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Topic: Quarterman Cone -- Is it worth it? |
Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 1:16 pm |
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I have a Regal RD45.
I'd like to hear from people who have bought and installed the Quarterman cone kit (with nut and bridge)to find out if they thought it was worth spending $100 on.
Thanks.
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Bob Watson
From:
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 4:21 pm
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| I had a friend of mine, Randy Khors, work on my Regal when I lived in Nashville. He put a Quarterman cone in it and then made a new nut out of bone and he also put a new bridge in it. He also raised the action a bit. It sounds great. It is louder then it was before I had him do the work. He also put a barcus berry magnetic pick-up on it. I wanted a McIntyre but there wasn't one in town at the time. I have to use nickel strings but it works pretty good with a pre-amp. I think it was a combonation of everything he did that makes it sound better, but he was pretty insistant about putting in the Quarterman cone and he is a phenominal player so I took his advice. |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 4:42 pm
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Are the Quarterman cones that expensive now?
I bought 2 a few years ago and they were about $50.00 each.
They provide a nice rich tone with a fine full sound to the bass.
I got mine from Resophonic Outfitters, Paul
Beard is a great person to deal with.
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http://www.clictab.com/royt/tabmenu.htm
[This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 05 January 2003 at 04:42 PM.] [This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 05 January 2003 at 04:44 PM.] |
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Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 5:07 pm
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Roy,
Yes, the cone itself is $50. The $100 I mentioned referred to the kit sold by Folk of the Wood:
Full Kit Package: Quarterman Kit: Offered:
1. Quarterman Cone 50.00
2. Ebony Maple Dobro Bridge
3. Bone Nut
4. Case Spider
Shipping: 10.00
Total with Shipping: 107.56
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 6:30 pm
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| When I think of all the stuff I've bought that cost more than $100 that didn't sound good, I would say that the Quartermans are a bargain... |
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Steve Hinson
From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 8:10 pm
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| That Randy is quite the Dobro player!As good as I've ever heard,I believe-and a great singer,too... |
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Ron Randall
From:
Dallas, Texas, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 9:52 pm
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I have a mid 70's Dobro brand. What cone came with it? Is it worth changing?
Ron
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Fender Stringmaster T-8
Fender Custom D-8
8 string Benoit
Peavey Amps
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Dwight Mark
From:
Denver, Colorado, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2003 10:03 pm
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I'm a believer in the Quartemans. My friend has a squareneck regal and his said it was a very notice improvement when he replaced it. I have some cheap korean made dobro roundneck and Scheerhorn replaced the cone with a quarteman. I also suggest it on biscuit resonators. I've tried a new quarterman and national cone in a vintage national biscuit guitar, and prefered the quarterman.
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Randy Pettit
From:
North Texas USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 7:36 am
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| Unless you want to buy a new dobro that already has one, it's absolutely worth it. But go ahead and do all three upgrades at the same time (Q-cone, bone nut, maple-capped bridge). And have the installer level out the spider bridge as well. It's a VAST improvement in volume, tone and sustain. |
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George Rout
From:
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 8:36 am
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| Hi guys. I play a 1970 Dobro and it didn't come with a Quarterman cone. I had my favourite shop, The Twelfth Fret in Toronto install one for me. Total cost $117. Definite improvement in the output. Then I had a buddy in Niagara Falls make a bone nut for me and improved it some more, not much but enough to make it worth it. I think he charged me $35 for the nut. |
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Walter Jones
From:
Athens, Ohio USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 8:51 am
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Alan, I have a Flinthill that I bought from Paul Beard that has his full setup with the quarterman cone, etc. I couldn't compare it to the original cone but I think it really sounds good and has a lot of volume . Greg played it at his job in the shows at Renfro Valley, Ky and a lot of people asked why the Flinthill sounded so good. I guess they were comparing it to one that was stock. He would just smile and tell them that Paul Beard had breathed on this one. Here are the string gauges that he put on it and I have kept them the same.
