Fender Inspired Console Reso

For people who build steel guitars

Moderator: J D Sauser

Post Reply
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Fender Inspired Console Reso

Post by Tim Toberer »

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Post by Tim Toberer »

I am really happy with how this turned out! I learned a ton doing this and it was more fun than frustrating. It has a TON of volume and sustain and really good note clarity. Exactly what I wanted. The body is pine and I tried to incorporate as much of the traditional open body Dobro type design as I could in a square box. I mounted some brackets to experiment with baffles, but I don't think it needs one.

Future design will start with 4 lowering pedals as the core part of the diminished tuning, but I plan on just playing around with it like this using A13 for a while... Here are the details if you want to know. viewtopic.php?p=3137278

I am trying to figure out a stacked arrangement for the 4 raise pedals, but it is tricky.... I feel 90% of what I play is covered in the 4 lowering pedal arrangement, but the raises add another dimension. My new plan for the raises is to make them in the upper octave only. This way I can use the left side to create a 2 note shell- Major minor Quartal or tritone and then use the raises to create upper structure triads, which can then be inverted up the neck.... It should work... In theory :lol: This tuning started out as just a theory, thinking this should work. Now I know it works and I am getting better at arranging tunes using it.

Another development with the tuning! On one of my other prototype guitars I figured out a diminished/E9 sort of universal addition to my core tuning. By raising the entire tuning 1/2 step, it gives me E6 on pedals 2+3. Then I added A&B pedals on 5&6 which gives some kind of Sneaky Peteish options. On pedal7 I added a lower octave raise to D giving E13 and an upper E to F# which gives some nice 9th or 6/9 options as well as lots of others.... I am having a blast with this one!I plan on writing an update and hopefully sharing some sound files in the future, but time and technology problems make this difficult for me. Thanks for sticking with me, I know these are some long posts, but I am really loving this instrument! :lol:
Greg Forsyth
Posts: 382
Joined: 3 Apr 2020 1:05 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Greg Forsyth »

Very cool Tim!!! Nice clean design and Nothing can rattle your bones like a Skeletone!
Mark Perrodin
Posts: 455
Joined: 4 Nov 2017 3:54 pm
Location: Tucson Arizona, USA

reso

Post by Mark Perrodin »

would love to hear it!
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Post by Tim Toberer »

Greg Forsyth wrote:Very cool Tim!!! Nice clean design and Nothing can rattle your bones like a Skeletone!
HaHa! I may have gotten a little carried away. This is my $65 "Glarry" TL guitar. Sounds ridiculously good and with a little fret work plays very well. The other steel is my new E9ish toy which I gave a makeover. The bass rail pickups sound really good too. Yup I am a cheap date.

Image

Image


Image
User avatar
BJ Burbach
Posts: 70
Joined: 13 Dec 2023 5:27 am
Location: New York, USA

console reso

Post by BJ Burbach »

Tim, what tuners/pan did you use?
BJ
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Re: console reso

Post by Tim Toberer »

BJ Burbach wrote:Tim, what tuners/pan did you use?
BJ
I used Kluson tuners and tuner pan. A bit expensive, but gives a more professional appearance. The cutout was a bit tricky to get right. Start undersized and make small adjustments till it is perfect.
User avatar
Andy DePaule
Posts: 2607
Joined: 20 Jun 1999 12:01 am
Location: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
Contact:

WoW Tim!

Post by Andy DePaule »

WoW Tim!
How kool is that.
You sure did kind of get that Fender look.
I'd love to see how it works.
Andy :D
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Re: WoW Tim!

Post by Tim Toberer »

Andy DePaule wrote:WoW Tim!
How kool is that.
You sure did kind of get that Fender look.
I'd love to see how it works.
Andy :D
Thanks Andy! I appreciate the compliment :) It is fun to dream something up and try to bring it to life! It is on the workbench and I think I have an idea of how to set up the pedals. It will be a few months before I can cobble it all together. I am working on a few tunes on my other guitar to make a video hopefully soon or possible just do some Soundcloud recordings. Hopefully I don't embarrass myself.
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Post by Tim Toberer »

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Post by Tim Toberer »

This is my "stacked pedal" arrangement. While not truly stacked, this type of arrangement gives me a way to manipulate the pedals in a much more manageable way. I had my AHAH! moment when watching some organ players play bass solos with their feet, and looking at how the organ pedals were set up. I realized they didn't need to be stacked. I have only been playing it for a few days, but it works. I am already planning some tweeks to make it work more smoothly because the ergonomics can still be improved, but the basic design works.

I changed my copedant slightly as mentioned before only making the raises in the second octave. This opens up a whole new world of experimentation. I will share more about this in the future. For anyone who feels this is over complicating an already complicated instrument, I just have to disagree that this is overly complicated. Especially when I look at the typical guitars played by the pros on the forum. I feel this arrangement gives a maximum of harmonic options, with a relatively simple setup. To me the diminished concept as originally designed by the Tavares brothers is the most versatile tuning, considering the limitations of playing an instrument like this. I feel incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon this as I don't think I would have pursued the instrument in its "modern" incarnation.
Jon Zimmerman
Posts: 1081
Joined: 25 May 2005 12:01 am
Location: California, USA

Moving and Improving

Post by Jon Zimmerman »

Haven’t checked your developments in ‘Builders’ for a while, Tim. You go on and “stumble” all you can; we in the Gallery will follow along. Don’t be concerned if a “stubbed toe” occurs here & there either.. I call that ‘progress by accident’.

Steady on. 😎
User avatar
Tim Toberer
Posts: 1048
Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
Location: Nebraska, USA

Re: Moving and Improving

Post by Tim Toberer »

Jon Zimmerman wrote:Haven’t checked your developments in ‘Builders’ for a while, Tim. You go on and “stumble” all you can; we in the Gallery will follow along. Don’t be concerned if a “stubbed toe” occurs here & there either.. I call that ‘progress by accident’.

Steady on. 😎
Thanks for the encouragement! I am working towards making a video to show how this thing works. It is coming together slowly but surely. Sometimes it is 2 steps back but moving forward if you take a Birds Eye view. I have to keep reminding myself to have fun and just play! That is usually when the magic happens.
Post Reply

Return to “Builders' Corner”