I have had success repairing closed tuners in the past by placing them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. The water penetrates in the gears and helps to get all of the residue that was stuck in them. It is very important though that you do not try to turn the knob until after you have rinsed the tuner in cold water. Doing this will allow the plastic washer to reharden and prevent warping.
Gerry your videos are an absolute treat. Nothing better than watching a master at his work. As a novice working in guitar repair your videos are invaluable. cheers. Hugh
You are so entertaining in addition you're a master craftsman slash luthier, I sure missed your videos while hospitalized over the past month...boy howdy you're a beacon of hope a ray of sunshine
Loved this a lot Jerry, I was really missing one of your repair videos. You have such a great way of doing things and a perfect mix of talk and repair.
I had the exact same problem with my first resonator. Ended up putting adhesive foil on the spider leg ‘feet’ to fix it. I was 16 though. I’m 43 now so may well have another go! Thx again Gman
Excellent clip, thanks for sharing it. I am a reso' player myself, but know nothing about them at all in their construction. I nearly bought one of these Fender things, but chose another make eventually. You have given me much encouragement to try things myself with your clips, so thanks a million, be well and prosper... !!
Thanks for a great inside look at this guitar. I own the FR50CE. The concept of this guitar is really simple I guess? Always good to see real craftsmanship.
Depending on my "Angle of Work" (flat or vertical), I will tighten one fastener, to hold the piece I'm working with in place, to allow for installing the rest of the fasteners. Great video, I always learn something from watching your videos!
Well done Jerry ! Another common problem with Resonators (I own 3) is the tailpiece which is rattling on the coverplate a little pad can make the trick
This video showed up at just the right time. I bought a Gretsch Alligator on Ebay with a "warped neck" and some buzzing on the lower frets. Looks like new and at half the price. I don't think they know it has a truss rod. After watching your videos I'm confident I can fix it properly. Thanks!
@@ArielElijah So far, yes. Got the guitar with the low E string on top of the saddle above the slot. Took care of the string buzz. Still a slight vibration sound from the resonator portion but have not had time to take it apart. Somebody goofed pretty bad on this one.
I use to have a guitar like that. It was an Airline. I only ever seen one Airline like that. Jerry Jeff Walker had a red Airline just like it. I regret selling it. Like so many other guitars I bought and sold. Great video Jerry. Thanks for sharing.
Great video. I just got me a cheap Chinese reso’ guitar. Going to give it a service along your lines. Very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing.
I have one of these. I enjoy playing it, but am aware it's a budget instrument. As I learned more about them, I learned that a guitar like this is basically a speaker cabinet for the cone. The cones in these are stamped like a hubcap. Higher end ones are spun on a mandrel, ideally by a luthier who knows what the is doing. I ended up ordering a new spider and cone from Beard Guitars, plus ebony-capped maple bridges. The price for one of Beard's cones is extremely reasonable, and now the guitar sounds great-it rings like a bell.
The first and I think only resophonic guitar I ever took apart was like "what the heck?" Took awhile to figure it out but I fixed it in the end. The National and Dobro ones I've seen have baffling going front to back not open inside like that Fender. Thanks Jerry, good stuff.
You can take a 3/4 inch strip of felt from a hobby shop. Make a pattern from the inside of the cone,and glue it around the hole. Just a couple dabs of glue at 3 or 4 points, and reinstall your cone. The felt fils in al the gaps and weird spots around the cone. It stops all the ratttling because your cone is floating on the felt. You are making a felt gasket for the cone. I hope I made sense,but it really works.Keep up the grea work!
I have really nice Gold Tone that the resonator rattled so badly it was unplayable. I didn't know what to do with it so I asked my reso playing friend. He told me to just move the spider about a quarter inch. It fixed everything. Been playing it for years and it is still good.
Friggin amazing how it happens so frequently! I have a Dobro in working on it today swapping the old cone out for a new Beard cone and setting it up. The owner doesn't want me to video it fears his local luthier might see the video and get mad lol Good video Jerry!
lol I was wondering when you were going to cut the saddles lol. Great work as usual Jerry. I play resonators and have one of these in my collection but the electric version.
Jerry, you must be doing something right, the other guys I watch, watch you to! Dave's world of fun stuff, worked on a couple of these and had a lot more problems with those, especially in the hole where the cone sits in. Steel on bone! Sounds like a song! Great to see another fine video and "Some mighty fine a pickin' and a sangin'". Thankz
I use a tight lock product when i am putting screws back in- when playing over time, it will often vibrate the screw loose again and tight lock stops it from being lose again - you can use teflon tape also -
I have the 150 model. This one youre working on is exactly the same down to the screws being too close to the center or far off. I have to tune mine a full step down so i don't break my high E string.
John Fogerty has a Resophonic he displays on CCR's Green River album cover similar to this one. Can't tell if it's a Fender, but sure looks like one. What a unique sounding instrument. Thumbs up!
