The Steel Guitar Forum

Well my sons got me a Rondo for Father's Day so I can learn something new. I got myself the stand. I have been learning slowly but surely. It is a bit tricky going from Open G on my square neck (my wife got me that one for Christmas)to C6. Got the Mel Bay book that you all suggested.

After reading about the mods everyone is doing, I gave that a shot too.

EMG Select pickup, 250 K pots, wood knobs and I made a wood pick guard from scratch. The bridge is original and works fine I may change it out later and probably the tuners because they are a bit dicey.

It was easier making the pick guard than installing the pickup. Took me four hours last night with no luck just a lot of frustration. My son was helping and he was pulling his hair out and he has done mods on his Les Paul and Strat with custom pickups with no problems. Order the pots and pickup from Stew Mac. It turned out that the pots were bad. I thought it was the pickup. I ran over to GC today got new pots put them in and everything put together in about an hour. thank goodness. Now I just have to learn to play the darn thing.

Here are some pics.

Nice job Kevin, that looks great

Thanks Tom

Looks great. The wooden pickguard and knobs make it look classy.

Excellent. Your pickgard design is very cool. I bought two about a year and a half ago and modded one last summer. I routed that one for larger pots, Vintage Vibe P90 and added a plastic BWB pickgard plus black Strat knobs. I replaced the bridge with a LP Jr. model which I highly prefer and is a direct replacement so it drops right in.

I like it so much that I'm now working on the second one which will be very similar but with a different pickup. I've got it routed, sanded and ready for a new finish.

Nice job!
How do you like that EMG select? I put one in a Rogue Lap steel and I like the sound. On my Rondo I put in a GFS lipstick tube pup and am not liking it. Too shrill.
Which is weird, because I have another steel I put a GFS lipstick pup in that sounds really good.
I got a strat type pup I'm thinking of putting in the Rondo. I didn't like the stock pup at all.

John ... what value pots and cap do you have in there?
If 500k's, some 250k's and a .047 cap may tame that tube.
CTS is now making a quality mini pot that would save you some routing, link here

Thanks Derek!

Mark......Glad you like the pick guard. I also made one that is a double of the same design. I left it blonde to contrast with the dark wood. I also got some light maple knobs. the dark knobs are Bubinga. I am planning on adding the LP JR bridge soon.

John.....So far so good. The EMG is noiseless and responsive. I love the tone.

Tom/John......Ditto on the 250k pots and .047 cap.

Cheers guys,

Kevin

Nice job, Kevin. I've been meaning to try to upgrade mine (or get it upgraded). The volume pot has gone bad and I haven't tried to fix it yet - I've been too busy with other things.

I like the new pick guard very much.

That looks really sweet, good job....

Kevin, you did such a good job on the pickgard and knobs that I'm surprised that you didn't refinish the body. I experimented with my first one and I like the way it turned out. Whatever the finish is on these Rondo's is not very good which is no surprise considering the price point. I think it's just a stain/clear combo that sands off pretty easy. Looks way better once re-done.

Here's what the modded and un-modded versions look together (looks much nicer in person):

I agree refinishing is on the list. I just wanted to get playing it so I'll just have to wait awhile to take on that step. I may go natural with a clear coat and keep the dark pick guard.

Nice job Kevin!!
I also bought an Rondo SX awhile back and was disappointed with the sound and playability. The model that I had purchased also had the bridge cover acting as the cover for the electronics (pots). I had to lose the bridge cover as it made blocking almost impossible for me. So, I swapped out the tuners with a set of Grover's I had laying around, replaced the pup with an old P-90 and purchased a LP Jr. bridge. The pots were replaced with CTS and new Cap. I bought some black pick guard material from Allparts and made my own pick guard. After looking at yours I may fabricate a wooden guard for it. Nice job... good luck in your playing endeavours.
Gary

Thanks Gary, I really need to replace the tuners. I have two that are a bear to turn.

I fitted the Dusenberg Multibender. It took longer than the 10 mins. I estimated. Most of the time was spent examining the way it worked and making sure I fitted it right. If I had to do another one I reckon on about 20 mins., most of which is changing the strings. It was very straightforward.
I tuned it to an open E chord. The first lever takes the 1st string up a tone, the second lever takes the 2nd string up a tone, the third lever takes the 3rd string up a semitone, and the fourth lever takes the 5th string down a tone. So, by depressing levers 2, 3 and 4 simultaneously you have an A chord. Pressing 1, 2 3 & 4 you have A6. To get B you just take the A chord 2 frets up. It's not so simple as using pedals, but you soon get used to it.

Nice Job Alan. I have been looking for a Multibender to put on mine, but so far I have been unable to locate anyone selling them on this side of the pond. Even the Dusenberg dealers that I have contacted do not seem to have the Multibender available.

G Strout wrote:...I have been looking for a Multibender to put on mine, but so far I have been unable to locate anyone selling them on this side of the pond...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... duesenberg
Check out the above thread. The only stockists are Rockinger Guitars in Germany. As far as I know they're the only people who have ever stocked them. They also sell a lap steel ready-fitted with the unit, but it's expensive.

The multibenders interest me too. i have been looking and can't find any retailers in the US. You would think that someone would carry them over here considering the number of players in America.

There aren't any stockists in the U.S. But it's just as easy to order from Germany over the internet.

One of my other hobbies is model railways. I'm building a model of the area around Birmingham, England, in the 1950s. You would think that being 5500 miles away from the nearest English model shop would be a problem, but I can order over the internet and have the goods in my hands within three or four days. That's quicker than if I were living over there and waited until the weekend to go shopping.

Alan Brookes wrote:

G Strout wrote:...I have been looking for a Multibender to put on mine, but so far I have been unable to locate anyone selling them on this side of the pond...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... duesenberg
Check out the above thread. The only stockists are Rockinger Guitars in Germany. As far as I know they're the only people who have ever stocked them. They also sell a lap steel ready-fitted with the unit, but it's expensive.

Hi,

May I suggest trying Thomann in Germany, has full English language options on their comprehensive website, ships worldwide, lists Duesenberg bender unit at 203 Euros, individual trembar at 41 euros. Pomona guitar at 1139 Euros. Link below, hope it works...........I don't know current availability though.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.htm ... er&x=7&y=6

Alan,
I have recently bought a SX LG1 (Rondo)guitar which I hope to fit with the Duesenberg bender unit next year inspired by your example shared on the forum, thanks for the idea. Great forum for ideas, history and information.

Ref availability, now I look again at Thomann's website, availability on Duesenberg bender unit is current.