neck National Tricone.

Regarding your questions about mushrooms (pit props) - I would advise you to leave them alone, just make sure they fit properly. I owned Tricones for 25 years before I heard anything about moving the pit props!

You probably will get a better tone with National cones, but the body and sound-well are not as sturdy as a National and therefore will always have a different tone.

My friend MIke Lewis in Paris, has built instruments for a French Django band called Opus 4. Check out their photo...http://www.fineresophonic.com/ref13.htm

As you say most cone-heads are into blues and country music, but some are into jazz and other stuff. I could list a few players that you could track down who are into jazz & swing on Nationals.

Keep in touch and let me know how you get on.

Shine On,
Michael.

[gadjojazz]

Thanks for this. I have seen the Opus 4 guys and have their CD's and they sound great but not what I had in mind. I guess this is just the same as ouir Django world where the Selmer guitar rules supreme i.e. if you want 'that' sound buy the original instrument. All that being said I am using Chinese instruments to be practical now my Selmer is worth the same as a decent car.
Is anybody in this country using a Reso for jazz solo work? I onlyknow of a few banjo players who double on resos for rhythm work.

Again thank you and I will keep my eye on this forum.

[Michael Messer]

Hi GadjoJazz,

It's great to hear from a resophonic guitarist playing jazz. Keep in touch with the forum and let us know how you get on. The Regal is a pretty good copy of a National Tricone.

A player based in the UK that I can recommend, is J.C. Grimshaw. He lives on the Isle of Wight and very rarely plays on the mainland. JC plays all kinds of stuff, and although Django is not his main style, he can play those numbers very well.

The Hawaiian guitar style that myself, JC and others play (1920s and 30s acoustic Hawaiian music) is very closely related to Django's music and other swing styles. Check out Sol Hoopii volumes 1 and 2 on Rounder Records. I do a few of those numbers and they are very jazzy and sometimes with that gypsy vibe too.

Shine On,
Michael.

[LouisianaGrey]

JC and his sister are both very cool people.

[lee holliday]

Lets not forget Martin Wheatley of the Hula Bluebirds who can also tear up the neck, Tricone or tenor single cone!
Aloha Lee.

[Colin McCubbin]

If you ever get to Vancouver, Canada then look up luthier Michael Dunn, besides making wonderful Gypsy Jazz guitars, Hawaiian Style Weissenborns, and various harp guitars etc he is a consumate player of both styles. He also has and plays several National tricones, and partners Bob Brozman when Bob is up here.

His site is at www.michaeldunnguitars.com/

His band, 'the hot club of Mars' is well worth hearing either on CD or, even better playing live.