Nice job! I bet the bone saddle really helped it. In my experience I like to match the material of the nut to the saddle as closely as possible to get that crisp response and loud sound. I've never seen a cone have screws in it either? I was under the assumption the cone should free float in the body? Interesting.
I had flat break angle issues with this kind of guitar and I don't really like threading the string through in the opposite direction from what they are meant to go. (Can anyone else relate?)
i have an FR-50 as well. I had the same problems with mine, the cover isn't centered properly, the tuner key for the G string is tighter compared to the rest. the rubber gasket eventually came off making it very difficult to turn the key.....and the drill holes for the cone and cover screws are all over the place....half of them are drilled on the edge, the others are a couple mm's away from the edge. The first thing i replaced on mine was the bridge and nut, as the cheap plastic broke over time. They were definitely cheaply made, not a lot of attention to detail. But a decent sounding guitar none the less.
You could try a little graphite powder in the tuning key. It lubes like oil but it will slightly file down the internals to where they aren't so tightly fitted. It's used liberally on the inside of door locks that are tight in the same way. Works wonders
That's the 1st time I've Ever seen a Cone Screwed In. I've only ever seen the Spider Cover-Plate Screwed Down. That was on the Dobro, Alcivar, and Regal Brands-All of which I Made & Installed Maple/Ebony Bridges In. They were Played Hawaiian Style with Steels, for Bluegrass. One Horror Story I'd like to Relate with the Alcivar-Which the Customer had purchased as New from a Music Store...When I took the Plate Off, seen that the Circle-Cutter had Cut WAY out of Round where the Cone was to Sit, and they Filled it In in that area, with what could only be Described as SILICONE-What the Heck?!
amit newton thank you for watching. It's really difficult to make it invisible. You can fill it and color it so that it doesn't stand out. That's about the best you can do.
Looks exactly the same as my cheap Harley Benton made in China.Today I opened it up for the same reason,buzz on the high E-string.And the screws also didn't fit right.What I did was flatten the spider on sanding paper at a flat surface,still not 100% perfect but it helped.
Nice work as always! I had one of these guitars and didn't care for it. I sold it fairly quickly I was very surprised to see the cone screwed in place. Everything I've ever heard or read says the cone should just float on the wooden ring and not be attached in any way. I'm having a similar issue with my pre-Washburn Oscar Schmidt resonator. The cone doesn't quite fit the opening. Either the cone is slightly too large or the opening is slightly too small but the cone won't set down on the ring like it should. I'm sure it's binding up enough to kill the vibration and I'm not getting the reso sound like I should. I'm going to buy a new cone and if it doesn't fit any better, I'll adjust it until it does.
you just showed me that there is no reason to be intimidated by a Dobro, im glad i watched this video, when i finally buy one i will pull it apart and not worry about getting it back together. On a lighter side, i laughed when you posted that you forgot the the strap button and to fill that hole. Sorry, i just thought it was funny, i hope your customer had a sense of humor too
I do sewing machine repairs and have found 3 in one oil has a resin component which tends to freeze parts when the oil dissipates. I never use it any more except for nuts and bold connections. Diamond sewing machine oil is a much better light oil and I use it on my guitar tuner components.
A little pb blaster or goo gone will clean out any polymerized grease/oil out & then a drop or two of any light oil will do wonders. Also running a drill on the tuner to wear it in. Good chance that tuner took a whack dead onto the key & took the backlash out of the worm gear. Most pinion gears are brass & will wear in ok - it will take some life out of the tuner, but it'll be loosey goosey after that.
Great video. What model is this shown in the video? I picked up an identical one but have no idea what model it is. Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
I have the same guutar but I only seem to have buzzing on the g, b, and high e strings. Do you thunk it could be the split bridge saddle? Its definitely not fret buzz.
I have this same guitar. Sounds really "dead." I've got it apart and have a couple of observations/questions. (I know it's an old video- don't know if you'll spot this!) The resonator is not screwed down to the top like the one in your video is. It's just sitting in the cavity. Don't know if that's standard and your example had those screws added after the fact, or maybe I should add them?? The cover is also skewed slightly on the hole like yours is. A couple of the screw holes are right up against the edge of the hole while the ones on the opposite side are pretty far. I think the hole is cut off-center like you observed. A little sloppily cut too! Fender QC might not have been having a good year! Lastly, the saddles in mine are wood! And pretty soft wood too. I'm guessing this is part of the deadness I'm hearing, but I'm no expert. Any thoughts? I appreciate your channel so much!
My Regal had a buzz on all strings,Turns out the spider had daylight between the cone and finger of spider there is an adjustment screw in middle of bridge use a feeler gauge adjust till fingers touch cone. use a small screewriver I broke bridge nut on the 4/6th string.. but going to remove hardwood nut&replace w bone nut should help sound a LOT!😊
I am trying a brass saddle and nut in one of my resonators and think I like the sound better than bone on that particular guitar. Something to think about as the brightness is not out of character for a resonator.
