Epi Rocco or Duo Console?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 26 Dec 2007 2:03 pm

Not a Rocco, and probably not an Epiphone even tho the fretboards look very Epi, but an interesting steel nontheless. I saw it on Ebay a while back wishing I could snag it. I've long had an HO for Rocco's and by the looks of your steel collection, we have similar good tastes.
Will you be putting her into playing shape, Richard?

Here's a Rocco in it's case and a Rocco bar. www.telapex.com/~cejjrpe/rocco.htm Brroing!

Anybody know if Rocco's came in a dbl. 8 configuration? I've only seen them all ala Noel Bogg's set up of 7/8.
Did Big Jim Murphy own Noel's Rocco? I saw him tearing one up with III on Conan years back.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 26 Dec 2007 4:26 pm

Ron,
Thanks. I was pretty sure it wasn't a Rocco, but maybe a Duo Console, anyway prewar Epiphone. I snagged it this afternoon for $250 with beat up case. I think it is a really great looking thing. I don't own any double neck steels, so I thought the bin price was ok for what appears to be a prewar Epi.
The seller says the electronics work. I really don't care. I'll drop some machines on it, crank it up and see how it feels and sounds. If it sucks, I'll see if Rick Aiello will drop two different pickups of his in it.

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 26 Dec 2007 6:10 pm

Nice guitar! To me it resembles a Vega (By looking at the hand rest, v/t knobs, bridge, fretboard markers, and headstock shape).

With those old ones, it's a tough call.
Let us know how it sounds!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 26 Dec 2007 6:22 pm

Well there you go! But it's a Vega I havn't seen before. It'll probably be a decent sounder, as Vega in general made pretty good steels. You might have a fairly rare guitar, Richard, but no doubt it can be improved with something suitable via RA.

Keep us info'd.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 26 Dec 2007 7:05 pm

I was thinking Vega also after seeing the fret boards. I like my Vega (black & cream color) but haven't heard one like the natural-finished one pictured. I think Vegas may be under-rated for tone quality.
Good price for that one Richard

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 26 Dec 2007 7:46 pm

Mark Switzer · Post by **Mark Switzer** » 26 Dec 2007 11:29 pm

Wow,another chapter in steel guitar history about which I`m totally clueless. What kind of music did this guy do? Any available anywhere?
Wonder if Gary Swallow ever saw one of those bars.
Sorry if this is off-topic.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 26 Dec 2007 11:52 pm

What a cool lookin amp

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 27 Dec 2007 9:23 am

Those amps come with a flip up cover to protect the grill. You can see that he has removed the cover. They are supposedly great sounding. It's another that I've been wanting for years and do show up on Ebay at times, even in good cond.
Thanx for the cool auto'd pic, Jody!

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 27 Dec 2007 10:09 am

Thanks guys,
Vega..........why didn't I think of that? I never saw a Vega double neck before.
I have some Vegas and like most of them a lot.
I really like the metal body one from the mid to late 30s.

It has a dual coil pickup, but I don't think it's a humbucker.

I haven't been very successful acquiring much info about Vega steels. Anybody out there know the history? Are there any old catalogs?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 27 Dec 2007 10:30 am

This book has the small amount of information I've been able to find.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 27 Dec 2007 3:23 pm

Richard S. I've got a book by George Gruhn that says the first humbucking pickup was made by Vega for use on their steels. Bet you've got one!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 27 Dec 2007 3:31 pm

Long ago I saw a dbl. 7/8 Vega much like this metal one for sale, just missed it. I could tell from the pix it was a good sounding steel

, even tho I quickly realized the PU covers weren't horseshoe PUs, which no doubt were made to impersonate and probably succeeded many times. I've certainly never seen another dbl. Vega like it.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 28 Dec 2007 7:39 am

John,
What is the name of Gruhn's book with the info on Vega?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 28 Dec 2007 7:58 am

Richard, I'm in the midst of remodeling, and haven't been able to find out where I put the book! I may have boxed it up. I'll keep looking.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 28 Dec 2007 8:01 am

Richard, http://tinyurl.com/2tlmlu

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 28 Dec 2007 8:21 am

Some other early Vega oddities:

An electric violin with amp:

Console with amp

Double necks:

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 28 Dec 2007 9:28 am

John,
Thanks for the reference link.
Matt,
Very interesting, especially the doubleneck with the metal covered bodies.
Here's a pic of my similar 6 string single neck.

I guess this one is also a humbucker.

Here's a real early one with a real horseshoe pickup.
It really sounds terrible, but it's sort of cool in kind of rustic way.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 28 Dec 2007 9:33 am

Whoooie! That's just like the Dbl. 7/8 I almost had, Matt. Is that your's? If so, please give a user review. All the other pix are awesome as well.

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 28 Dec 2007 10:35 am

Richard,

That's a really cool model. I got one a few years back, payed too much for it, took it home and.....never looked back. It's a great guitar with two HUGE horseshoe magnets under the metal cover. I got it for what these sell for nowadays (approx.$300-450), but back then it was overpriced. I'll admit it though, it just looked so cool, and after playing it......'nuff said!

Ron,

Nope, that's not my guitar...

....but if it sounds like their single neck versions of the model, it has a very mellow tone, with a little sizzle (more so than the early aluminum Nationals). It doesn't compare to Ricky's dynamic tones, but I find it to be a good tone for a nice "muffly" sound.

Here are some pics of the internals, while taking it apart, I noticed that the magnets have lost a lot of pull......maybe resulting in the "mellow tone"? I'm hoping to recharge them someday soon.

And being the history geek I am, I keep my eyes open for literature on these old gems: dig the "free trial offer"!

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 28 Dec 2007 11:11 am

Pre-Amplifier section?

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 28 Dec 2007 12:39 pm

Not sure what that meant!....maybe it's how they described the dual coil p/u's function?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 29 Dec 2007 3:47 pm

Wow, Matt, you're coming thru with a bunch of pix/info that I've wanted on these for a long time. Thanx!
A 'Triumphal'! Never would have known that. I wonder what the dbl. neck was called...?
I'd like to hear that muffly sound before you zap the PUs. Can you post up something Hawaiian? I'll bet it's close to the big old National and Dobro 'medallion' steels, which sound sweet.

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 29 Dec 2007 6:05 pm

As soon as I learn how to record on my computer, I'll post a clip of the Vega. (I know that some kind of recording software came bundled with the operating system on my computer I bought recently).