Post by mistercanetoad on Jun 20, 2006 14:00:20 GMT
Thanks to Michael, Colin and Louisianagrey for guiding me through surgery on my AXL tricone (pit props mushrooms etc in AXL tricone thread). I finally got a set of National Cones from the USA and installed them and it sounds great!! It was used at its first paying gig a couple of weeks ago. 
I have had the chance to try quite a few higher end resonators recently, (quite a few at Frailers, Runcorn, highly recommended!) to see how my 3 budget instruments stand up in comparison. I've tried Dobros, Nationals, Beltonas, Continentals, Amistars.....
The best Dobros sounded a little better than my Regal, (RD-?45, stock apart from a new Quarterman) most sounded similar or worse. The various Beltonas etc were better made but sounded about the same or worse.
The Nationals were without exception beautifully put together and they all sounded excellent. I was however surprised to note that my upgraded AXL tricone sounded very close to the equivalent National. ;D
The most marked difference was between my AXL biscuit type (same as a Johnson Bottle Slide) and the Nationals. The Johnson sounds pretty good but all of the Nationals had more sustain and a clearer tone particularly on the higher strings. The AXL came with a remarkably good spun resonator but also a particularly crappy biscuit that will be replaced with a carbon fibre version. This might help a bit but I suspect that there is a fundamental difference in the construction. I suspect modern wooden bodied Nationals also have a neck stick, (unlike the AXL) which transmits the vibrations from the strings in a different way. Anyway there was this National Radiotone that was just divine Unfortunately I didn't have a grand to spare but I did dream about it!!!!
In conclusion it seems to me that many modern copies are pretty good, the basic ingredients are there, decent cones etc and not just dreadnoughts with bits added on etc. All of mine have been bought second hand for not much money, all needed some work to get the best out of them but the results have been worth it.
Now time to stop fiddling around and DO SOME SERIOUS PLAYING!!!! And perhaps get an extra big piggybank....... those Nationals are works of art....................................
David
I have had the chance to try quite a few higher end resonators recently, (quite a few at Frailers, Runcorn, highly recommended!) to see how my 3 budget instruments stand up in comparison. I've tried Dobros, Nationals, Beltonas, Continentals, Amistars.....
The best Dobros sounded a little better than my Regal, (RD-?45, stock apart from a new Quarterman) most sounded similar or worse. The various Beltonas etc were better made but sounded about the same or worse.
The Nationals were without exception beautifully put together and they all sounded excellent. I was however surprised to note that my upgraded AXL tricone sounded very close to the equivalent National. ;D
The most marked difference was between my AXL biscuit type (same as a Johnson Bottle Slide) and the Nationals. The Johnson sounds pretty good but all of the Nationals had more sustain and a clearer tone particularly on the higher strings. The AXL came with a remarkably good spun resonator but also a particularly crappy biscuit that will be replaced with a carbon fibre version. This might help a bit but I suspect that there is a fundamental difference in the construction. I suspect modern wooden bodied Nationals also have a neck stick, (unlike the AXL) which transmits the vibrations from the strings in a different way. Anyway there was this National Radiotone that was just divine Unfortunately I didn't have a grand to spare but I did dream about it!!!!
In conclusion it seems to me that many modern copies are pretty good, the basic ingredients are there, decent cones etc and not just dreadnoughts with bits added on etc. All of mine have been bought second hand for not much money, all needed some work to get the best out of them but the results have been worth it.
Now time to stop fiddling around and DO SOME SERIOUS PLAYING!!!! And perhaps get an extra big piggybank....... those Nationals are works of art....................................
David