Here's an unusual non pedal guitar

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 6 Dec 2001 1:55 am

This is an instrument I made about 8 years ago mostly out of the junk that was in my back yard, it has a dozen bass strings with 4 EMG pickups, 2 at each end. The steel plate (thin sheet) is 24" in diameter and the tallest rod is 60". This is welded to a cylinder that is welded to a brass Dobro body (that was a reject when I welded for Dobro) that is welded to a steel thin wall 2x4 that feeds a "folded horn" resonator. Usually I bow the rods and strings.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 6 Dec 2001 2:59 am

I've played this guitar and I'm telling you it sounds just like a 66 PP Emmons.....

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 6 Dec 2001 5:28 am

Holy Guacamole! Do you have any recordings of that puppy?

This instrument is really beautiful.

Chris DeBarge · Post by **Chris DeBarge** » 6 Dec 2001 7:09 am

With this machine we could, dare I say it, RULE THE WORLD!!! (insert maniacal laughter)

That's cool, would love a sound clip.

Paul Warnik · Post by **Paul Warnik** » 6 Dec 2001 7:20 am

Chas-is this the one you call "tweed box" I guess this is one of the featured "new music" instruments on "Nikkowolverine" you are a real "Wildman"

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 6 Dec 2001 7:44 am

Very interesting, Dr Frankenstein.

Send that thing to Tom Waits. I hear his favorite instruments are the ones whose names he can't pronounce and the ones he doesn't know how to play.

So...what DO you call it? And what does it sound like?

Ted Smith · Post by **Ted Smith** » 6 Dec 2001 9:08 am

Chas....UNREAL!! That wins them all! Printed and going on my office wall. Teisco Del Rey (aka Dan Fort) HAS to see that.[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 06 December 2001 at 09:11 AM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 6 Dec 2001 10:50 am

your Axe is really out there Chas !

i'm sure it sounds as impressive as it looks.
Got any sample downloads ?
Play on, Play on....

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 6 Dec 2001 11:11 am

Looks like a shrine for the Ark of the Covenant.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Ray Jenkins · Post by **Ray Jenkins** » 6 Dec 2001 1:35 pm

Isn't that the world series trophy on top of it?

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 6 Dec 2001 11:43 pm

Thank you all for the nice comments, it's called 'Bass Tweed', I think it sounds 'pretty' although it can produce some pretty aggressive sounds with a minimum of coaxing. I've released two albums 'Nikko Wolverine' and 'Aluminum Overcast' using this and my other instruments on Cold Blue Records http://www.coldbluemusic.com/pages/newreleases.html
Also Frog Peak has Nikko. Amazon is supposed to have them in classical, but they seem to be unbelievably disorganized.

You should know that this is NOT traditional music. Oh, and not the world series trophy, the Dodgers didn't do so good this year.[This message was edited by chas smith on 06 December 2001 at 11:44 PM.]

Frank · Post by **Frank** » 7 Dec 2001 2:27 am

Just Have one question there Chas. At what frequency range does she launch.
An "Object De Art" no doupt.
Ya`ll take care....Frank.

Marty Holmes · Post by **Marty Holmes** » 13 Dec 2001 7:28 pm

Oh Dear,
This is the funniest looking contraption I have ever seen.How in the worrld did you get a idea to make something like this.I got to go I am starting to see green snakes on the ceiling.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » 13 Dec 2001 8:24 pm

Not really an "objet d'art", most of those you can't fire up and conjure green ceiling snakes, or evoke dining in a shark cage with the ex-wife. A no nonsense musical assault platform,(beautifuly wrought) which has also brought tears to these eyes.
T. Sage Harmos
P.S.- Support your loco steel player- buy nikkowolverine.

Bill Fulbright · Post by **Bill Fulbright** » 13 Dec 2001 9:17 pm

Anyone every heard of a composer named Harry Partch?

Harry made instruments of his own design much like this one, devised notation, and created symphonies with them.

Look him up sometime... He was another breed... He was recognized as a 20th Century composer... especially in the late 60's and early 70's.

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Bill Fulbright
1998 Sierra U12 7x5; Gibson ES-165; Peavey 50-410
ICQ# 2251620 Bill's Website Launch Pad

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 14 Dec 2001 10:59 am

I dunno.....

Still looks like a cheese slicer to me.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » 14 Dec 2001 12:01 pm

Partch's cheese slicer was the Surrogate Kithara- http://www.eyeneer.com/CCM/Composers/Partch/Instruments/surrogate.kithara.html
Mike Perlowin did a great article on this in the old SGW magazine. Harry Partch was into wood and glass, Chas Smith is a man of metal.

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T. Sage Harmos
www.harmosmusic.com

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 Dec 2001 4:37 pm

Chas, the strings don't look like they have any "arch"...can you bow them singly, or do you bow them all at once? I assume the little "sliders" on the rods are there for tuning purposes? That'd be my guess, anyway. I still say it looks more like a work of art than an instrument.

If Frank Lloyd Wright had had the same inclinations as Shot Jackson, I guess this is what his steel might have looked like!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 14 Dec 2001 7:57 pm

All I'd like to know about this most unique instruments is:
When you play Orange Blossom Special on it, is it easier to do than on a PP Emmons?
Does it stay in tune in a Hot/Cold TV studio?
How long does it require to tear-down and set-up for a gig?
How does it weigh?
What does the case look like?

Inquiring minds want to know.......

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 14 Dec 2001 10:38 pm

When you play Orange Blossom Special on it, is it easier to do than on a PP Emmons?

When I play Orange Blossom Special on it, it's unrecognizable.

Does it stay in tune in a Hot/Cold TV studio?

If you ever get to play it, you'll realize that that's not an issue. Actually, the bottom photograph was taken at Village Recorders in West LA at its first recording session. It was for a film score to "Flesh and Bone" with Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, James Caan and a then unknown actress, Gwyneth Paltrow in 1993
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>How long does it require to tear-down and set-up for a gig?
How does it weigh?
What does the case look like?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Moving it around is an event, it doesn't like to travel. The cartage company was 'into it' and they were very gentle. It weighs as much as it looks like it weighs and the setup only involves putting the extentions back on the appropriate rods.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> the strings don't look like they have any "arch"...can you bow them singly, or do you bow them all at once? I assume the
little "sliders" on the rods are there for tuning purposes? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Most of the music for the ambient sections of a film score is in whole tones and longer. When I bow a string it's usually just the bottom one. What gets the workout is bowing the rods and depending on where I bow each one and how hard I bow it makes a huge difference in what pitch it makes and how pretty or aggressive that note is. These kinds of instruments are not adept at playing traditional melodies and since there's a whole orchestra available that's really good at that, these things are more usefull in other areas. The sliders on this one are set collars that clamp down on the spring pins that are used as couplings for the rod extensions. On another instrument I made, they were used to tune some of the rods and were also strategically placed on different nodal points on each rod to calm down some of the
"splash".[This message was edited by chas smith on 14 December 2001 at 10:43 PM.]

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 22 Dec 2001 10:33 pm

I can tell --You dont have enough to do.

Ron

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 23 Dec 2001 4:38 pm

Well for starters, I don't have a tv. Actually I go nonstop from 9 or 10am to 1 or 2am daily.