The Steel Guitar Forum

TTT

I am the second owner of this wonderful guitar. I am selling it as I am mainly a Hawaiian-style Tricone player, and I had to try a spider bridge guitar. It is a great instrument, just not my style. • Excellent condition with incredible, warm, deep & bright tone. Made in San Luis Obisbo, CA in ...

PM sent.

Sold! Please close, donation on the way.

Great steel for sale!

TTT

The Black Mamba is up for grabs. This 15 pound solid cast aluminum dustpan was created by Rick Aiello. I rarely play electric, so I am selling it to make room for another acoustic steel. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1504/7756_black_mamba_1.jpg * Long (25.5”) scale * Gold hardware * Abalon...

My Hawaiian string band, the Eno Islanders, will be on Duke University's radio (WXDU) on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 eastern time (US). I'll be playing my 1930 National Tricone, and we'll attempt some favorites from the 20s and 30s. Here is a link to listen online: https://www.facebook.com/events/3693312...

I recently acquired an early thirties “Ampliphonic” brand resonator guitar. It has a Schireson cone in it, which was an attempt by some instrument builders to get around National’s patents on both biscuit and spider bridge cone designs. This cone is basically a bowl with a three inch tall bisc...

Preform 2 liter bottles make a great bar & pick case. This is what I suspect Tribone ships in. I found them here with a display rack:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1389

5.5" long, 1" wide, I can fit a 3/4" bar and my picks snugly, and the tubes are totally durable.

Here is a 1965 video of Joe Zinkan, a monster slap bassist playing Alabama Jubilee. That looks a whole lot like JB singing along at about 0:46.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asoc_pigElU

Jean-Sebastien, For what it is worth, I had installed a Shatten in my Republic tricone and was unhappy with the sound-- very thin, brittle, metallic. I recently replaced it with a Pick Up the World pickup I installed under the saddle, and for (around) the same price, it is a huge improvement. A few ...

Hi Jim,

I also live in Durham NC, and the posts you read about Republic tricones may have been mine. In any case, if you'd like to drop by and play mine to get a sense of one, give me a shout. For my ear, no acoustic steel sounds as sweet as a tricone.

Cheers,
Hugh

@Ray M.

Yes sir, that is a real victrola. It belongs to fellow steeler & neighbor Dan Eason.

Cheers!
Hugh

PS Dan: Thanks for cat sitting! We are back in NC.

A few years ago, I bought a 1930 National style one tricone from another forum member (thanks, Ian!) That guitar (pictured below, on the left) is the best playing, sounding & looking guitar I've ever owned. Incredible mint-like condition and amazing tone. The other guitars (1931 style two & ...

I have a Republic tricone with NRP cones, and I have been playing it in high bass G with (approximately) the gauges recommended in Bob Brozman’s National book (high to low 18-18-27-39-42-49). The other day, I decided to see what high bass A would sound like, so I restrung with 14-17-22-30-36-42, gau...

Hey William! Great to see you in the forum. Cool video!

Kekoa,

It was both the intervals and pitch (as Mike describes above.) I am pretty happy with high and low bass A and G; C#m7 is not very far away from low bass A, and in any of these (or other close variants) I think you'll be getting good tone from your tricone.

Cheers,
Hugh

I have strung a National tricone in C6, and I used John Ely's chart pretty much right across all strings (I went slightly heavier on the two highest strings.) The tension seemed just fine. I did not need to change my nut or saddle-- but I also did not ultimately keep the tricone in that tuning. I we...

I have a 1930 National and a recent Republic (both tricone/squareneck.) As others have posted here, total tuning stability for both in all conditions. Republics are a great deal for the money.

Hi Again Kekoa, I tried to match the saddle height of the original when I put the NRP maple saddle in, and it was pretty high. I am not sure about this, but I suspect that the Republic's neck angle may be different than that of an old National, and that would affect the saddle height and break angle...

Hi Kekoa, Why did you decide to use a maple saddle rather than the ebony/maple Republic saddle? I bought my cones directly from NRP, and when I got them, I talked to Jason Workman (NRP shop foreman & all around helpful and friendly person.) He told me that they only use hard rock maple for trico...

If you use your existing saddle in the new T bar, it is very straightforward. Republic saddles, though, are usually ebony capped maple and the string slots are not carved like a National. National saddles are solid maple, and the slots are V-shaped so that the string sits on only the back edge of th...

Hi Ray, I currently have both a brass Republic squareneck tricone and a 1930 National (German silver, squareneck, hot rod cones.) I love to play very old school Hawaiian, and in a few previous posts, I think you'll see discussion of exactly what you are asking about: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/v...