|
|
#16
03-05-2023, 07:20 AM
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
My tech also recommended shims as a first step, so I will definitely try that. Thanks for the input guys and sorry to the OP - didn’t mean to hijack the thread, but I hope this has been helpful to them as well. 
|
|
#17
03-05-2023, 10:37 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I've had lots of fun with my 20th century Epiphone Biscuit resonator. I'm usually in open G on it, but I'll play open D sometimes too. Right now I have Martin Retro LJ's Choice strings on it. I believe these are gauged for DADGAD, but work well for those two tunings. Keep meaning to go to a heavier 1 string as always play this using a slide.
I've broken a couple of glass* slides over the years, but on resonator or regular acoustic guitar I tend to use ceramic or metal slides. I keep them in one of those little plastic drawer sets you can get inexpensively at stores, though frankly a couple tend to stay out on the desktop around where I record. If I've traveling somewhere to play, I'll put the metal ones in the accessory pocket of the case or bag. I think I've seen little hangers over the years that ware sold as guitar accessories to hold slides and clamp onto the guitar or a mic stand. I never bothered with those. If you have a set playing area and a bunch of slides, one could use a small piece of pegboard with the vertical prong hooks installed on it. Particularly some of the ceramic slides are pretty, so displaying them like that might be cool for some players. Have fun with yours and best healing to you! *I do like light weight glass slides on electric guitar, and those are the ones I've broken.
__________________
----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses....
|
|
#18
03-20-2023, 07:07 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
I popped a hard plastic shim of 0.022” (0.56mm for our metric friends) under the nut and fitted a set of resophonic medium D’Addario EJ42s (medium with a 16 on the #1 string). BIG difference in playability with slide and I can still fret individual notes. This is in open G tuning. Going to be lots of fun!
|
|
#19
03-21-2023, 06:24 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Is it like THIS one?
I picked this one up used the other day, am having a blast with it. I've always played a "little" slide, and own a square neck, but this thing is a HOOT. I drilled it yesterday for a strap lock because it's too much bending over with it on my leg, but now it hangs perfectly with a strap. Open D is my favorite, I'm a bit scared to run it in regular 440 E tuning with 13's, I heard about a cone collapse once. But I'd like to play some standard tuning stuff. These things are cool as heck. 
|
|
#20
03-21-2023, 08:08 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Mines like this…..
I also put some strap locks on it as it is HEAVY. It’s a blast. IMG_1679450867.752140.jpg
|
|
#21
03-22-2023, 01:03 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
While a shim under the nut of your new resonator can make it slightly taller for cleaner/better sounding slide work (especially right when you're getting started), you can also just buy a taller nut if you don't want to monkey around with cutting shims.
I buy a lot of parts at Trade Up Music in Portland, OR. There are two, and the one on Division St. is my favorite with a parts counter and bins of new/used pieces that I've pawed through again and again. They've sold me odd pieces for dozens of guitars to make them play/sound/look better. When I do surgery, I keep whatever comes off a guitar. I can always restore it to stock if things don't go as planned, or it might fit on something else later. BTW, nuts can be plastic, nylon, Tusq, metal, graphite and bone. Some of the used electric planks I acquired in trades had worn/damaged nuts or had been modified to lower the action (too far) making them unplayable (...then abandoned, making them cheap for me). $5 nut replacements fixed 3-4 of them that I recall. Point is, nuts are super inexpensive, easy to swap out, sand down, raise with shims and even rebuild. They can really change the character of a guitar. If you experiment around a bit and end up with the desired string height on your resonator (or any guitar), you'll be very satisfied and more deeply connected with the instrument. And maybe it'll inspire confidence to try other simple (non-permanent) mods down the road like (for instance) swapping/shaving bridge saddles to enhance action at the other end. Modding a guitar/resonator isn't for everyone, but it can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Last edited by tinnitus; 04-02-2023 at 08:17 AM.
|
|
#22
03-22-2023, 07:22 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
That's just NUTS!
|
|
#25
04-06-2023, 06:25 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Tenzin (OP) if you're hesitant to do mods on your new resonator to raise the height of the nut, maybe take some measurements and look into how something like this might fit. With any luck, all you'll need to do is slack your strings long enough to slip this into place, tune it back up, grab your slide and start rocking.
If this $12.02 add-on part doesn't readily fit over your nut, maybe modify the part itself (with a $7 dremel tool clone from Harbor Freight)? Just thinking out loud here. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...gaAuDlEALw_wcB Edit added 4-7-23: ...and another that might fit even more instruments https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...IaAgWoEALw_wcB Last edited by tinnitus; 04-08-2023 at 12:53 AM.
|
|
#26
04-08-2023, 06:06 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Gotta love Harbor Freight...
|
|
#27
04-08-2023, 01:02 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
The advantage to the stacked credit card shims is that a person can easily experiment with different nut heights, before having a more permanent nut installed.
__________________
"Here is a song about the feelings of an expensive, finely crafted, hand made instrument spending its life in the hands of a musical hack"
|
|
#28
04-08-2023, 09:28 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Again, I prefer to use harder metal beer/soda can shims (trim-able with scissors) over soft plastic or even softer cardboard. Metal transfers more vibrations from the nut into the instrument - the whole idea behind vibrating strings to make/transfer sound, I believe.
Ideally, once the perfect height is known, a whole new nut made of Tusq (bought tall and sanded down to optimum height) might be a logical and permanent way to make a guitar/resonator feel like it has "finally come home." https://graphtech.com/collections/tusq-nuts-guitar
|
|
#29
04-10-2023, 06:35 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Still digging this thing.
|
|
#30
04-11-2023, 01:58 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Been there, done that. Oh how I remember walking to the sidewalk, turning around and coming back in. Then, down two houses, them the corner, then the far corner, then saying to hell with it, I'm going around the block. But I did not want to play guitar for six weeks. Played only mandolin.
If you are a put it back in the case kind of guy, put slides in the case compartment, if not, then a lose tea tin works well, anything really, old mug, wood bowl etc. I'd start with one tuning, open G or open D. to get the feel of it. Learn to palm block. As far as recovery, do a little more than you want to. Once I went round the block, I never did less.
__________________
2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa
|
