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Post by Bo Grohl on May 2, 2022 16:48:11 GMT
Hello. This guitar was on ebay, and sold today for £1300. TT
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Post by wezzywest on May 5, 2022 14:12:20 GMT
Congratulations TT.
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Post by Bo Grohl on May 5, 2022 21:29:41 GMT
Hello again. There's a bit of a story to add to this guitar's amazing history. I had been talking to MM about purchasing one of his FEs, but since the announcement, two vintage FEs have come up on ebay within 3 weeks of each other. I bid on the first one, a sizeable bid but short of a MM FE, as it didn't make financial sense to me. I was outbid, and thought that this once in a blue moon chance was gone for good. Now I look at ebay most days, and although the seller of this one said it had failed to sell the week before, I hadn't seen it. It seemed to appear with no bids and 3 days left, and a 'make an offer' option. I put in a cheeky offer, and was amazed it was accepted. I received it this morning, and have started to tweak little bits, including removing the fragile tailpiece (until I can strengthen it), and putting in a regular dobro cone in place of the lug (which has seen better days). The action is great, but it's as low as it can go without a reset, which may be a project in years to come. Otherwise, it's just fab and I feel exceptionally lucky. TT
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Post by Michael Messer on May 6, 2022 8:12:06 GMT
Hi TT You finally got one! I know that you have wanted one of these for many years. It looks great and I am trying to work out which model and brand this one was originally. It has, as I'm sure you are aware had some work done at various times and the most obvious sign of this are the replaced gun-sight sound hole crosses, which should be rounded and are not separate components. The headstock would have had some kind of fascia and has been refinished and the neck has been off and fitted with the end protruding over the edge of the ramp. Some of the originals do this, but not as much as yours, so it could do with correcting. I have studied these guitars in great detail for the past eight years and probably know more than most about the finer details of their construction and their look. I may be getting some spare tailpieces, but at this time I am still unsure about that. Mine are a perfect fit for original guitars, but they do have an M in them. If I can help you in any way with this guitar, please ask me. Shine On Michael
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Post by Bo Grohl on May 6, 2022 8:48:51 GMT
Hi MM. You are correct in all of your observations. I assume its a M32, and the assumption is 1936, but I have no other proof of this. The previous owner made some cross hairs and has glued them in place with heavy duty glue of some sort. They are not perfect and at some point I'll look to getting this done, or at least round off the square edges and soldering in place nicely. Yes, the fretboard extends over the ramp - I hadn't noticed this! I think taking a few mms off will be part of a neck reset in a few years maybe. A new tailpiece would be wonderful if one ends up as a spare - many thanks for the suggestion / offer of assistance. I have a question about preventing rust - wipe down with wd40 occasionally? Apologies for not now putting an order in for a MM FE - but maybe it just was fate? Not ruling it out either TT
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Post by Michael Messer on May 6, 2022 10:34:18 GMT
TT, to prevent the rust, my first choice would be a really good old fashioned car wax. Turtle wax is a good one. See how that goes.
Shine On Michael
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Post by Bo Grohl on May 7, 2022 15:39:27 GMT
Sixtus pickup, clip on jack socket, ready to gig. TT
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Post by Mike lewis on May 9, 2022 18:09:57 GMT
Hi TT , I corrected the fret board changed the frets and reset the neck . When it left the workshop the stings were 3.2 mm at the 14th fret, is that too high for you or has the neck it created a bow ? Changing the tail piece for a National style will lower the break angle between the saddle and the tail piece ! Michael You are right about the fretboard protruding over the edge ramp but its original ,the screw hole in the body are in the same place , so I left it like it was . It's part of its history . Perhaps that was why I had to use a standard spider instead of an off set one ! The replace gun sights were done by some one after me . . Its still a real bargin TT
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Post by Michael Messer on May 9, 2022 19:16:23 GMT
Here's a good one. John playing George's fiddle edge Dobro, probably at the Imagine sessions.... Shine On Michael
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Post by pledge on May 22, 2022 8:48:02 GMT
I sold this rather unwillingly - we all know the financial effect of the Lockdown. The buyer installed the crosshairs then to my surprise sold it shortly after.
As Mike said, he did all the resetting, etc, etc. A great job.
