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Topic: Best instrument: temperature-insensitive but sounds like B6? |
Mike Bonnice
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 5:40 pm |
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I have a pre-war Rickenbacher bakelite B6 and I love the sound. But, I donʻt love how it is sensitive to temperature; the tuning changes as the temperate changes. That means that while performing outdoors in Phoenix itʻs a challenge to stay in tune.
Whatʻs your advice for an instrument that has the B6 sound but stays in tune?
Mike |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 7:33 pm
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Probably the Clinesmith would be closest in my mind. What's your budget?
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 7:42 pm
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Get a clip-on chromatic tuner, stick it on your Rick and tune silently between songs or even during songs. No one hears you tune, not even you. It works on vibrations, not sound. I do a lot of guitar gigs and I have one of these clipped to the headstock of my Telecaster for the entire gig. Turn it on, check your tuning, shut it off. You can tune your guitar in a few seconds and no one hears anything.
It even works when attached to the cord.
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My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
Last edited by Doug Beaumier on 14 Mar 2010 7:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 7:45 pm Of course, you knew.......................?
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That is WHY Jerry Byrd retired his Bakelite B-6.
He went to the Magnesium(sp?)Trot-Mor as it was less temperature sensitive.
All metal neck steel's are likely to suffer the same as the Bakelite.........especially in Phoenix! My Bigsby suffered similar handicaps under the studio lights of television.......in Portland. |
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Mike Bonnice
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 9:47 pm
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Assume my budget is infinite. I really want to know what is the solution- tasty Rick sound with stable material. Why not a wooden lap steel with a horseshoe pickup?
Frequent re-tuning is what I do now. Itʻs a burden I would pay to eliminate. I want to tune it and forget it, like I do with every other guitar and ukulele I own. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 14 Mar 2010 11:12 pm
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I have been using a Clinesmith D10 console and single neck lap steel. The metal neck console is a little work to keep in tune but well worth it because of the sound in my experience. Wood necks are an option. The lap steel does not have the tuning problems. I used to play Rickenbacher bakelite steels and I can say nothing sounds like those old Rickys. I prefer the sound of the Clinesmith though. His steels are worth checking out.
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Bob |
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Mike Bonnice
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2010 7:56 am
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What are your thoughts on the post-War Model 100 (not sheet metal) regarding sound and stability:
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 15 Mar 2010 8:07 am
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Very stable in terms of string slippage. Not as nice sounding as the Bakelite models. The bowling ball material that they used for the earlier guitars were a major factor in the massive sustain and good tone.
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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