That's why I have second thoughts about buying a Resophonic guitar I had one before and the action was high then I exchange it for a Martin 12 strings guitar and end up selling that one as well, they make them in China now that's very affordable with the vintage look. I'd prefer Tricone Resophonic with the slotted headstock , but it seems to be a lot going on into making them sound good etc. plus the action is made for slide playing and I'm more a finger picker and strummer. But I'd like to get a vintage one with low action that's affordable , who knows maybe I'll get one in the future again.
I just got a brand new Republic Tricone and the action was perfect for fingerstyle playing, i had to adjust the truss for more relief because i play bottleneck. It's a very nice instrument and fairly affordable too.
I found the main buzz is from behind the bridge..The strings are on a shallow angle....I sized a pencil and pressed fit it behind the bridge..Worked for my F51 bass as well...you cannot see the pencil.
Do you think it would be a good idea to find a way to hook that tuning key to a drill to make it spin pretty fast and poor oil is as it spins? Im not having this problem myself but i was just thinking this wstching you work
Richard Mead I suppose you could do that. The problem would be if it needs adjustment later Loctite is not very forgiving. Especially on something that soft. Thank you very much for watching.
That`s exacly my Fender, just mine is black. Plz, do your saddles (The saddle is split in 2 parts) also move around easy when you move the strings? My 2 Saddle pieces both move, always did. Is that something I should fix? Just glue it in with super glue or what? Or don`t touch it, that`s fine? Could you plz send me some wisdom?
There's a number of the songs on my website there's two pages of them. Go to the for sale page and then songs for sale. Obviously they're not all on there but that's some of the better ones. Keep in mind there are two pages. Thank you very much. The website is www.rosastringworks.com
The Plate Screws should be Spaced Evenly all around On the Outer Perimeter. I always put the Screws in Across from each other, just slightly Snugged, and keep Going the Same Till they're Fully Snugged. And I like Sewing-Machine Oil, it's a Little Gentler on Gears.
Hmmmm...I own two old Dobros and had a Rogue (very inexpensive from China) resophonic. None had screws in the cone, they were all simply sitting on the routed area in the top. When I had the old stamped Dobro cones replaced with Quarterman and Beard cones, they were just set in as well. Just a point of interest
With a single cone spider, 95% of the time you hear a "rattle" during low frequencies (bass strings) - you can easily resolve this without even loosening the strings. Ever wondered why your bridge is in 2 separate pieces with a space in the middle? There's an adjustment screw under the bridge, right down the middle of them. See the hole going through the metal bridge rest? Take a screwdriver that's slim enough to fit through that hole and long enough to reach down into the bridge. Tighten (turn right) - do a full turn. Test with a bass-heavy E minor chord. Still, rattles? Keep turning until it stops. 95% of the time, this will fix it and it's the reason the hole is there in the first place. FYI - that fender is a POS. That plastic bridge is all wrong - resonators need a super thin felt or super soft wood for the bridge. Plastic is just wrong and bone doesn't transfer efficiently. I don't know why Fender produces such cheap instruments when they have a brand to protect. If you want a bargain but don't want to waste money on a lemon like Fender, Gretsch makes marvelous resonators. The best under $1,000 hands down. That Fender is a Toy, only intended to be furniture - not played more than a dozen times.
I'm gonna be making one of these out of an old Fender that never sounded good even 23 years later... Then the neck just fell off so it's time to go Dobro.
Oha, the part currently costs $ 350 in the US and that at the fault. You can tell that the production in China is going on. Too bad, that makes the name of the company broken. The guitar certainly has a CE mark (China export). Sorry, if the translation is not quite as understandable. My English is only available through the Google translator. Actually, I'm a Fener fan and I love this brand
+Todd Relyea maybe but it's all aluminum and if you get it too tight it will be a bummer to get apart without messing something up. Thanks for watching.
@@RosaStringWorks I have a problem with the intonation on my Gretsch resonator. It's about 3 hz out on the low E on the 12 fret and .6 on the high e. Any tips? Love your video btw.
You absolutely can, there's lots of room in there. The only problem is battery access, if you have a budget instrument like this Fender then you can just cut in a battery compartment. I have one in my Regal and that is exactly what was done. I would never do that to a vintage or custom guitar though.
Acetone should always be used with rubber gloves it is a caner causing agent and even if you dont get that it will harm your skin and sometimes it never recovers, it becomes hard and scaley. I had a friend that used it for hours on a rubber boat his hands to this day are a mess...
