The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi everybody,

Thinking about my next build... I want to (I'd like to ) build a woody squareneck tricone, just like the one built by Mike Lewis in France:
http://www.fineresophonic.com/triplate4m.htm

It sounds great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esH4E21m0BM

Do you think that a weissenborn conception would be OK? As the neck is a hollow one, there is no neck stick, so... soundposts and mushrooms?

I would use laminate as building material, instead of plain maple, as I dont own a bending iron...

Every help is welcome

Thanks,

Xavier

Xavier - sorry, I can't be any help from a building perspective, but I wanted you to know that this is a really cool project. The sound of that squareneck tricone in the video is fantastic. I imagine that a hollow neck would add to the "airiness", although it might also affect sustain and "punch" in some way.

I've built several, all with neck sticks and no posts.

Here's one. Lousy recording and player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqq1jm-Wfvc

and here's a better recording, played though a Humphries amp by someone that knows what they're doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho6MPYj6 ... sults_main

Mike D wrote:I've built several, all with neck sticks and no posts.

Here's one. Lousy recording and player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqq1jm-Wfvc

But great instrument!
Can you explain "how to" use a neck stick in a weissenborn-style guitar?

Thanks.

Basically it's built like a regular Weiss but the top is extra thick (3/16") and I glue in a large brace that runs from the head block to the tail block. It's glued to the underside of the fretboard area and runs under and supports the cone well.

You can see part of it in the 2nd video at about :46

Mike, do you think it would accomodate to a "standard" National squareneck shape?

Sure, it wouldn't matter what body shape. If you email me I think I can scrounge up some better pics.

Hey guys,

The building process is on the way:

The shape:



I worked with the help of a DWG drawing sent by Freeman Keller for the body, and Mike D for the neck stick weissenborn conception.

Do you think I can build the neck stick with marine quality laminate?



I built a mold from several layers of laminate and hardwood:



The wood is tasmanian blackwood:


The top(4.5 mm thick):

(will be mostly hidden by coverplate/fretboard/grills:





I made my very first bending attempts, seems to be OK:



The big problems will come when it will be time to bend to shape the back, as it has to be jointed AND glued AND bent... any ideas?

Thanks,

Xavier

Wow that's looking great. I like the acrylic routing pattern.

No problem with a laminate neck stick that I can see.

I know I've seen Mike Lewis (Fine Resophonic) with backs like the one in you plans but I've never done them that way. I just give mine a simple taper like Weissenborn did.

Very nice work.

Hi guys,

I did some more works:








Xavier

Nice, it's coming along great!

Waiting to see pics of bending the back ! Great job by the way !

Thanks

How would you proceed to bend... back... and back bindings? (plain wood)

Myself I'd just go with a gradual taper.

Mike, how thick is your neckstick?

If you mean width, it's .75" and .50" at the ends where it notches into the head and tail blocks.

Thank you Mike.
Do you think I'd rather use plain wood instead of laminate for the sound? Dont you think that a laminate neck stick would mute the sound? Mine will have the same heigth than the whole guitar's body to reinforce the back (and the back's joint).

I don't think it would make a bit of difference sound-wise, but solid wood is easier to work with.

Why do you need it to touch the back? You can run a strip down the center joint to reinforce it and brace the back like an acoustic. At least that's how I do mine.

I think it will depend how the back bends, but I'll think about that option. If the bent part of the back looks strong enough, I could brace it as an acoustic.
Thank for your help

Some new pictures:



Fingerboard and soundwell almost finished:















Xavier

Great work keep it up !

Beautiful work!

Truly inspiring workmanship.

Hi guys,

Some more pictures of the back bending process:




I used a steam iron



Let's rest in the mold for a couple of days?

Top trimmed:



Xavier