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  #1  
Old 10-21-2020, 03:47 PM
Shortfinger Shortfinger is offline
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Default Republic's parlor-sized resonator

Love parlors, love to play blues and slide, don't have a reso.

The model with the f-clef holes in the upper bout. Yummy! G.A.S.

I said GEE AYE ESS!!!! I've tested POSITIVE!

I've a tiny windfall from some private work, and it's burning a hole in my pocket. Should I get one of these $800 wonders?

Got one? Played one? Heard one live?
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  #2  
Old 10-21-2020, 05:25 PM
blue blue is offline
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Well. I haven't. And the reason is that a "real" national type is basically a shallow OO.

Wait, and save up another $700 and get a used National? Up to you. I get the appeal of a Cutaway Republic Parlor. Believe me, I do!
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  #3  
Old 10-22-2020, 09:19 PM
ziapack ziapack is offline
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Had the good fortune to play one a few years ago that belonged to a buddy I was traveling with. Had it at my side for 9 days, couldn't but it down, was mesmerized by it. Definitely a sweet little player.
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  #4  
Old 10-23-2020, 11:47 AM
gr81dorn gr81dorn is offline
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They are so awesome. I had one about 10 years ago and at the same time, frank made all wood parlor guitars and I have one of those, too. Sold the reso cuz I wasn't very good at playing it and was impatient in learning slide, but the quality is awesome, sound is great.

I still have the parlor guitar and play it nearly every day. Super cool vintagey size 2 type parlor with vibe and sounds and plays great.

Republics have great big vintage V shape necks which I love.
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  #5  
Old 10-24-2020, 04:55 PM
Neal Neal is offline
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I remember when they were 4-500..
It’s truly the size that is the appeal. Had a wood single cone years ago, loved the size, but too many quality shortcuts led me to return it. National does not have a size comparison.

I felt it WAS worth the money paid though. But I had 2Nationals...
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  #6  
Old 10-25-2020, 11:03 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Although I don't have a Republic Parlor, I recently bought a Republic Duolian and can vouch for its good tone and build quality. It came with an excellent gig bag, an optional factory-installed pickup, and it cost about $800 USD. Perhaps, my Republic experience will put the OP's mind at ease in considering a Republic?

My March 20230 review of the Republic Duolian:

My first playing test of the Republic Duolian in Tarnished Nickel Finish is pleasurable in that the guitar sounds really good both acoustically and plugged into my UltraSound AG30, and in that the guitar is set up quite well with darn good craftsmanship.

The amplified tone from the Republic Guitars-installed Schatten NR2 is noise-free and sounds surprisingly full and quite well-balanced string-to-string in its output and tone. I'm routing the Schatten's passive output through my new Sarno Steel Guitar Black Box Tube Preamp and that likely accounts for some of the warmth and roundness of amplified tone. The Vari-Z variable impedance knob of the SGBB acts to find the sweet spot impedance for the pickup and also acts as a kind of volume control as the more the knob is turned toward the higher impedance end of its travel the more there is a noticeable volume increase along with the increasing fullness of tone. I've found the most pleasing tone is at the 1 Megaohm end of the knob. I also have an LR Baggs Session DI that I'll try the Schatten through to hear what that can do for its amplified tone.

Photos of Republic Duolian including one of the Schatten NR-2 Biscuit Bridge Piezo Pickup



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Last edited by SpruceTop; 10-25-2020 at 12:36 PM.
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  #7  
Old 10-30-2020, 11:00 AM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal View Post
I remember when they were 4-500..
It’s truly the size that is the appeal. Had a wood single cone years ago, loved the size, but too many quality shortcuts led me to return it. National does not have a size comparison.

I felt it WAS worth the money paid though. But I had 2Nationals...
They have the Piccolo. No price comparison of course.

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Old 10-30-2020, 03:02 PM
Neal Neal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blue View Post
They have the Piccolo. No price comparison of course.

Tuned like a Uke?
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  #9  
Old 10-30-2020, 03:46 PM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal View Post
Tuned like a Uke?
2.5 steps up I reckon. Haven't seen one yet. Not a ton of info out there.
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Old 10-30-2020, 04:38 PM
Neal Neal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blue View Post
2.5 steps up I reckon. Haven't seen one yet. Not a ton of info out there.
Well, guy said someone in C, he’d play G, but yeah, a desert of info. That one is 3500 as well. Bit overpriced, in my opinion of course. Someone will surely think otherwise.
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  #11  
Old 10-30-2020, 05:06 PM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal View Post
Well, guy said someone in C, he’d play G, but yeah, a desert of info. That one is 3500 as well. Bit overpriced, in my opinion of course. Someone will surely think otherwise.
I'm sure lots of folks will think otherwise. There are "completionist" collectors out there. I don't blame them. Would if I could...