Fenders are OK resos, but are budget instruments. I've played resos for maybe 15 years (lap style), incuuding Dobro brand. They ALL buzz from time to time. As expected, you nailed every issue with this one. Spider way too loose. You shouldn't be able to shift it against the cone. THis is why better resos NEVER come with the cone screwed in (I never even saw that before and it distorts the cone by ensuring the cone doesn't sit 100% flat on the ledge). This is so you can adjust the bridge to the correct angle, since you are moving the cone and spider as one piece. One thing about this reso which is a recipe for long term disaster is the way the soundwell is constructed. Typically, the gooduns either have a full depth soundwell or a shallow shelf to accept the cone with between 4 and 6 dowels connecting the shelf witht he back braces. These tactics have the additional benefit of helping the sound carry. Only seroiusly high end (I mean at least 5k) have no such support and achieve the integrity of the top by fixing the shelf to the rest of the top by a complex support system. Finally, all quality resos have either maple or maple with ebony cap bridges - the plastic one on this instrument far too loose. Deeer antler sounds intersting . You did this guy a huge favour by transforming the guitar. And no, the cover plate should not rock! EIther it is a very cheap plate of the top isn't flat. Shifting the centrality of the coverplate is the number 1 rubbish fix for a non sentral soundwell. Instructive as always, Jerry.
When John Dopyera invented them in 1928 . they all had a full sound well . In the late 1930's the Open design was introduced as a cost cutting measure on the budget priced models 15, 17 , and 19 . ( Budget compared to other Resonators , still expensive compared to most conventional accoustic guitars . Today , both are made . The tone is subtly different , and preference is subjective . High end and custom Resos are offered with proprietary Sound Baffle designs , to tweak frequency response and tone .
How is the quality of that guitar, Jerry? I worked on a few fender acoustics and let's just say they were a little better than entry level instruments.
I have had success repairing closed tuners in the past by placing them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. The water penetrates in the gears and helps to get all of the residue that was stuck in them. It is very important though that you do not try to turn the knob until after you have rinsed the tuner in cold water. Doing this will allow the plastic washer to reharden and prevent warping.
Thank you for taking the time to post this. It helped me fix the rattle in my Grestch Bobtail
This video is the definitive video on Reso. set ups thank you
It's a pleasure to hear you play after you repair the guitars.
Steven Miller thank you very kindly.
Gerry your videos are an absolute treat. Nothing better than watching a master at his work. As a novice working in guitar repair your videos are invaluable. cheers. Hugh
Hugh Caldwell thank you very kindly.
You are so entertaining in addition you're a master craftsman slash luthier, I sure missed your videos while hospitalized over the past month...boy howdy you're a beacon of hope a ray of sunshine
Missed your calling. Jerry, you were born to sing the blues. Excellent! Btw, great job on the resaphonic too
Loved this a lot Jerry, I was really missing one of your repair videos. You have such a great way of doing things and a perfect mix of talk and repair.
Buddy Martin thank you very much.
I have a Regal Resophonic and after seeing your repair I'm going to change the bridge, great video and well done.
steven Smith thank you.
I had the exact same problem with my first resonator. Ended up putting adhesive foil on the spider leg ‘feet’ to fix it. I was 16 though. I’m 43 now so may well have another go! Thx again Gman
Excellent clip, thanks for sharing it. I am a reso' player myself, but know nothing about them at all in their construction. I nearly bought one of these Fender things, but chose another make eventually. You have given me much encouragement to try things myself with your clips, so thanks a million, be well and prosper... !!
keyote3 you are welcome my friend. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for a great inside look at this guitar. I own the FR50CE. The concept of this guitar is really simple I guess? Always good to see real craftsmanship.
Depending on my "Angle of Work" (flat or vertical), I will tighten one fastener, to hold the piece I'm working with in place, to allow for installing the rest of the fasteners. Great video, I always learn something from watching your videos!
Kickinpony.66 thank you very much.
Sounds nice and clear beautiful sounding guitar good fix. You sing great thanks for the song.
Well done Jerry ! Another common problem with Resonators (I own 3) is the tailpiece which is rattling on the coverplate a little pad can make the trick
Another awesome video Sir. I can still remember the guitar I learned to play on was one just like this.
This video showed up at just the right time. I bought a Gretsch Alligator on Ebay with a "warped neck" and some buzzing on the lower frets. Looks like new and at half the price. I don't think they know it has a truss rod. After watching your videos I'm confident I can fix it properly. Thanks!
creativebobbo hey almost bought that one myself!! How do you like it? Easy fix?
@@ArielElijah So far, yes. Got the guitar with the low E string on top of the saddle above the slot. Took care of the string buzz. Still a slight vibration sound from the resonator portion but have not had time to take it apart. Somebody goofed pretty bad on this one.
What can I say? very nice vid Gerry, it's wised me up considerably, thank you!
Thank you very much.
I use to have a guitar like that. It was an Airline. I only ever seen one Airline like that. Jerry Jeff Walker had a red Airline just like it. I regret selling it. Like so many other guitars I bought and sold. Great video Jerry. Thanks for sharing.
