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Location: ranson,wva | i was wondering if it would be possiable to put a reso in a old beat up matrix body?? i have 2 old matrixs and i thought it might be a interesting project. feel free to share any thoughts..jason |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Jason
Keep asking that question, and realize that Mr Ovation, CWKII, is a resophonic freak, and probably has a resophonic version of every Ovation made. For security reasons he won't let us see any of them. It's time we were allowed to see those carcasses with resophonic cones installed in their bowels while they were still alive!!!
Bailey |
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Location: ranson,wva | i gathered that from reading the archives..reason i asked is i have several ovations that are beyond normal service and i have a cousin who can turn cones and such..i dont leave the house much in the winter so it might be a good way to pass the time and another toy to drive the ""warden"" nuts..jason |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I just did a search on resophonic and came back to this thread.
What does it mean? |
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Location: Scotland | Resophonic, resonophonic or resonator guitars are Dobro/National style instruments with a mechanical speaker cone.
I have a Legend with a Dobro spider cone, and I seem to remember an OFC member converting a Matrix. Stewmac supply cones, coverplates, soundwells etc. |
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Location: ranson,wva | thanks temp,i was looking at stew mac this morning...looks like there is still hope for my old matrix..yaaaa |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | There have been only four built. One at the factory, one in pieces, one with me and one shipped.
Get a quarterman cone from Stew Mac and have at it!! |
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Location: ranson,wva | thanks!!!! if things go as planed this will make number 5!! spider bridge or biscuit?? jason |
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Location: Scotland | Upright style go for a biscuit cone, spider for lap-style. |
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Location: ranson,wva | cwk2,you said get a quarterman cone, what size?? |
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Location: NJ | This is the one that's at the Factory (until I can devise a way of stealing it) :
cwk2's is "similar", but has a nicer top (koa? I don't remember) and sounds f@ckin' awesome! The neck on Bill's is about as fat as Hillary Clinton's calf and causes my hand to cramp-up after about 15-minutes of playing.
MasterTempleman's is in my MusicRoom patiently awaiting his arrival to come and collect it. A pretty ingenious undertaking, and (with a few modifications) has the potential to be a pretty good sounding unit. |
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Location: ranson,wva | sweet |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by cliff:
MasterTempleman's is in my MusicRoom patiently awaiting his arrival to come and collect it. A pretty ingenious undertaking, and (with a few modifications) has the potential to be a pretty good sounding unit. As soon as I get hold of it I intend to drop in a Quarterman,install a new tailpiece and set it up to play flat. At least 80% of a resonator guitar sound is the cone and the set-up. The rest of the guitar is really just something to mount it in.
JC, cone sizes are dictated by the type. Biscuit cones are 9.5 inches, spiders are 10.5 |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Go for a biscuit, they sound better. They only come in one size, 9.5.
Biscuit-blues/rock
spider-bluegrass/country |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | I'm the "shadetree" luthier that converted a Matrix a coupla years ago. I got the kit online, a 10.5" spider, and put it into a 1/8" cherry-veneer top. Put in a little extra "meat" in the tailsection for the tailpiece, as I recall.
The setup is critical. You really need a good break-angle on the bridge to "drive" the cone. Might have to mess with the neck-set a bit to accomplish that.
I can send some images, if you're curious. |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by seesquare:
You really need a good break-angle on the bridge to "drive" the cone. Might have to mess with the neck-set a bit to accomplish that.
I can send some images, if you're curious. That is actually a common misconception with spider cones. They don't need an acute break angle, a relatively shallow break compared to a regular fixed bridge flat-top will drive the cone just fine. Too much break can actually cause the maple bridge saddles to buckle or worse, cause damage to the spider and cone. The crucial adjustment is the bolt which connects the spider assembly to the cone. There is a sweet spot that will bring the cone to life, too slack or too tight reduces volume and kills the low end. Heavy strings are a good idea. Most commercial dobro sets are gauged around 16 to 60. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Thanks, Paul! I'll bet the Matrix I had was a bit tired then. I fiddled with that adjustment screw a lot, also.
What are your thoughts about converting an old Pacemaker to a resonator. I have a "basket case" arriving next week, and am considering this option. A 12-fret, 12-string......is it worth the effort? |
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Location: Waurika OK | I know this should go on the youtube topic, but since the discussion here is on resophonic guitars, thought you might like to catch this fellow from Germany playing and singing Key to the Highway with a resophonic. I like it.
