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Sept 12, 2011 22:23:26 GMT
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Swapped this for some wheels last week (actually wheels - not slang for a car or anything!) and I think I got the better end of the deal. Guy knew nothing about guitars - his wife bought it at a clearance auction just to hang on the wall but has now got bored and remodelled. This sort of thing is why he can't afford to buy wheels for his capri. Thing is, I'm not exactly the world's greatest expert on steel guitars. This is probably the first one I've ever played, although I had a wood bodied SX reso (dobro rather than national style) a couple of years back. All I know is what I can find on the internet, and there isn't much. Anyway, based on what I have found out, it's pretty much a copy of a national style "o" without the palm trees. I took it to bits, it is braced through the body to the tailpiece, the cone is a pressed one rather than spun (might be my only upgrade) but other than that it looks like the pictures of real ones. A bit of googling reveals that it is a Tanglewood TMR, body is steel with nickel plate finish which was a relief, actually I was dreading it to be chrome! At least nickel will tone down and not look so garish after a while. And speaking of garish, the fake MOP on the headstock just looks awful. I think if I keep this I will probably prise it off and either varnish the wood underneath or veneer it. Strings were dead, I fitted 12 -56 plain 3rd. Action looked to never have been set, was sky high (about 3/8" at the 12th) so I took about 1/4" off the bottom of the bridge and it's a lot nicer to play fretted. What does it sound like though? Well, I thought you might ask I reckon it sounds quite nice. Mind you, I have no reference point. What do you think?
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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MK2VR6
Posted a lot
Mk2 Golf GTi 90 Spec
Posts: 3,329
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Sept 12, 2011 22:28:54 GMT
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Very cool. Hats off to the slide playing too. Seems a bargain for sure. Must admit first thing I thought of was the front cover of dire straits brothers in arms, and Knopfler's steel guitar.
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Sept 12, 2011 22:31:57 GMT
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yup, that's exactly what it's a copy of! I've been lusting after that guitar since 1985......
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Sept 13, 2011 7:45:23 GMT
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Love the look and especially the sound if it which reminds me of early Seasick Steve.
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 13, 2011 21:22:59 GMT
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Sounds good. Had my grubby paws on a few over the years. It would definitely benefit from a spun cone, pressed ones tend to make them sound a bit like a banjo.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Sept 13, 2011 21:54:44 GMT
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if you want a quick mod to improve the sound, should the cone have screws holding it down at the edge, take them out so it is essentially just floating on the body. will open up the sound a bit
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Sept 13, 2011 23:23:29 GMT
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The cone is floating already - You can move it around with the strings loosened. All the cones I'm finding on ebay look the same as the one I have I took the spiral embossed pattern to mean it was pressed, but googling for pictures of "real" nationals throws up stuff like this which looks the same as my cone? Dobro style single cones (with the spider bridge) don't have the spirals, so is this a national thing?
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 13, 2011 23:39:42 GMT
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I suppose, as with everything, the quility of the materials will make a difference. I had a little search for resonators on ebay, saw a few spun cones on there
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Sept 14, 2011 0:07:57 GMT
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 14, 2011 16:20:34 GMT
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Damn, you're right. They're all 10 1/2 inch. Bumhats. I'll have a look in some catalogues tomorrow at work and see if I can get hold of one for you. If I remember, lol
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 14, 2011 16:24:39 GMT
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Last Edit: Sept 14, 2011 16:53:11 GMT by Davenger
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Sept 14, 2011 17:10:32 GMT
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Ta for the link - but once again, that looks like the one I have already! I'm now pretty convinced that I already have a chinese or korean made spun cone, and I just didn't know enough to be able to tell what it should look like.
I did notice (based on my googling last night) that the one in the link you posted is a copy of an early style national cone because it has the small radial pressings at the edge - these were included early on as a strengthening idea but actually turned out to be a cause of early cone failure due to stress cracking around the edge and were removed from later models (in about 1935....).
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 14, 2011 21:01:00 GMT
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Interesting. I imagine the quality of aluminium has improved vastly since then, so the cracking will be less of an issue. Can't help wondering if there is much tonal difference between the plain and radial pressed cones. All the resonators I've encountered, including a rather lovely 70's Samick had the pressings in the cone
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Sept 14, 2011 21:16:27 GMT
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There is certainly a whole mythology surrounding reso cones with a million different opinions on its effect on tone! I have noticed over the last day or so that playing style affects tone hugely - now I've stopped hitting it like my old garage yamaha plank and am concentrating on a more sympathetic right hand technique instead it sounds a load richer and less banjo like.
Also, listening to the vid, I think my camera mike is complete rubbish and I should try recording it properly.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 15, 2011 19:55:34 GMT
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Found a smooth cone and spider set instead of the ribbed cone and biscuit. RRP was £61, but I'm sure I can get it cheaper. Just need to get the size from them
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Sept 15, 2011 22:42:37 GMT
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Does it look like this? I'm going to bet that it's 10 1/2" diameter and a Dobro cone not a National one. Problem is, even if you find a 9 1/2" cone like that, it still wont fit/work properly - first, it's too deep for the national body - the brace would be in the way and second Dobro style guitars have a "tone well" around the cone so it can project sound forwards through the cover - the national cone is the other way up, and resonates into the body instead. Thanks for your efforts anyway, I do appreciate it!
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Steel GuitarDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Sept 16, 2011 17:55:03 GMT
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Had the sales rep come round today, you guessed it, 10 1/2 Bumhats
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Sept 16, 2011 23:41:49 GMT
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Also, listening to the vid, I think my camera mike is complete rubbish and I should try recording it properly. Really? because I quite enjoyed it! If you re-record I'll be back for another few minutes of aural stimulation.
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Sept 16, 2011 23:57:26 GMT
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It's not bad, but compared to the real sound it's a bit thin. A bit like listening through cheap speakers.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Sept 17, 2011 12:00:02 GMT
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That vid....I have one thing to say. Clever b@stard! Wish I could play the guitar but no time or patience. I love the sound of steel guitars. Bluesy.
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Remember the days when sex was safe and motorsport was dangerous. Vintage bling always attracts pussy.
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