My new old guitar

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 22 Aug 2003 9:07 am

As promised, here are pictures of my newly acquired '53 National Triplex. I got a little carried away last night and made a whole web page: <http://www.visi.com/~mpv/Triplex/Triplex.html>.

I haven't been able to plug it in yet since I don't have a cable with the right connector. Does anyone know what this is <http://www.visi.com/~mpv/Triplex/Triple ... chor-47857> and where to find a mate?

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Mike V
'53 National Triplex

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 22 Aug 2003 9:13 am

Tryin' again...

As promised, here are pictures of my newly acquired '53 National Triplex. I got a little carried away last night and made a whole web page.

I haven't been able to plug it in yet since I don't have a cable with the right connector. Does anyone know what this is and where to find a mate?

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Mike V
'53 National Triplex

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 22 Aug 2003 10:49 am

Radio Shack, I believe. I would personally update it to a 1/4" jack.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 22 Aug 2003 12:37 pm

It's most commonly referred to as an Amphenol connector. Do a search on this term in this Forum and you'll see lots of resources for adapters and/or cables with this type of connector.
I agree that it would be better to have it converted to a standard guitar jack unless you are bent on keeping it original for some reason.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 22 Aug 2003 1:04 pm

Hi Micheal

i recently asked here where i could find these type of connectors
here's the link: http://www.steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/004225.html
Good Luck

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Steel what?

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 22 Aug 2003 2:10 pm

Those connectors were fitted on most NATIONAL guitars and were a pain in the okole (Hawaiian for "posterior"). The middle solder point would constantly wear down and just when you needed it most, there was no contact. I recall my old National double neck suddenly conked out on me during a live radio show! Change yours to a standard phone plug. That's a very nice guitar. I remember it but cannot recall just how accurate the mechanism was when it changed the tunings.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 22 Aug 2003 2:12 pm

...don't know my elbow from my okole but that's a fine looking steel, Michael.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 22 Aug 2003 6:24 pm

A nice looking guitar, but; I have one question! The three small pictures showing the three(3) lever positions show the guitar with wound-strings in positions 1-2-3 and plain strings in positions 4-5-6. My question is: Why? Somehow the picture has been reversed!

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Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 22 Aug 2003 11:58 pm

The pictures aren't reversed, they're from the bridge end of the guitar.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 23 Aug 2003 4:38 am

Mighty fine looking steel there Michael. Question though: Do you have to operate a clutch pedal with yer left foot to change gears, while y'er mashing the gas pedal with yer right foot?

The best way I've found in the past to deal with those pesky amphenol connectors until you get a modification to guitar 1/4" jack, ...is first get an ADAPTOR (radio shack is OK), going from female amphenol (the cup that screws on to what you got) to FEMALE geetar jack; which can be a hard adaptor, or a soft adapter with a short cable between the connectors. As long as an amphenol adaptor REMAINS IN PLACE and not screwed on / off, they will be much less pesky once you get the connection to work properly. That way you won't have to remove the adaptor from the guitar but just unplug the geetar chord ...UNTIL you can get the steel geetar to a geetar repairman to make you a geetar chord jack that WILL FIT THAT HOLE WITHOUT MODIFYING THE HOLE (unless reducing the value greatly by modifying the hole is not important to you). A soft adapter with a short chord is better than a hard adaptor because the hard adaptors have leverage that can damage the adaptor easier, and a hard adaptor sticks out so far that the guitar will often not go in it's case without removing the adaptor. If you're going to use an amphenol guitar chord, then DON'T over-tighten it when you screw it on; Because over-tightening can mash the solder center-contact(s) ...although repeated installation and removal of the chord will have the same effect over time. Also, if you're gonna use an amphenol chord, ...the center-contact solder drops should be with silver solder and not lead solder. It is not uncommon over the years for someone to repair the contact(s) with lead solder, which is too soft and will fail (get mashed) much quicker.

And don't let that Triplex slip outa gear going downhill with a heavy load !

Aloha,
Denny T~

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 23 Aug 2003 6:23 pm

Wow, thank you everyone for all the quick responses. Now I know what to look for. I was originally thinking of drilling out the hole and installing a standard jack, but right behind the connector is a capacitor wired between the two pots leaving no clearance for the jack unless I were to re-wire the whole thing. You can see it in the picture where I unscrewed the side. Plan B is to go with a female amphenol female standard jack as Denny suggests. The middle solder point is already damaged which you can kinda see in the photo, so I'll just have to try it to see if it works.
George, the tuning mechanism has so far been accurate. Once I got it set up according to manual pages that Brad posted (thnaks again Brad!), it has stayed pretty close in tune. The tuning pegs need adjustment, but I haven't had to touched those screws in the bridge.
John, yes the pictures aren't reversed, they're from the bridge end of the guitar as Jim points out.
Thanks again everybody, now I just gotta learn to play the thing.

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 24 Aug 2003 4:50 pm

use the amphenol, but make 2 cords or keep the adaptor handy as a backup if you're gigging.

thats the only non-guitar-shaped lapsteel I ever liked the looks of. pretty