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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
 Posted - 02/01/2010 : 12:00:28 PM
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Have been working with my mid-'50s Fender 8 [like Gabby's] for a while. Thought a bit about getting an acoustic square-neck lap 8 and may yet do so, but $, blah blah.
Initially recoiled from re-stringing my '34 Nat'l Style O to C6 as it'd become a "one-trick-pony" "dedicated" to Hawai`ian lap use with that string-guage-set. Am now about to try it just to see. Any thoughts/recommendations/experience out there? I'd prefer a vtg Tri-cone's tone of course, but this is what I got to work with. All help appreciated.
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2010 : 7:31:17 PM
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I don't think you should restring that Style O, Basil. What you should do is ship it here to me, and I'll play it (sort of) in the key you have it strung for. What are friends for?
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 07:44:48 AM
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Played that Nat'l for years now in std, open E,D, & G. C6 is just a 'speriment.
This guitar's metal, hence waaaay too heavy to ship, Paul. Also , unsure if brass plated with German Silver is CITES-prohibited yet; probably safest not to risk crossing international borders. I'll hafta tough it out and see what happens... |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 09:00:29 AM
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Hey Baz-
Paul beat me to the punch here. I've had a jones for an old rez fer years--the closest I get is watching the prices rise on e-bay. A 34 Style O 14 fret round neck just went for $2 grand... oich!
Kinda makes ya want to play some Son House...
Here's a tho't--instead of restringing it for C6, why not try G 6??? Assuming you are using the standard G major-traopatch tuning, it's just a slight twist away.
Then you could still play those "Bourgeois Blues.." |
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Adam Troy
Akahai
Australia
58 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 10:48:09 AM
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| Before I got my 1929 squareneck,I had a newish National resophonic roundneck tricone which I put a nut raiser on. I didn't like the bow it caused. I would not leave it like that for extended periods. |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 09:27:12 AM
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Adam - The reason it becomes a "one-trick-pony" is because of the changed [much lighter guage] 4th/5th/6th strings i'd put in order to accomodate C6. This [per universal string tension calculator] maintains "normal" tension my Style O's withstood happily for years, perhaps decades. EZ-PZ to flop it on my lap in typical low-bass G, open D, or E, but to get that tighter-interval 6th tun'g re-stringing's essential.
G6 is an interesting idea, Mark, thx! I'd thought of A6, trying to get the bar position close enough to the nut that I'll have some chance of hazarding the RH/knife-hand chimes without being almost on top of the biscuit.
Ideally would prefer a dedicated 8-str tricone, leave this old blues dog O to what it does so well. Haven't spoken to Nat'l in SLO yet but can't imagine it'd be any less'n the ~$3.5K+ Beard quoted me awhile back for a single-spider-cone 8-str. May be doin' the re-string-thing tonight, will report when I do. |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 11:29:11 AM
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I dunno, Baz. I find that on either my single 8 or double 8 stringmasters with C6/Bb tuning (Bb C E G A C E G, from low to high) I can, and have, played Hawaiian, country, western swing and blues. The only limitation is if I want to do old Hawaiian, where a G or A tuning is more useful. |
keaka |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2010 : 05:22:05 AM
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| Different gig, different guitar. How many carpenters have only one tool? Get a cheap guitar and put an extension nut on it and play C6, six string style. It'll give you a taste for small $. |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2010 : 06:33:28 AM
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Thx for all kind thoughts. Tested it last night. Good news: C6 string-guages/tuning "worked" properly. Add'l news: "don't fix what ain't broke"; that Nat'l barks like a dog in std, open E, D, & G. It's just not suited for Hawai`ian style, tone & sustain-wise. Best not to try makin' a silk ear outa a sow's purse.
My single 8 Fender is as Keaka describes ['cept my skills are 1/1000th of his...]. Next "acoustic" steel foray will be working more with my '20 0-18K lap-style. It's all-orig for Spanish-style, ez-pz for slack key & bottleneck slide, plenty tone & vol. It's that built-in-6th tone that's missing. Maybe I should stick to the sgl 8 or pony up $ to get a properly-made 8-string tricone of some sort.
My idea was to have an acoustic "steel" for kanikapilas. The sgl 8 Fender through a Pignose does the job at "acoustic-friendly" vol levels, maybe it's just "don't fix...". Indeed, thumbstruck - us "guitarpenters" have "more than one tool" and can sometimes fixate on tools instead of quality carpentry... |
Edited by - basilking on 02/04/2010 06:58:34 AM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2010 : 09:17:59 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by basilking
My single 8 Fender is as Keaka describes ['cept my skills are 1/1000th of his...]. Next "acoustic" steel foray will be working more with my '20 0-18K lap-style. It's all-orig for Spanish-style, ez-pz for slack key & bottleneck slide, plenty tone & vol. It's that built-in-6th tone that's missing. Maybe I should stick to the sgl 8 or pony up $ to get a properly-made 8-string tricone of some sort.
My idea was to have an acoustic "steel" for kanikapilas. The sgl 8 Fender through a Pignose does the job at "acoustic-friendly" vol levels, maybe it's just "don't fix...". Indeed, thumbstruck - us "guitarpenters" have "more than one tool" and can sometimes fixate on tools instead of quality carpentry...
Long ago, and in another genre, I got an 8-string Dobro, not a triple cone, tho. It sounds great, and I use it for acoustic situations. I also have a beautiful koa and spruce 6 because it sounds fabulous and looks wayt cool. Barney Isaacs used a single 8 in C6 for his album with George Kuo - Ho'olohe - it's beautiful! |
keaka |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2010 : 12:27:25 PM
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| Thx, keaka. I looked at an 8-str dobro-clone [custom-made, nice one] but it was far away/no chance to audition. Ended up passing since I was concerned its sound wouldn't work in Hawai`ian music contexts. Will revisit. |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2010 : 6:16:31 PM
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| Eh, Basil. Whea' you stay? Maybe I can help. I'm up here in Seattle. |
keaka |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2010 : 10:19:08 AM
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| sent you e, keaka |
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Topic |
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Vtg Style O roundneck re-string for lap-style
