Cone and dots

[marcobellani]

Hello

I know that it is not necessary to change the cone in the MM Bluse guitar. Mr Robin from the Busker Company was very kind and told me that.
I have the Busker resonator guitar and I love his sound, but I am very curious to know how it would sound if I change the cone with a new NRP cone
store.nationalguitars.com/resonators.aspx

NRP CONE are not expensive so if it can improve the sound of the busker guitar why not?
Or can not the NRP cone mach in a good way with the MM blues guitar?
Are the cone easy to change or it is necessary a god experience in the resonator guitar?

Could you tell me the material of the fret board dots in the original National steel guitar?

Thank you again for your very kind cooperation and patience

All the best

Marco

[snakehips]

Hi there !

I put a NRP Hot Rod cone in my MM Lightnin' - and found a great improvement in the tone and volume. Initially, I put in an earlier NRP non-hot-rod cone - while I waited on delivery of a hot-rod one. That sounded good too.
Nothing terribly wrong with the MM cones though - it's just that NRP make the best cones, in my opinion (in fact, I believe MM's cones are the best "budget" brand cones. Beltona cones are pretty damn good too, if you can get one, but NRP's are the best, IMHO).

Here is a YouTube video demo I did comparing a MM Lightnin with a vintage 1930 National Style "O" - both with NRP Hot-Rod cones in them :


Note - Not everyone on this forum understood what I was trying to show in this video, despite it being quite clear. Some thought I should have done a different comparison, a comparison they wanted to see, but not a comparison I intended to make (otherwise I would have done it !).
Make of it what you will.
Hope it helps !

[Michael Messer]

Hi Marco,

If you love the sound of your guitar, don't change the cone. I have tried this on a few MM guitars and I do not think that fitting a National Reso-Phonic cone will make enough difference to make it worthwhile. I have actually been surprised at how little it does change the sound.

I am not in some kind of competition with National about cones, and I am not precious about which cone you have in your guitar. I just don't think it makes as much difference as having a good set-up and learning to get the best out of your guitar.

Best wishes,

Shine On
Michael.

[marcobellani]

Hi Mr Messer

Thank you again for your kind answer

I am sure that the first thing is to learn how to get the best out of my guitar. ... But sometimes it seems a very hard mountain to climb javascript:add("%20:(")
Ok I have your DVDs as rope to help me to step into the mountain.

And about the fret board dots in the original Duolian National steel guitar, what is the materia they were made? Only paint, mother of pearl or bachilite?

See you soon

Marco

---------------

Hi snakehips

Thank you for your message. I have appreciate it.
You are a very good guitar player and singer.

Was it difficult to the change the 9,5" cone in your guitar?

I think there are no problems with your video. Both guitars sound very goods. The first one for me have a wide sound but to tell the true I hear a similar difference between the MM Blues and the MM Lightnin. For me MM Blues has a more wide sound than the Lightnin (it is my personal opinion)
For me it is impossible to tell what is the best

All the best

Marco

[Deleted]

Marco, if you are still learning how to get the best out of your guitar, then leave it as it is and play it more! If it sounds and plays good, then just enjoy it. It is a simple job to change the cone if you are familiar with these guitars, but all resonators are prone to buzzes and rattles and if you mess around with it there is a risk that you might start rattling or buzzing.

As Michael says, if you like it as it is, don't change it. Too many people get diverted from the music to becoming obsessed with the instrument itself. If you are finding learning "a hard mountain to climb", tinkering with the cone won't make it any easier!

[Deleted]

Hi Snake hips

what strings do you have on the National 1931 walnut Duolian you demo. is that in regular tuning.
Many thanks
Dave

[marcobellani]

Hi Chickenbone John

I agree 100% with you
I must spend more time to play the guitar, I am tring to make my best.

However I think it is normal that I want to know more about my guitar, because I like it and it is a new thing for me. If I do not like one thing then I sell it, if I really like it I want to understand how to improve it (if it is possible).
At the moment I am very far from to be obsessed by the instrument itself. I am only a beginner in the guitar but I have a Family, a Job and I am a Martial Arts and Knife Fighting Master (I have also designed and produced in these days the knives for the Venetian Marines). So I have to many things to make to stop my attention only over the guitar cone :-)

Your information about the cone is very important for me. I am not familiar with the resonator guitar and my guitar does not have buzzes & rattles so it is better that I I do not risk to change the cone.

All the best

Marco

[snakehips]

Hi kluson !

I use 13-56 guage phosphor-bronze coated strings - D'Addario - on all my resos except my Baritone National single-cone - I use D'Addario coated Baritone set.