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Topic: Problems with new (to me) Mule Tricone |
Dylan Schibanoff
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 12:14 pm |
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Hello all,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I own a 1966 Fender Stringmaster Delue and a 1928 Weissenborn Style 2, but I have been lusting after a Mule Tricone with a cutaway and pickup for several years. They rarely come up for sale, so I pounced on this one. It arrived today. It looks totally badass. It plays.....not so badass.
First off, when played with bare fingers there is significant rattle. I gather from research and intuition that rattle is fairly common on resonator guitars and I assume solving this issue won't be terribly difficult. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe something got jostled during shipping? For some reason it does not rattle when using a pick.
The big issue is that I can't fret a single note above the 12th fret on any string. All the strings lay on the frets too much. You can see from the photos that the neck relief seems to end at the 12th fret and then the fingerboard extension is totally flat, causing a hump that results in no playability. I know, I know, who is actually hand fretting above the 12th fret on a resonator guitar? Not many people, and for slide the guitar sounds glorious as is.
Is the type of neck/body joint issue common on resonators? I have 3 days to ship this guitar back for a refund if I need to. The guitar does not have a truss rod, that I can see. I suppose maybe you can access it from the inside?? Maybe Mule owners can chime in on how they have handled neck adjustments? Also the current strings are too heavy for my liking. Maybe lighter strings will help?
Thanks in advance for any help!
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 2:10 pm
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Generic resonator problem. Really can't tell without opening the guitar. However, collapsed cone(s) are certainly a possibility.
Beyond that, we won't know a thing until the guitar is inspected by a resonator knowledgeable luthier.
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 2:55 pm
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Looks like it needs a neck reset to me. Changing the neck height relative to the body might get everything in line. Angle might be OK, but hard to tell without seeing it in person. At any rate, it needs a good reso luthier's involvement to fix.
Dave |
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 3:30 pm
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Take it to a luthier, might just need a bit of fret leveling, crowning, trussrod adjustment. Its a used guitar, this stuff happens. If its truly messed up and wasn't disclosed by the seller then send it back. Either way you should let the seller know your intentions, he might not take it back after you mess with it.
Also, just changing to lighter strings and letting it sit a couple days might fix it. |
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Jeff Highland
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 4:02 pm
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I know nothing about Mules, but from your pictures It looks to me like you have too much relief in the neck and a saddle which is a bit low.
It appears that Mule does not use an adjustable truss rod just two fixed titanium rods
https://www.muleresophonic.com/articles/2011355-how-we-set-up-resonator-guitars-pt-3
A slightly taller saddle would work at the expense of higher action down lower.
Or alternatively dress the frets or fingerboard to give some fallaway after the body joint.
Basically it needs someone experienced to check it over.
_________________
Duesenberg Fairytale
1949 Supro Supreme
1950 National New Yorker
2008 Highland Baritone Weissenborn
2020 Highland New Yorker.
2020 Highland Mohan Veena
2021 Highland Weissencone |
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Dylan Schibanoff
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2021 6:13 pm
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| Thanks for all the input. I will be taking it to a tech tomorrow. Worst case, I send it back...best case, I've got a great guitar. Stay tuned! |
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Brian Evans
From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 14 Sep 2021 7:45 am
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| Check relief by fretting at first fret and 14th fret, and seeing what the gap between string and the 6th fret is - should be .005" or so, thickness of a normal business card. Then start to look at things like neck just not straight, fret board rising over the body, neck set needing work. When you know the neck and fretboard is basically straight, you can look at action height (Mule likes 3/32 and 5/32" at the 12th fret) and see if you need to adjust the bridge. |
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Dylan Schibanoff
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2021 12:45 pm
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| Unfortunately upon luthier inspection the neck on this guitar was built improperly and will need to be completely replaced. I will be shipping it back to the shop. A shame. The hunt continues! |
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 14 Sep 2021 3:21 pm
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Good luck! Sorry it didn't work out.
Dave |
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