Key to the highway
His site is jesseblues
Sometimes I can post a link and sometimes not, I never know what I do when I get it right.
I'll try something else.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jesseblues+key+to+the+h...
noel |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | OK, I posted some images of the 1324 Reso. Forget where I sent it, but the new owner flipped. |
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Location: Scotland | Seesquare, the 12 string project could be interesting. 12 string resonators are very rare, probably for good reason. Cliff's "tits on a nun" expression springs to mind.
I'd go with a biscuit rather than a spider I think, Bill? |
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Location: ranson,wva | something else i wanted to ask, will the soundboard thats on it work or will i have to have a new top made?? jason |
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Location: Scotland | You'll need to completely replace the top. Plywood will do. You'll then need to get the hole for the cone in exactly the right place, and get a support ring or soundwell for the cone installed. It's not as easy as it appears. Talk to seesquare. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | No sh*t there, Temp. One of my exquisitely "anal" episodes. I rechecked the geometry innumerable times. The alignment was perfect, and the intonation was pretty close to dead-on. I didn't hang a soundwell inside the bowl, either. The 1/8" 5-ply top was plenty stiff. I won't go into the laborious, and lugubrious, details of leveling the bowl, and reattaching the top. Even made my own kerfing out of a piece of mahagony shelving, with a 70-year-old miterbox.
Obviously not for the faint of heart, or maybe, not for the wise of experience. Uh-huh, and looks like I'm gonna do it again!
BTW, not being a well-schooled Catholic, "tits on a nun"? Analogous to "gilding the lily"? Or, "defeats the purpose"? |
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Location: Scotland | "About as useful as tits on a nun" ...... Maybe I'm being a little unkind. Both National and Dobro made 12 string resos back in the 30's and I seem to recall a fairly recent National reissue. All are extremely rare. When guitars are this rare it's either because they are highly collectible, made in very small numbers, or that no-one gives a shit about them. In this case it's all 3. It'll be a really cool project and if you have the time and inclination it'll get you a unique guitar. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | OK, I got it now! Serves my kharma well, too. Maybe I'll name her Bad Habit. |
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Location: ranson,wva | i got plenty of time on my hands!! we shall see how it goes!! thanks jason |
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Location: ranson,wva | im learning this as i go along, do you use a sound well with a biscuit or just with a spider bridge?? |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Just an old memory, my fiddle playing brother and I used to walk about three miles to our friends house in sub freezing weather to jam. Bill had a strange guitar with what we know as resophonic, it had a square neck, but Billy tried to play it like a guitar. It generally irritated us, I, being the steel guitar player at the time could get some good sound out of it but hey wanted the electric sound, so we missed putting a dobro in our band.
Life goes on, mistakes are made!!! |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by johnnycash83:
im learning this as i go along, do you use a sound well with a biscuit or just with a spider bridge?? A biscuit cone must have a soundwell, or there'd be no way to support it in a body of that depth. A lip around the hole will suppport a spider cone without a soundwell, but it will be much easier to buy a ready-made soundwell from Stewmac than try to cobble something together.
Some Dobro makers, notably Sheerhorn, don't use soundwells. |
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Location: San Angelo, Texas | I always thought biscuit scones were to go with tea... |
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Location: ranson,wva | thanks temp! you guys have been alot of help. i got my materials for the top today, i still gotta get the old top off..but before i go and do any cutting and shit i gotta work it all out on paper first. ill figure it out or fuck it up!! one of the two!! jason |
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Location: ranson,wva | i just wish i could get a wood neck for the old matrix..........wishful thinking i guess..oh well..jason |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I'd go for the biscuit, better tone afterwards.
12 string resos, yea they are made, so what. I don't own one, too much going on at the same time. Kinda like a third tit on a nun. Frankly the longneck 12 is about the same. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | 3rd tit. OK, now I REALLY got the message! Kinda thought as much, though. Just cuz it can be done doesn't mean it should be. Maybe I will concentrate on inlaying and an exotic top for the "Bad Habit/Basket Case" project. Any ideas on innovative bracing patterns for 12-fret/12-strings? |
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Location: ranson,wva | i wonder if i could have a custom neck made for the matrix?? |
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Location: Scotland | That would be no problem, if you're prepared to pay. Thing is, you could find a 70's Balladeer for the same money or less |
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resophonic matrix??