Thomas Tommy you are welcome. Thanks for watching.
Great video. I just got me a cheap Chinese reso’ guitar. Going to give it a service along your lines. Very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing.
I have one of these. I enjoy playing it, but am aware it's a budget instrument. As I learned more about them, I learned that a guitar like this is basically a speaker cabinet for the cone. The cones in these are stamped like a hubcap. Higher end ones are spun on a mandrel, ideally by a luthier who knows what the is doing. I ended up ordering a new spider and cone from Beard Guitars, plus ebony-capped maple bridges. The price for one of Beard's cones is extremely reasonable, and now the guitar sounds great-it rings like a bell.
All my years with guitars, I've never seen a 'resonater' (as we Southerners call them) dissected.
Very interesting - thanks!
The first and I think only resophonic guitar I ever took apart was like "what the heck?" Took awhile to figure it out but I fixed it in the end. The National and Dobro ones I've seen have baffling going front to back not open inside like that Fender. Thanks Jerry, good stuff.
Dane Nichols thanks for watching.
Rosa String Works Thanks for taking the time to make these amazing videos!
You can take a 3/4 inch strip of felt from a hobby shop. Make a pattern from the inside of the cone,and glue it around the hole. Just a couple dabs of glue at 3 or 4 points, and reinstall your cone. The felt fils in al the gaps and weird spots around the cone. It stops all the ratttling because your cone is floating on the felt. You are making a felt gasket for the cone. I hope I made sense,but it really works.Keep up the grea work!
Steve Suveg sounds good. Thanks for the tip.
I have really nice Gold Tone that the resonator rattled so badly it was unplayable. I didn't know what to do with it so I asked my reso playing friend. He told me to just move the spider about a quarter inch. It fixed everything. Been playing it for years and it is still good.
Another brilliant demonstration mate. Your approach is so "real" and honest, if that makes sense. :)
Nice repair and playing,sounds way better.Cheers
blkjckgtrnut thanks
You mentioned Elderly Iron!! Love that channel!
Kevin Vance I restored a guitar for him. He's helped me out on a couple of issues since. Thanks for taking a look.
Great video Jerry!
Friggin amazing how it happens so frequently! I have a Dobro in working on it today swapping the old cone out for a new Beard cone and setting it up. The owner doesn't want me to video it fears his local luthier might see the video and get mad lol Good video Jerry!
Randy Schartiger thanks for taking a look Randy. It is amazing the coincidence.
You were born to sing Jerry . Deep elm blues is sweet.
lol I was wondering when you were going to cut the saddles lol. Great work as usual Jerry. I play resonators and have one of these in my collection but the electric version.
Love the video an info Gerry , also love the song at the end sounds just like a old jimmy Rodgers tune , all it needed was a bit of yodelling in it
+PETER WRIGHT thank you very much.
Very nice job as usual.
The Shade Tree Fix-it Man thank you.
Jerry, you must be doing something right, the other guys I watch, watch you to! Dave's world of fun stuff, worked on a couple of these and had a lot more problems with those, especially in the hole where the cone sits in. Steel on bone! Sounds like a song! Great to see another fine video and "Some mighty fine a pickin' and a sangin'". Thankz
Audio Tech Labs thanks buddy.
Just like mine, though the biscuit on mine is maple. I got a removable string elevator so I can play with a bar or regular guitar.
Nice sounding guitar!
Jeff Grier thanks.
I use a tight lock product when i am putting screws back in- when playing over time, it will often vibrate the screw loose again and tight lock stops it from being lose again - you can use teflon tape also -
I have the 150 model. This one youre working on is exactly the same down to the screws being too close to the center or far off. I have to tune mine a full step down so i don't break my high E string.
Great job
John Fogerty has a Resophonic he displays on CCR's Green River album cover similar to this one. Can't tell if it's a Fender, but sure looks like one. What a unique sounding instrument. Thumbs up!
nice video - PLUS I really liked your song 'deep ellum blues', too.
nuvoclassic thank you very kindly.
Nice job! I bet the bone saddle really helped it. In my experience I like to match the material of the nut to the saddle as closely as possible to get that crisp response and loud sound. I've never seen a cone have screws in it either? I was under the assumption the cone should free float in the body? Interesting.
Southeastern Ohio Homestead thanks for watching.
Another good video, thank you.
Dennis thank you.
Very nice work by the way
JIm
phooesnax thank you.
Boy that high E string buzzing got the dogs barking LOL
Thumbs up on the fix of the Fender Resophonic guitar sound pretty sweet dogs didn't bark :)
scott ford thanks.
Great work Jerry. You seem to know a lot about resos for someone who's 'not an expert'!
Tim Smoot thank you my friend.
Nice job ,nice song.
Stephen Quail thank you very much.
