What has happened to this group? Need National StyleIV feedback
little...@home.edu
This group used to be very active and have a wealth of knowledge
posted..SO..what has happened? I've not been playing at all the past
several months since all my stuff was stolen, but I am now in a
position to get another Style IV and I need a wooden guitar too
(Yamaha-APX900).
I have played Johnson resos the past years because they were cheaper
and gave adequate sound for the money. Now I want a National Style IV
and am able to get one since I recently acquired a producer that wants
to provide my equipment (axes and home studio gear) for me and is able
to easily foot the bill.
MY QUESTION: This is not a troll or flame bait or any of that shit.
Since it is hard to find a dealer with Nationals in stock that I can
test play I only want to know from anyone that has played Nat's and
Johnson resos if there is a National reso with a decent-playing neck?
One this does not feel and play like a chair leg. (roundnecks)
Thanks!! Oh..and hello Tony!!! and other regulars!!
Little Charlie - Plays the Blues
www.soundclick.com/LittleCharlie
Tony Done
<little...@home.edu> wrote in message
news:pd4ou51u2tlb3fer3...@4ax.com...
<g> Yeah, I'm still here, along with our old mate Lester.
Sounds like your luck has turned around, and I sincerely hope it sticks. It
seems to me you've had your fair share of woes, enough to write a few more
blues songs about.
The style 4 is pretty flashy eh? - I wish someone would buy me one! I can't
complain though, my collection is pretty good. I was thinking that a cutaway
is worth having, and wondered about the Reso Rocket, but I just had a look
on the Nat Res site, and the style 4 apparently now comes with a cutaway as
does the Vintage Steel version. My Beltona has a very similar cutaway (which
predates the Nat Res version), and I wouldn't be without it.
I'm guessing that the Johnsons have a fairly standard type of neck, like a
modern flattop, and 1 11/16" wide. My Estralita is about 7 years old and has
an fairly deep V-neck, big but not clubby like the prewar Duolians or style
Os. I just picked it up, and I'm plinking around on it as I write. It
doesn't feel at all clubby, because the V shape means it has narrower
shoulders than a C-shape. The deeper profile means that barre chords are a
bit more work than on a modern C neck, but everything else feels just as
easy to me. The 1 3/4" width also helps.
I don't know if the specs have changed since I bought mine, they may have
modernised the neck. You could enquire, Nat Res are very helpful. I emailed
the shop foreman a couple of weeks ago, and got a reply back within a few
hours, even though it was late Saturday night by then in the US.
HTH, and good luck.
Tony D
Little Charlie
wrote:
Hey Tony..so good to hear back from you ..and OK on Lester too.
Yes.that is a splendid idea I should call them since they are
stateside as you know and see. Yeah the Johnson's have a more typical
flat top guitar countour to the neck. still a far cry from being
called a 'fast neck'. Thank you for the observations on the Estrella.
I played a 32' Duolian many times years back and it was, as you say,
quite 'clubby'..I saw the reso rocket on the Nat site and it would be
nice for upper register work especially slide. Tomorrow I'll call and
see if the rocket comes in a chrysanthemum pattern. I also was
attracted to the new 14 fret style-O's Nat has now and in a few
different colors as well. My style-O's were fine sounding to me until
I got my first tri-cone..such a sweet sound. Oh baby!
Yes my luck has changed Tony and I am going to be managed and
produced, studio recorded and promoted. My part is to be artistic and
genuine to the genre. I hope these good times don't spoil me. My
producer is in Oakland,CA and I expect to relocate there this summer
once all the gear is in place. I'll keep you posted here in the ng and
thanks for the speedy reply.
Tony Done
"Little Charlie" <ne...@home.edu> wrote in message
news:c8iuu5pr9bkgcg8t2...@4ax.com...
<g> Maybe when you are really rich and famous you can send me a ticket to do
a few duos. You can keep me posted through this group, I check it most days.
I think tricones are more versatile than single cones, but they don't
respond as well to being worked hard. Mine is also smoother sounding than
the equivalent Nat Res, I often have it in standard tuning for
fingerpicking. - It depends what you want.
If money is no object how about one of these beauties:
http://www.terraplaneguitars.com/albumtprg/index.html
or these:
http://metalgitar.com/models/parlor/
<g> And what was that about guitar snobs the other day......
Tony D
Benj
> MY QUESTION: This is not a troll or flame bait or any of that shit.
> Since it is hard to find a dealer with Nationals in stock that I can
> test play I only want to know from anyone that has played Nat's and
> Johnson resos if there is a National reso with a decent-playing neck?
> One this does not feel and play like a chair leg. (roundnecks)
>
> Thanks!! Oh..and hello Tony!!! and other regulars!!
Hey Charlie! Glad you luck is turning around! We told you that you
had the pipes to make it!
