Oh man, Your cat is the real deal. For sure they know when your hands are tied. My orange guy rides me like a parrot. Lucky you! This is my first look inside a resonator. Thank You. Chris
I was looking at one of these and wondering if I could add a second contact style pickup, like a K&K, and run it to the same jack with a separate volume control. The piezo isn't bad, but it's a little weak, and def would benefit from a pre amp. In the market for such designs, it's basically accepted that you can get better for less, - Gretsch or no.Like most other big builders, there's a broad disparity in their product line between the sugar and the crap.Crafted in China is often a hint.
You could do that or add a preamp to the piezo.... or, replace the piezo with a better quality pre-amp'd one.... it is deadly simple to take apart and lots of room inside to play about...
Hi Austen, very interesting video. At first I was a bit surprised there was no spider in the reso (that's what I'm used to) but on looking up net I see there are basically 2 types of construction ( for single cone) 1 is with a spider where the cone faces forwards like a normal speaker and 2 is with the biscuit where the sound is projected into the guitar (the one your working on) the sound of the biscuit type is a duller sound than the other type. The biscuit / pickup confused me. The Gretsch alligator comes with a Fishman produced affair which going by their name would be of good quality. That one your working on looks a bit naff. Is it traditional ie a coil wound with pole pieces? The piece hanging off the back had a wire soldered to it so I couldn't see where it connected to a coil which I assume is wound inside the biscuit. There wouldn't be current flowing through pole pieces of a pickup so your carbon powder idea would be redundant. By the way the bridge is ebony and maple ( both hardwood as you know) according to the blurb. At £500 odd (or maybe more I would be expecting better quality than this though it does get a decent review from guitarists soundwise. I thought on your musical clip the lower E ( or whatever it is tuned to) sounded a bit dull /off in comparison to the other strings but that's just my opinion. Be interesting to hear if the pickup worked.
I noticed the input jack in the endpin so knew there was a pickup. Also, there's a biscuit cone swap UA-cam by National where the luthier glues the biscuit to the cone. Is that necessary? Don't you have to check for intonation at least? ps~I have to put my curious black cat in the bedroom with the door closed when I change strings. Else, he'd chomp 'em.
I probably did check the intonation, slightly, when I was positioning the bridge and saddle. Not sure about gluing sounds like it might dull the sound... but unsure.
actually it did... I suppose I should try to put up a little pop up or notice on this video... thanks for asking but it worked after a few days and the whole thing dried out... it didn't when I first tested it but when it was dry it worked fine...
Loved the double act! And a ton of great advice for setting up the used resonator I've just purchased. Thank you!
Such a beautiful sound. Nice work Austen!
Oh man,
Your cat is the real deal.
For sure they know when your hands are tied.
My orange guy rides me like a parrot.
Lucky you!
This is my first look inside a resonator. Thank You. Chris
She spends more time only shoulders than she does on the floor. :-)
@@LennonLuthierFinagler We have a black one named Lokie.
He learned to open the refrigerator.
Crazy critters . Chris
I was looking at one of these and wondering if I could add a second contact style pickup, like a K&K, and run it to the same jack with a separate volume control. The piezo isn't bad, but it's a little weak, and def would benefit from a pre amp.
In the market for such designs, it's basically accepted that you can get better for less, - Gretsch or no.Like most other big builders, there's a broad disparity in their product line between the sugar and the crap.Crafted in China is often a hint.
You could do that or add a preamp to the piezo.... or, replace the piezo with a better quality pre-amp'd one.... it is deadly simple to take apart and lots of room inside to play about...
liked for the kitty, stayed for the repair! ;)
Hi Austen, very interesting video. At first I was a bit surprised there was no spider in the reso (that's what I'm used to) but on looking up net I see there are basically 2 types of construction ( for single cone) 1 is with a spider where the cone faces forwards like a normal speaker and 2 is with the biscuit where the sound is projected into the guitar (the one your working on) the sound of the biscuit type is a duller sound than the other type. The biscuit / pickup confused me. The Gretsch alligator comes with a Fishman produced affair which going by their name would be of good quality. That one your working on looks a bit naff. Is it traditional ie a coil wound with pole pieces? The piece hanging off the back had a wire soldered to it so I couldn't see where it connected to a coil which I assume is wound inside the biscuit. There wouldn't be current flowing through pole pieces of a pickup so your carbon powder idea would be redundant. By the way the bridge is ebony and maple ( both hardwood as you know) according to the blurb.
At £500 odd (or maybe more I would be expecting better quality than this though it does get a decent review from guitarists soundwise.
I thought on your musical clip the lower E ( or whatever it is tuned to) sounded a bit dull /off in comparison to the other strings but that's just my opinion. Be interesting to hear if the pickup worked.
Agreed... this type is not as loud as the other type with the spider.
what are the specs on the screws that hold the sound hole cover; looking for replacements :(
I noticed the input jack in the endpin so knew there was a pickup. Also, there's a biscuit cone swap UA-cam by National where the luthier glues the biscuit to the cone. Is that necessary? Don't you have to check for intonation at least?
ps~I have to put my curious black cat in the bedroom with the door closed when I change strings. Else, he'd chomp 'em.
I probably did check the intonation, slightly, when I was positioning the bridge and saddle. Not sure about gluing sounds like it might dull the sound... but unsure.
Allegator or Biscuit cone, versus the Spider cones that go inwards.
I don't work on many of these but I wonder why they used the name alligator...
Wasn’t the biscuit wrong way round because it was setup left handed?
To be honest I never looked but I think there is no difference.
So did the fix end up working for the pickup? I’m interested to know
actually it did... I suppose I should try to put up a little pop up or notice on this video... thanks for asking but it worked after a few days and the whole thing dried out... it didn't when I first tested it but when it was dry it worked fine...