The Steel Guitar Forum

Folks, I have a friend who has Johnson Tricone and he wants to tweak it up by replacing cones and possible "T"bridge too. This topic may be "well discussed" topic already, but can anyone chime in to help me out which company's replacement cone is the best for Tricone?

BTW, I have '29 Style 1 and I ain't selling it. So he has to upgrade his.

Also, which "pick up" system will work the best on Tricone?

Many thanks in advance!!

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National Resophonic's "hot rod" cones are great. You can check them out on their web site. I just put a set in my '41 M-3. FANTASTIC!!

Can't help you with a replacement bridge, burt I bet the folks at National Resophonic can.

National Resophonic! Safest route would be to disassemble the Johnson, get a cone in hand, and call National to check that theirs will fit (most likely they do)... http://www.nationalguitars.com/

Yea, thanks guys~ I hear a lot of good thing about National Reso's cone. I heard Paul Beard has replacement cones, any input for that??

Also, if I'm replacing cones, do you think I should stick with "stock" T-bridge, or is there someone who has wonderful "T-bridge"??

The National T-bridge that Elderly shows on its website doesn't have the screws that attach it to the cones. The National website doesn't show a T-bridge for sale any more (it did a few weeks ago), but it used to show a bridge with those screws.

My Republic tricone doesn't have any screws attaching the T-bridge to the cones.

Can anybody fill me in on this? Do the screws contribute to the sound, or are they just for assembly ease? Are they special size or thread, or are they standard sized screws that you can buy at a hardware store? Does National still sell the T-bridge, even though they don't show it on their website (or it may be there, I just couldn't find it)?

And, to re-ask Hiro's question, does swapping out the T-bridge help the sound, or is it just the cones that make a difference?

The T-bridge on my '41 National tricone has no screws--just circular small "posts." The posts were larger than the small holes in the tops of the replacement cones but the downward pressure from string tension made them seat correctly and perfectly after a few minutes of playing and "fiddling" (a technical term for messing with it) after it was strung up.

The biscuit style National guitars have a cone that attaches to the bridge with a screw. The tricones don't. The "legs" of the tricone bridge just rest on the cones.

I couldn't say whether or not swapping the bridge will make a difference, but I somehow doubt that it would. Swapping the bridge inserts on a cheaper guitar with harder density wood (or bone) might make a difference, but I believe the biggest difference would be upgraded cones.

Here's a current discussion on tricone pickups.