My fav part of this how-to was the singin’ :)
I had flat break angle issues with this kind of guitar and I don't really like threading the string through in the opposite direction from what they are meant to go. (Can anyone else relate?)
🎶Wipin' down the cone with some acetone🎵
i have an FR-50 as well. I had the same problems with mine, the cover isn't centered properly, the tuner key for the G string is tighter compared to the rest. the rubber gasket eventually came off making it very difficult to turn the key.....and the drill holes for the cone and cover screws are all over the place....half of them are drilled on the edge, the others are a couple mm's away from the edge. The first thing i replaced on mine was the bridge and nut, as the cheap plastic broke over time. They were definitely cheaply made, not a lot of attention to detail. But a decent sounding guitar none the less.
You could try a little graphite powder in the tuning key. It lubes like oil but it will slightly file down the internals to where they aren't so tightly fitted. It's used liberally on the inside of door locks that are tight in the same way. Works wonders
+Brandon Vincent thank you. I need to get some more graphite. I have been out for quite a while. Thanks for watching.
That's the 1st time I've Ever seen a Cone Screwed In.
I've only ever seen the Spider Cover-Plate Screwed Down.
That was on the Dobro, Alcivar, and Regal Brands-All of which I Made & Installed Maple/Ebony Bridges In.
They were Played Hawaiian Style with Steels, for Bluegrass.
One Horror Story I'd like to Relate with the Alcivar-Which the Customer had purchased as New from a Music Store...When I took the Plate Off, seen that the Circle-Cutter had Cut WAY out of Round where the Cone was to Sit, and they Filled it In in that area, with what could only be Described as SILICONE-What the Heck?!
chickengnawer thanks for watching. You never know what you will see when you open an instrument.
Yes, I was surprised to see screws hold the cone in...
Good one, Jerry. Though missed the strap button spot-fill part.
How do you make the hole invisible?
amit newton thank you for watching. It's really difficult to make it invisible. You can fill it and color it so that it doesn't stand out. That's about the best you can do.
Looks exactly the same as my cheap Harley Benton made in China.Today I opened it up for the same reason,buzz on the high E-string.And the screws also didn't fit right.What I did was flatten the spider on sanding paper at a flat surface,still not 100% perfect but it helped.
Nice work as always! I had one of these guitars and didn't care for it. I sold it fairly quickly I was very surprised to see the cone screwed in place. Everything I've ever heard or read says the cone should just float on the wooden ring and not be attached in any way. I'm having a similar issue with my pre-Washburn Oscar Schmidt resonator. The cone doesn't quite fit the opening. Either the cone is slightly too large or the opening is slightly too small but the cone won't set down on the ring like it should. I'm sure it's binding up enough to kill the vibration and I'm not getting the reso sound like I should. I'm going to buy a new cone and if it doesn't fit any better, I'll adjust it until it does.
Mono Rocks yes it is unusual for the cone to be screwed in. Good luck with your project. Thanks for watching.
On my two old Dobros (1930s), the hole had to be routed slightly to fit the new Quarterman cone on one and the Beard cone on the other.
you just showed me that there is no reason to be intimidated by a Dobro, im glad i watched this video, when i finally buy one i will pull it apart and not worry about getting it back together. On a lighter side, i laughed when you posted that you forgot the the strap button and to fill that hole. Sorry, i just thought it was funny, i hope your customer had a sense of humor too
I do sewing machine repairs and have found 3 in one oil has a resin component which tends to freeze parts when the oil dissipates. I never use it any more except for nuts and bold connections. Diamond sewing machine oil is a much better light oil and I use it on my guitar tuner components.
I've never had any problem with three in one. However if the other stuff is better I'll try to find some. Thank you.
My dad use to use non gumming oil on his clocks. A search found non-gumming oil for firearms like Hoppe's. So it shouldn't be too hard to find.
A little pb blaster or goo gone will clean out any polymerized grease/oil out & then a drop or two of any light oil will do wonders. Also running a drill on the tuner to wear it in. Good chance that tuner took a whack dead onto the key & took the backlash out of the worm gear. Most pinion gears are brass & will wear in ok - it will take some life out of the tuner, but it'll be loosey goosey after that.
All the other resonators Ive seen have small posts in them 'tween top and bottom.
Tailpieces can rattle, as well. That was the last thing I checked on mine before I figured it created the noise
Great video. What model is this shown in the video? I picked up an identical one but have no idea what model it is.
Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
I have the same guutar but I only seem to have buzzing on the g, b, and high e strings. Do you thunk it could be the split bridge saddle? Its definitely not fret buzz.
would you ever consider a touch of loc tite on the spider to prevent that screw from loosening again?
I don't think we can use Loctite on it because it needs to be adjustable as conditions change. Thank you very much for watching.
What did you use on the fretboard to brighten and make look new?