G-6th-.056
B-5th-.045
D-4th-.036
G-3rd-.029
B-2nd-.020
D-1st-.018
The package says Special 29's Beard Phosphor Bronze Rseonator Guitar Strings. When I talked to him he said it required a little router work to put the new cone in this guitar and then hand fit the spider. My thoughts are to go for the full setup,but I don't think I would want to try it myself. I would rather pay for the setup work and know I got a good job, its probably outside of my skills. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 8:56 am
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| I put Quarterman cones in my Dobro Hawaiian and a Dean custom. There was a noticeable difference in both guitars with the Quarterman. Well worth the investment. |
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Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 9:04 am
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Thanks for all the replies.
So a couple of guys have said the Quarterman made their guitar louder, and a few said it made it sound better but, if possible, I'd like to know how it sounded better. More growl? More sustain? Richer tone? ...?
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Randy Pettit
From:
North Texas USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 9:34 am
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| Alan, in addition to increased volume and "punch", I would have to say that the biggest tone improvement is the increased response, clarity and sustain from the bass strings (particularly the bottom two strings). When those lower tones stand out more, you tend to get more of that growl or bark. |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 1:51 pm
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| Alan, I don't know how much "unplugged" jamming you do, but the Quarterman cone adds enough volume on the low end, to really make banjo players notice! All the other adjectives you used apply as well; richer louder, etc. Well worth the money, especially if you're playing bluegrass. But make sure the spiders is absolutely flat against the cone/rim, and the cone is absolutely flat against the rim. And don't overtighten the tension screw that runs through the bridge and cone. Get it snug, then maybe a quarter turn more. Then call Ivan Guernsey, and put in an order! |
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Fred Brown
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 3:47 pm
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At the Austin ResoFest this weekend a fellow had a recent Johnson that had been upgraded to a Quarterman. I believe that is all that was done to it. It sounded real nice. It had lots of tone and sustain in the low end and upper end. As I understand it, Johnson is just a label and is the same as the Regal.
You just need to make sure you fit the cone and spider well. At the "hot rodding your reso" session during the ResoFest, it was mentioned that these guitars benefit from additional back and face bracing and stiffening of the sound well. Apparently they use real soft wood. And that absorbs the sound. A technique using thin super glue on the well to stiffen it sounded interesting.
Fred[This message was edited by Fred Brown on 06 January 2003 at 03:48 PM.] [This message was edited by Fred Brown on 06 January 2003 at 03:50 PM.] |
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George Rout
From:
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 4:24 pm
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| Alan, I found my original Dobro was too mellow, I wanted a "brasher" tone which the Quarterman cone did somewhat. I still feel that my Dobro is too mellow for me. I had a cheapie Alcivar before the Dobro, and I have to say, that I liked the tone of it better!!!!! Guitars are like boats...they're all built to the same specs, but some rank at the top, some at the bottom!!! |
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Bob Kononiuk
From:
Springfield, Missouri, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2003 5:13 pm
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Does anyone know if there are any dealers in the Springfield/Branson MO area that sell the QC and can do the conversion on my Regal?
Dr. Bob |
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Jay Ganz
From:
Out Behind The Barn
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Posted 11 Jan 2003 10:16 am
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Well, supposedly the newer RD 45's are
now redesigned for more volume & projection.
In addition, a bone nut is standard.
I guess I'll find out when mine gets here
in a week or so. I figured for $299
and free shipping (plus 45 days to try
it out) I couldn't go wrong. |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 11 Jan 2003 10:27 am
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| I have a Johnson resonator made out of bell brass. It was the demo at the NAMM show a couple years back, it sounds and plays great. The dobro style Johnsons are very inexpensive, but don't have the sound for me. Would luv to hear one thats had the hot rod stuff done to it. |
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Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
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Posted 14 Jan 2003 7:08 am
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Thanks for all the good advice, guys.
Has anyone here on the Forum actually installed a Quarterman cone in a Regal RD45? Is routing necessary?
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