I think I detailed in the beginning of this thread that I refinished the neck with Tru Oil. The tailpiece was repaired in one place by a local jeweller, and I think Mike reinforced the bent section where it crosses the fiddle edge.
Have fun - I'm glad I did my bit by spotting this guitar and bringing it back into circulation. I should have asked for more! ;-)
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Post by Bo Grohl on May 22, 2022 14:39:16 GMT
Hi Pledge It's being put to good use, and it's a keeper. Are you able to tell me anything about who you bought it from, and why they butchered it? Regards TT
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Post by Bo Grohl on May 22, 2022 14:51:31 GMT
Hi Mike. The action is pretty much still the same - 3mm at 12f. The strings were quite close to the plate, so with the inherent bit of give, I took the shims off from the neckstick and raised the saddles by 1mm or so. I also levelled the saddles so as to be straight / flat over the radius'd fretboard - I just like it that way. There's no bow, just a tiny bit of 'relief'. It's set up perfectly for me. Cheers TT
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Post by jono1uk on May 22, 2022 14:51:43 GMT
Can someone enlighten me please on the M-32 reference? Is that the official model number for an FE?
Jon
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Post by pledge on May 22, 2022 20:11:17 GMT
Hi Mike. The action is pretty much still the same - 3mm at 12f. The strings were quite close to the plate, so with the inherent bit of give, I took the shims off from the neckstick and raised the saddles by 1mm or so. I also levelled the saddles so as to be straight / flat over the radius'd fretboard - I just like it that way. There's no bow, just a tiny bit of 'relief'. It's set up perfectly for me. Cheers TT Hey TT Please do keep it more than a couple of months:-) I tried my best to ask the person I bought it from about the history but I never got any info, unfortunately.
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Post by rbe on May 23, 2022 20:37:16 GMT
Haven't posted here for awhile. But I can't resist a discussion on a vintage fiddle-edge. I have a few thoughts on some of the assorted comments in this thread. All of my thoughts here are my opinion. But my opinion is based on the many fiddle-edges I have come across and currently own.
First, after 1935, it is hard to tell which year a fiddle edge was made. Serial numbers don't really help much and many of them didn't have one. I'm not sure anyone really knows what year production actually ended. The 1935 models had a distinctive neck/headstock that was from the National/Dobro factory in the post merger year. After that, I know of at least 3 or 4 other headstock configurations and couldn't really tell you a chronological or model related order to them. Also, after 1935 I would speculate that most of these guitars were built by Regal in Chicago. Maybe Michael or Mark know.
As for the fretboard overhang. As Mike Lewis said, it is original. Seen that a number of times before. The reason? My theory is that the neck blank was for a 24.75" scale guitar and the fingerboard is 25" scale. That makes it hang over the end of the ramp, and moves the saddle back 1/4" to the standard spider position. If that overhang has made it possible for this guitar to be set up with a standard spider, I think that is a good thing. I have always felt the ones that have the standard spider sounded a little better (my opinion here).
If you have the lugged cone, try to use it. It is stamped and has a different tone from the spun cones. My thoughts are, if you want it to sound like a Duolian, buy a Duolian. If you want it to sound like a wooden Dobro, get one of those. The fiddle-edge is its own beast and the lugged cone is part of that. It cuts back on the "Dobro" sound, but is nothing like the National sound of a 9.5" cone.
This is an M32. Painted steel (sometimes brass) body. "M" was the model designation for fiddle-edges. I don't remember all of the model numbers, but there is usually an "M" involved. The M35 is a later version of the M32. I don't think they really existed together. The M35s that I have encountered had bound fingerboards, wider, more modern frets, and maybe the coke bottle style headstock and f-holes on the body. Maybe not. Sometimes the Regal/UFO coverplate.
An additional point - The steel on some of these, guitars and on many Nationals, has some sort of coating. I'm not sure anyone can say what it is for a fact, but it is there.It does not rust. It also might be the reason the paint didn't always adhere well. Some say zinc. Some say lead. There was a steel coating at the time called Galvaneal. Could be that. I say this because when you sand it, you remove it and the steel will rust.
So like I said, these are my thoughts and observations. Don't hold me to them.
And Michael, nice work on the new fiddle-edge.
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