I have this same guitar. Sounds really "dead." I've got it apart and have a couple of observations/questions. (I know it's an old video- don't know if you'll spot this!) The resonator is not screwed down to the top like the one in your video is. It's just sitting in the cavity. Don't know if that's standard and your example had those screws added after the fact, or maybe I should add them?? The cover is also skewed slightly on the hole like yours is. A couple of the screw holes are right up against the edge of the hole while the ones on the opposite side are pretty far. I think the hole is cut off-center like you observed. A little sloppily cut too! Fender QC might not have been having a good year! Lastly, the saddles in mine are wood! And pretty soft wood too. I'm guessing this is part of the deadness I'm hearing, but I'm no expert. Any thoughts? I appreciate your channel so much!
Normally they are not screwed down. I put the screws back in this one because that's the way it came to me.
Question . Why not blue Loctite that center screw. If it doesn`t tighten up it might back out again ?
My Regal had a buzz on all strings,Turns out the spider had daylight between the cone and finger of spider there is an adjustment screw in middle of bridge use a feeler gauge adjust till fingers touch cone. use a small screewriver I broke bridge nut on the 4/6th string.. but going to remove hardwood nut&replace w bone nut should help sound a LOT!😊
I am trying a brass saddle and nut in one of my resonators and think I like the sound better than bone on that particular guitar. Something to think about as the brightness is not out of character for a resonator.
I'm sure that could work just fine. Thanks for taking a look.
That's why I have second thoughts about buying a Resophonic guitar I had one before and the action was high then I exchange it for a Martin 12 strings guitar and end up selling that one as well, they make them in China now that's very affordable with the vintage look. I'd prefer Tricone Resophonic with the slotted headstock , but it seems to be a lot going on into making them sound good etc. plus the action is made for slide playing and I'm more a finger picker and strummer. But I'd like to get a vintage one with low action that's affordable , who knows maybe I'll get one in the future again.
I just got a brand new Republic Tricone and the action was perfect for fingerstyle playing, i had to adjust the truss for more relief because i play bottleneck. It's a very nice instrument and fairly affordable too.
Nice Deep Elem Blues - the other Jerry would have approved!!!
My guitar buzz as f.... :). Time to do home repairs thx for this vid.
I learned a thing or two (or 3) today. Thanks for that Jerry (Gerry?)
Thank you for watching. Jerry
I found the main buzz is from behind the bridge..The strings are on a shallow angle....I sized a pencil and pressed fit it behind the bridge..Worked for my F51 bass as well...you cannot see the pencil.
What about a plate upgrade? Would a National FIT in these?
Should the cone be screwed down? Doesn't it keep the guitar from resonating?
Do you think it would be a good idea to find a way to hook that tuning key to a drill to make it spin pretty fast and poor oil is as it spins? Im not having this problem myself but i was just thinking this wstching you work
Maybe so. But it's been gone for more than a year. Thanks for watching.
Does that screw need some lock-tite on it to keep music vibration from backing it out, in the future ?
Richard Mead I suppose you could do that. The problem would be if it needs adjustment later Loctite is not very forgiving. Especially on something that soft. Thank you very much for watching.
I was advised to tighten the screw until it starts to feel tight and leave it there. Never had one get loose.
I have the exact same guitar and my saddle is 1 piece but will probably go to a bone saddle
Debate: Cone a little loose in hole, tight or screwed like this one?
I do loose so it has room to expand as it is tensioned.
Hey Buddy
Awwwww another guitar repair!!! Was hoping for livestock :-0) Only kidding
Jim
phooesnax you're too funny thanks.
:-0) .
what gauge strings did you put on it?
That`s exacly my Fender, just mine is black. Plz, do your saddles (The saddle is split in 2 parts) also move around easy when you move the strings? My 2 Saddle pieces both move, always did. Is that something I should fix? Just glue it in with super glue or what? Or don`t touch it, that`s fine? Could you plz send me some wisdom?
Hello Mr. Jerry, do you have any of you music on cd to sell?
There's a number of the songs on my website there's two pages of them. Go to the for sale page and then songs for sale. Obviously they're not all on there but that's some of the better ones. Keep in mind there are two pages. Thank you very much. The website is www.rosastringworks.com
The Plate Screws should be Spaced Evenly all around On the Outer Perimeter.
I always put the Screws in Across from each other, just slightly Snugged, and keep Going the Same Till they're Fully Snugged.
And I like Sewing-Machine Oil, it's a Little Gentler on Gears.
chickengnawer thanks for watching.
Hmmmm...I own two old Dobros and had a Rogue (very inexpensive from China) resophonic. None had screws in the cone, they were all simply sitting on the routed area in the top. When I had the old stamped Dobro cones replaced with Quarterman and Beard cones, they were just set in as well.
Just a point of interest
They don't normally have screws in the cone you are correct.
With a single cone spider, 95% of the time you hear a "rattle" during low frequencies (bass strings) - you can easily resolve this without even loosening the strings.
