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| Author | Topic: New Republic Reso's |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 07-16-2007 14:24
   
( www.myspace.com/ericerkkinen for sound clip of comparison) Just got a Tricone today for much less money than I should have paid for it. Opening the box with all the tape and packing stuff was like opening pandoras box. The guitar was shipped by DHL, the driver very gingerly ( unlike my usual slam bang UPS deliveries) handed the guitar to me as if he were handling explosives. Tricone, slotted headstock, brass with continental cones, lighter than the Johnson/Regals Definitely not made by the same people. Thick neck, like a baseball bat, but made of maple, MOT in red on the headstock, and engraving. Looks very pretty. When I first picked it up and started playing it, I A&B'd it with my National Style 0. Didn't have that National "ring" to it. I felt like the thing was going to be a wallhanger. So I walked around the house with it, playing it for 25 minutes, realized that it had no buzzes. Remembered the ol' Johnson trick to make them a bit louder, the old "Mushroom mod"... So the guitar went into the workhop. I checked out her guts etc. The brass is DEFINITELY lighter (thinner) than the Johnson and regal. I think that is good. Afer I opened her up, behold! There were three mushrooms in there. I took the middle one out. Proceeded to put the guitar together, working out in my head how I would make it so that I could live with the sound not being quite up to par... I'd play with fingerpicks and just not expect much out of it. Tuned it to pitch, intonated it and then brought it back to the Style 0 for an A-B comparison... The sound is fantastic. I am really beside myself and feel as if I got the deal of the century. The whole body resonates, it is thin like the old German Silver tricones with a hint of brassy midrange. If you want a budget guitar that will give you some vintage trashcan tone,looks great on the wall, as well as a fat neck, this is the guitar. I think I'd like to age it a bit, it is almost too shiny. Needs a little abuse ASAP! This is an objective opinion, I'm not a spokesperson for this company, own more Nationals than I have house-space for, and am a real person. I am suitably impressed with this guitar! [This message has been edited by erk187 (edited 07-18-2007).] [This message has been edited by erk187 (edited 07-18-2007).] IP: Logged |
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crocau Member Posts: 213 From: Quebec City Registered: Nov 2006 |
posted 07-16-2007 14:48
Thanks for the review. It would be nice if you could post some sound clip. IP: Logged |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 07-16-2007 15:54
Good idea, I am taking it to an open mic night tonight, but in the next day or two I will do just that! IP: Logged |
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AJAzure Member Posts: 1162 From: MA Registered: Apr 2004 |
posted 07-16-2007 15:59
what's the consensus on mushroom modding a lap style tricone? IP: Logged |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 07-17-2007 13:25
Same body, why not? IP: Logged |
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AJAzure Member Posts: 1162 From: MA Registered: Apr 2004 |
posted 07-17-2007 20:31
quote: neck mass, string height, playing with only a metal bar and seeking a tone more jazz oriented than blues may sway that decision. IP: Logged |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 07-18-2007 04:25
Well, the middle mushroom doesn't really do all that much, Nationals don't have three of them, nor do any of the other cheap reso companies. You can compensate accordingly by shimming the other mushrooms, but the purpose of the mod is to take the direct neck pressure off of the back of the body allowing the body to resonate as the cones do. You end up with a fuller sound. In fact, the least supportive part of any structure, be it an instrument, house or whatever, would be the center of a perimeter-supported mass ( unless the mass were a dome or other similar shape, in which case would be supportive from the outside). In the case of the guitar, which is supported and held fast by the joints on the outer edges ( no braces on metal bodies) Using a mushroom towards the center does little to support the neck under it's 170 lbs of torqued pressure and in fact tends to warp the body. In the event of failure from the solder joints ( I'm not sure how much low temp lead solder is capable of) or the fatigue of the metal over time, a person could expect thier guitar to become a scrap heap. Moving the mushrooms towards the outer edges gives support to the neck while ensuring that they ( the mushrooms) are still held fast over time and will decrease the risk of them "pulling away" IF you didn't like the sound after you were done, simply replace them. IP: Logged |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 07-18-2007 11:35
Okay.. Just uploaded my comparison to my myspace site. I also added a couple of other guitars. All told there is an Estralita Deluxe, '29 Wood Triolian, my Style 0 and the New Republic resonator. I think you will think that it is capable of hanging just fine. I can only imagine the difference that National cones would make... I believe they come with continental cones originally. Although I can't be held to that. Have to ask the owner of the company. My site www.myspace.com/ericerkkinen IP: Logged |
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bazookajoe Member Posts: 25 From: vienna, austria, europe Registered: Dec 2004 |
posted 12-24-2007 05:58
just got to your myspace page from the republic guitars website but it looks like that comparison is not there anymore, right? or ist it one of the songs? IP: Logged |
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knuckle Member  Posts: 436 From: Worcester, MA Registered: Jul 2006 |
posted 12-24-2007 07:36
I've noticed Frank has some 12 fret models now listed on Ebaby IP: Logged |
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tallahatchie Member Posts: 8 From: Registered: Dec 2007 |
posted 12-29-2007 14:11
National =s Patriotism ? I've been to Iraq twice and I still can't afford one. IP: Logged |
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tallahatchie Member Posts: 8 From: Registered: Dec 2007 |
posted 12-29-2007 14:50
Hello Frank. I'm the fella you thought my last name was 'Barbie". I really enjoy my reso. Thanks and have good New Years. IP: Logged |
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Baltimore Bluesman Member Posts: 532 From: Baltimore Registered: Jan 2003 |
posted 12-29-2007 21:04
Am I the only one who read this title and thought that The New Republic magazine had gone into the reso guitar business? Yikes!!! FWIW, I've only been to Iraq once. IP: Logged |
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erk187 Member Posts: 458 From: Erkmanistan. ( how could I not?) Registered: Mar 2006 |
posted 12-30-2007 06:02
Okay folks New republic comparison is back on the site. Go ahead and check it out. www.myspace.com/ericerkkinen IP: Logged |
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