| Author |
Topic: The Hot Rod Tricone |
Rick Contino
From:
Brattleboro, Vermont
|
Posted 29 Dec 2011 9:14 am |
|
Hi Folks,
I posted a question about string gauges a while ago and mentioned I was getting one of the Hot Rods sold by Vintage Nationals. Someone mentioned they wanted to know my thoughts on the guitar once I got it, so here goes...
I should mention first that I've been playing a Republic Tricone (roundneck with nut raiser) lent to my by a friend and fellow forumite for the past 4 or so months, so that it all I really have to compare the Hot Rod to.
Between the two guitars it seems that looks tell it all. The Republic appears to be steel covered with a matte clear coat of some kind--very raw and old looking. The Hot Rod is SHINY. It may be that the guitar needs to mellow a little, but the sound is very bright and punchy, whereas the Republic is a bit sweeter sounding with more sustain. I would have figured the squareneck with higher gauge strings to win out in the sustain department, but not so. It almost sounds like the Hot Rod has a narrower mid-rangy tone, which makes for a cool "old" sound.
Volume-wise I would say they are about even...very very loud. All in all, I have to concede that the Republic is my favorite of the two. Only reason I didn't get it is because they don't offer the tricone in a squareneck right now. The Republic comes with a good useable case as well. With the Hot Rod you're left to fend for yourself in that department.
One of the things that drew me to the Hot Rod on the website was the alleged attention they put into setting the guitar up. They say they level the cones and make a new bridge piece. Oddly, one of the first things I had to do when I got the guitar was take it apart and sand down the bridge so it would sit lower. Strings were nearly impossible to thread between the bridge and the cover, and enough hand pressure on the cover would make the strings buzz! When I took the guitar apart I noticed the cones did not sit level. They work fine and probably smoosh down with string pressure, but it appears that no work had been done there. My bandmate recently also got a different roundneck resonator and had other issues with the set-up.
They are handsome looking guitars though and sound and work fine for under a grand. Unless you want the squareneck or the shine I would go with Republic. I think they are even $100 cheaper and come with a good case.
_________________
Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400 |
|
|
 |
Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 29 Dec 2011 9:55 am
|
|
Thanks for the review Rick - i've been toying with the idea of a tricone, as i do a lot of festivals in the summer where electricity in the camp area is spoty.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
|
|
|
George Fischer
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 29 Dec 2011 11:46 pm
|
|
I have some concerns about Lenny's willingness or ability to stand behind the HotRod products. I had purchased a HotRod Ukulele with similar upgrades and setup work that is advertised for the Tricones. The uke had a significant fret buzz problem. I contacted Lenny and was very satisfied with his proposal for resolving it, however, he never followed through and never responded to my follow up emails. It provided an interesting contrast to my pre-sales contact with him.
I eventually took the uke into my local shop and they quoted me $100 to fix it but then they resolved the problem by redressing the frets at no charge. It all worked out in the end.
But the obvious quality control issue with the initial setup work combined with subsequently ignoring a customer won't encourage my repeat business. |
|
|
|
Jouni Karvonen
From:
Helsinki, Finland
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 2:29 am
|
|
| Has anybody info about how to set up a cheapo tricone? I´ve been lucky doing my own adjustments with my R.Q.Jones ´81 spider reso with help from an old Frets article, basically the same stuff that George McKenna has in his site. I am to replace the nut for a higher and wider spaced one, so i´ll be opening the Recording King next month. It looks pretty much the same as Hot Rod. |
|
|
|
Rick Contino
From:
Brattleboro, Vermont
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 5:23 am
|
|
Just my luck....I guess the Republic squareneck tricones are back now for those who are interested...
Jouni. I'm sure there is info out there...I seem to recall coming across a link about Bob Brozman's book on the topic. As I said in the above post I had to do a little fiddling around with the bridge on mine just to get the strings low enough under the bridge cover. Luckily I don't have to worry about fret action! That was a problem with my friend's Hot Rod w/ spider bridge.
_________________
Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400 |
|
|
|
Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 7:49 am
|
|
seems like there have been more than a few importers who have tried this method of getting essentially the Johnson tricone and doing custom set-up work to bring it up to spec - problem with ANY of these mass produced instruments is consistency, esp one with as many parts as a tricone. they might spend 30mins on it, they might spend 2 hrs on it. one thing for sure, the tuners on all these seem to be junk and you can pad in a $100 trip to your luthier for final adjustment. problem is most luthiers dont know what to do with a tricone.
of course, its hard to believe that you can buy a tricone for as little as $475 new....i would think most rational adult buyers would see that price point as "some final assembly and set up required" - you would think for the price of the Hot Rod they would have fixed (as they advertise) all these issues.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
|
|
|
Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 8:02 am
|
|
you know, i've wondered if the large wooden neck doesnt kill the sustain and tone of these - there HAD to be a reason the original tricones were tooled up to be hollownecks, it would have been MUCH easier and cheaper for the bodies to be standard and just put the appropriate neck on these. the wood neck import tricones i've played just sound dull, while players seem to enjoy the round neck versions, they get fairly favorable reviews.
just a W.A.G....
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
|
|
|
Rick Contino
From:
Brattleboro, Vermont
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 8:36 pm
|
|
Jerome,
I was wondering the same thing about the big fat neck on there. On one hand it seems like a sturdier neck would give the instrument more sustain, but on the other it could just as well act as a big damper. I'm no expert on how these things work, but I always figured it was the strings, bridge, cones, and sound chamber that make the sound and the neck is what holds it all together. Seems that the actual performance of these instruments would prove me wrong though.
_________________
Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400 |
|
|
|
Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
|
Posted 30 Dec 2011 10:49 pm
|
|
Nobody has worried about those big, fat necks killing the tone on Dobros all these years. 
The early tricones were built by guys trying to make louder Hawaiian guitars and the Weissenborns had been around for 10 years or more at that point, it was only natural to go in that same direction. In fact I think one of the brothers had worked for them.
Most of the airspace in the early sqarenecks was filled with wood BTW. I think it's safe to say the early design is probably superior to a separate neck (stiffer structure,slightly more airspace, etc) but I don't think there's going to be much of a tonal difference between round and square wood necks given equal cone and set-up quality. |
|
|
|
Rick Contino
From:
Brattleboro, Vermont
|
Posted 31 Dec 2011 9:32 am
|
|
 Well that makes me feel a little better. I'm sure there are many factors in the setup of these instruments that effect the tone and sustain. If anyone knows how I can get my Hot Rod to sound more like my friend's Republic (mostly more sustain) I'd love to know what I can do.
_________________
Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400 |
|
|
|
Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
|
Posted 31 Dec 2011 9:41 am
|
|
| National cones and a well-fit and slotted maple bridge and bone nut to begin with. Make sure the action isn't too high as too much break angle can 'choke out' the cones. The saddle should be 1/8-1/4" higher than the top of the T-Bridge max. |
|
|
|
Rick Contino
From:
Brattleboro, Vermont
|
Posted 31 Dec 2011 10:05 am
|
|
Ahh, Mike....I think that the break angle is the ticket. The saddle was set super high when I first got it and I just took it low enough to get the strings under the coverplate! I've still probably got a good 3/8 inch exposed though.
As for replacement cones, anyone have any experience with beard vs. national tricones?
_________________
Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400 |
|
|
|
Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
|
Posted 31 Dec 2011 11:37 am
|
|
| Haven't tried the new Beards but the new National 'Hot Rod' cones are great. |
|
|
|