Ever wondered why your bridge is in 2 separate pieces with a space in the middle? There's an adjustment screw under the bridge, right down the middle of them.
See the hole going through the metal bridge rest? Take a screwdriver that's slim enough to fit through that hole and long enough to reach down into the bridge.
Tighten (turn right) - do a full turn. Test with a bass-heavy E minor chord. Still, rattles? Keep turning until it stops. 95% of the time, this will fix it and it's the reason the hole is there in the first place.
FYI - that fender is a POS. That plastic bridge is all wrong - resonators need a super thin felt or super soft wood for the bridge. Plastic is just wrong and bone doesn't transfer efficiently. I don't know why Fender produces such cheap instruments when they have a brand to protect. If you want a bargain but don't want to waste money on a lemon like Fender, Gretsch makes marvelous resonators. The best under $1,000 hands down. That Fender is a Toy, only intended to be furniture - not played more than a dozen times.
Dave over at Dave's World of Fun Stuff has a really "offset" example of these Fenders...what a mess! Good thing your example wasn't that bad...
Harpin' J.Scott thanks.
I'm gonna be making one of these out of an old Fender that never sounded good even 23 years later... Then the neck just fell off so it's time to go Dobro.
Has anyone ever taken a resonator cone and built a bowed psaltery around it?
Oha, the part currently costs $ 350 in the US and that at the fault. You can tell that the production in China is going on. Too bad, that makes the name of the company broken. The guitar certainly has a CE mark (China export). Sorry, if the translation is not quite as understandable. My English is only available through the Google translator. Actually, I'm a Fener fan and I love this brand
A little loc-tite on the center screw of the cone might have been a good idea.
+Todd Relyea maybe but it's all aluminum and if you get it too tight it will be a bummer to get apart without messing something up. Thanks for watching.
No locktite....
is there any type of intonation to be made i dont know what saddles if any...
I'd like to help you but I don't understand your question.
@@RosaStringWorks I have a problem with the intonation on my Gretsch resonator. It's about 3 hz out on the low E on the 12 fret and .6 on the high e. Any tips? Love your video btw.
Like the song. Sounds like Jimmie Rodgers. Can ya yodel?
Can I install a preamp in resophonic guitar
I'm not the expert but I don't see why not. Maybe someone that really understands the electronics will answer that one.
You absolutely can, there's lots of room in there. The only problem is battery access, if you have a budget instrument like this Fender then you can just cut in a battery compartment. I have one in my Regal and that is exactly what was done. I would never do that to a vintage or custom guitar though.
Acetone should always be used with rubber gloves it is a caner causing agent and even if you dont get that it will harm your skin and sometimes it never recovers, it becomes hard and scaley. I had a friend that used it for hours on a rubber boat his hands to this day are a mess...
Fenders are OK resos, but are budget instruments. I've played resos for maybe 15 years (lap style), incuuding Dobro brand. They ALL buzz from time to time. As expected, you nailed every issue with this one. Spider way too loose. You shouldn't be able to shift it against the cone. THis is why better resos NEVER come with the cone screwed in (I never even saw that before and it distorts the cone by ensuring the cone doesn't sit 100% flat on the ledge). This is so you can adjust the bridge to the correct angle, since you are moving the cone and spider as one piece. One thing about this reso which is a recipe for long term disaster is the way the soundwell is constructed. Typically, the gooduns either have a full depth soundwell or a shallow shelf to accept the cone with between 4 and 6 dowels connecting the shelf witht he back braces. These tactics have the additional benefit of helping the sound carry. Only seroiusly high end (I mean at least 5k) have no such support and achieve the integrity of the top by fixing the shelf to the rest of the top by a complex support system. Finally, all quality resos have either maple or maple with ebony cap bridges - the plastic one on this instrument far too loose. Deeer antler sounds intersting . You did this guy a huge favour by transforming the guitar. And no, the cover plate should not rock! EIther it is a very cheap plate of the top isn't flat. Shifting the centrality of the coverplate is the number 1 rubbish fix for a non sentral soundwell. Instructive as always, Jerry.
When John Dopyera invented them in 1928 . they all had a full sound well . In the late 1930's the Open design was introduced as a cost cutting measure on the budget priced models 15, 17 , and 19 . ( Budget compared to other Resonators , still expensive compared to most conventional accoustic guitars .
Today , both are made . The tone is subtly different , and preference is subjective .
High end and custom Resos are offered with proprietary Sound Baffle designs , to tweak frequency response and tone .
I like to watch you with a brass national resonator , no wonder your back up with work till you 125 yrs old or was that 225 . LoL
How is the quality of that guitar, Jerry? I worked on a few fender acoustics and let's just say they were a little better than entry level instruments.
Boudreau Guitars it's pretty good. I'm thinking about building a reso myself.
That would be great to see happen
Sorry for the first comment! you said linseed oil thanks!