Compared to other major brands, I don't think Nationals are overpriced. But I could never buy new myself. I've "bought without trying" every one of my used Nationals. Lots of questions, and the heart of a daredevil! I've needed to do a little nut and saddle work here or there, but no other issues.

I have, between electrics and acoustics, 5 modern nationals. All bought used. All at considerably lower than normal prices. In NFL terms, the late round draft pick who becomes a hall of famer is a style N I found for $850 with a K&K passive biscuit pickup installed.

Of course NONE of them gleam like a mirror. They range from the year 2000 to 2005 and all were players in their former lives.
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  #12  
Old 11-03-2020, 02:20 PM
Moondog13 Moondog13 is offline
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Question Republic Tri-Cone advice?

Hi all,

I haven't seen the Parlor, but I bought a used Republic tri-cone. It had a second pickup (poorly) hot-rodded in, which I had my luthier remove. The use of both pickups (which required a Y-cord) reduced the overall volume and diminished the tone. Talk about less is more!
My question for you all is this. This guitar has a floating bridge, and I noticed right away that the intonation was horrible at the 12th fret (and therefore everywhere). My luthier measured it at 40 cents off true. So he moved the bridge, but he told me the mounting was so free that even a small jolt might move it again and put it out of proper set-up.
Of course, none of that matters if I'm playing it as a lap steel. But I do like fretting behind the slide, too.
How does this sound? Do all resonator/tri-cones have floating bridges? Or did I end up with lemon? Would you all suggest any different make or model? As if you couldn't tell, this is my first rodeo with a resonator.
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  #13  
Old 11-05-2020, 12:03 PM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moondog13 View Post
Hi all,

My question for you all is this. This guitar has a floating bridge, and I noticed right away that the intonation was horrible at the 12th fret (and therefore everywhere). My luthier measured it at 40 cents off true. So he moved the bridge, but he told me the mounting was so free that even a small jolt might move it again and put it out of proper set-up.
To call it a floating bridge isn't accurate in a well built single or tricone. The saddle and bridge sit firmly on the cones. In the case of the single cone, they are screwed and glued to the cone! In a tricone there are holes in the center of the cones, and the bridge has pin like things that fit in those holes.

But two things can be at play. First, the cone, particularly with a single cone, sits in the "well". A round area sized pretty much to the cone. A poorly constructed well can allow a cone to move, because while there is (normally) little room to move, the cone is held in place by string pressure onto the cone. So a bad well, or a shallow neck angle or low saddle (so it plays like buttah) can individually or in tandem let the cone slide around a bit because of bad construction and low string pressure. This is much less of an issue with tricones in my experience.

The other issue is the saddles are "straight". No compensation. 90 degrees to the strings. Intonation is less precise. But NOT 40 cents less precise! A real fastidious person will likely notice. But it's worked for the rest of us for about a 100 years.

So intonation that bad is likely a build issue. Misplaced or oversized well would be my guess. Likely contributed to by a shallow string break over the saddle from either neck attachment or low saddle.

Just a WAG.
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  #14  
Old 11-05-2020, 12:57 PM
Moondog13 Moondog13 is offline
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Default Republic Tri-Cone advice?

Thanks for the response and the expertise. As I said, I'm a stranger on these shores. I would love to find a great low-end resonator (probably tri-cone) that I can spend more happy hours with. While I save up for a National.

JB
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  #15  
Old 11-05-2020, 01:25 PM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moondog13 View Post
Thanks for the response and the expertise. As I said, I'm a stranger on these shores. I would love to find a great low-end resonator (probably tri-cone) that I can spend more happy hours with. While I save up for a National.

JB
It's easier to find an inexpensive, good playing one in a single cone format. I would recommend looking at wood body singles if you can't find a tricone. They tend to not be a middle ground between metal single cones and tricones, but often give you more sustain than a metal single cone. So it will still be punchy, strident, and quick to respond like a single, but let you play slower more legato stuff prettily. I started out with a National radiotone when a tricone was an impossible dream I had held since 1972.

I have no idea what it would take to get a Michael Messer in the USA, but in terms of quality control, I would trust them more than a lot of others.

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