Unfortunately I can't say much about Nationals. I've got a Johnson
Tricone because of the price. And even worse, I have hardly played it
because I haven't quite made the decision what to do about it. So it's
been sitting in it's case! What I mean is that I sort of prefer
pickups on a reso as opposed to a mic(s). But for the Tricone I can't
quite figure what is best. Options include mics (then need to decide
what kind) or the famous Tony Done "no-drill" magnetic pickups or some
other kind of pickups including piezos on the spiders or perhaps one
of the weirder things like the one that mounts between spider and
guitar body. Just have to try things I guess. The problem is that I
really hate to start sawing and drilling on a brand new tricone even
if it's a Johnson. As for Nationals, there were a few at the last
guitar show. Be GLAD you have a sponsor! Vintage Nationals were an
Arm and Leg and that was even true for ones that looked like they'd
been in the swamp for a year (and played like it too! I've no problem
with just the "look" mojo!) Yes the Nationals do have exception tone,
but prices do seem out of hand! Don't know about new ones.
But as to how a neck plays, let me add that I just had my 7 string
Conklin bass done on one of those computerized Plek machines. What
that does to the playability of an instrument is absolutely
astounding! This whole operation now has me scrounging through my
guitars trying to figure out which ones are next to get the Plek
treatment. This is the current "thing" that has me going! Just
saying. Probably doesn't apply to a new National though.
Little Charlie
wrote:
Mea Culpa Tony on the 'guitar snobs' comment.....good one!!
I'll check out those links you provided. Not so sure about the rich
and famous part...as you know all truly called Blues players must take
a requisite 'vow of poverty' before ordination!!! Preferably at
midnight near a delta crossroads with Legba as the officiating
minister. My oh my how this life unfolds eh? One just never knows.
I have not hit a single lick in nearly a year...Once I laid off for 10
years...I expect to have my chops back (and advancing into new ones)
within 6 months of getting back to it...
You sre so right on the sound of a style O vs a tri-cone when one is
really working it. I might need a style o as well...but I don't want
to be pampered too much. Yes..that is so and Son House would just not
be the same on a tri-cone!! That is no dolubt. As you likley know he
laid off playing some 30 years till his rediscovery...how wonderful
playing music is that you can do it till you die. Saw BB King in
Vicksburg,MS in June of 2008 as I recall and he was 82 then. He hit
some tremendous licks and at that time was still doing over 200 gigs
every year. He has been quoted several times that he'll play Blues
till his last breath. Me too..how bout choo..Tony? Last breath?
Bye for now...........
Little Charlie
wrote:
You got me fired up on this Plek thing....never heard of it. But I
will be Googling my ass of on it...your description of it's effect
sounds very inviting..THANKS! for mentioning it.
Yeah a vintage Nat would be OK but unless it had a new neck set to it
I wouldn't want to play it and if it had a new neck then what happens
to it's 'vintage credentials?' I have only so far glanced at prices
at Elderly and the Nat tri-cones are about $2700 give or take but I
have not settled on anything yet except a Yamaha APX-900 for my wooden
axe. I've been told to "select the guitars I need" and they will be
purchased for me...so it's like walking around in a dream. It's all so
relative..I can easily buy a pack of gum for a deserving child..and so
in like manner my new producer can afford anything I need to get back
to playing Blues..for him it is a 'pack of gum'. Such a world ..eh?
A friend of his stumbled onto my soundclick site and emailed him the
link. So..guys (and gals) have a net presence for your material.
Later on Benj...
-ps Keep that Johnson out on a stand...you'll play it more!!
Tony Done
>
> Bye for now...........
>
> Little Charlie - Plays the Blues
> www.soundclick.com/LittleCharlie
>
Yeah, music is my retirement plan. I'm 65 and still working, but there's no
telling how long it will last. As you know, my interests are quite diverse
and include tinkering as well as playing. I've also taken up lap steel, and
I see it and the tinkering as a hedge against declining dexterity. - But I
always have a couple of guitars in the lounge room and play them while
watching TV.
After a posted that Ron Phillips link, it occurred to me that his parlor
reso might suit you in terms of its size and match to your voice and playing
style. If I could afford it, that would be the next reso I would buy, or
maybe one of Steve Evan's (Beltona) fibreglass ones:
http://www.beltona.net/southerner.htm
Tony D
Tony Done
"Benj" <bja...@iwaynet.net> wrote in message
news:6000f9f9-9f56-42f1...@f14g2000vbn.googlegroups.com...
I'm glad that someone apart from me is still checking this group.
I'm just thinking about having another hack at my tricone. It occurred to me
that if I remove a bit more metal from the coverplate it would accommodate a
P90 pickup, which would be a better choice than the current strat one. OTOH
I have just made an adjustable-pole piece strat-sized pickup out of one
humbucker coil, decent ceramic magnets and some 5mm grub screws; the
resistance is about 7.2K ohm, just about right for that style of pickup in
the neck position. I tried it on a flattop in a (homemade!) soundhole mount,
and it sounded pretty good, so all I have to do is get off my bum, pull the
tricone apart and swap them....
Tony D