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Topic: Faux-ing Pan |
Todd Weger
From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 8:09 am
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Here are some pics of that custom made frypan that Dick had made for him many years ago when he we still at Disney (I think he told me he had it made in the 70's, but don't remember). Basically, the caster used an A25 as his template, and went from there. I think Dick said the p'up was pulled out of a '49 or '50 Ricky console. I'm not sure of the 'desireability' of those p'ups, but it sure sounds good (and hot).
I'd like to replace the Kluson style tuners with Grover butter-bean individuals, but I dunno... these seem to work OK, so I may leave 'em on, and just turn 'em upright. I'm not sure why they were put on facing downward, as it's definitely much harder to get to them this way.
I'm not sure what a knock-off frypan like one of these should be worth, but it's all moot anyway, since this was specially made for Dick, and he's kind enough to sell it to me. It's not going anywhere. He used it at Disney at the Polynesian village for years.
Jeff Au Hoy had asked to see some pics, and I thought y'all might like to check it out. I'll try to get something recorded with it, after I figure out how to tighten the input jack inside, so it doesn't cut in/out. Someone said to lift out the p'up to do that.
TJW _________________ Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Mike Neer
From: NJ
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 8:23 am
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Looks sweet. There ain't nothing in the world like a Fry Pan. _________________ Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links
Last edited by Mike Neer on 12 Jan 2007 9:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Randy Reeves
From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 9:52 am
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yes, but those string windings ,and that low 7th string.
Last edited by Randy Reeves on 12 Jan 2007 10:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Brad Bechtel
From: San Francisco, CA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 9:56 am
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Which "Dick" are you referring to in your initial posting? That's a great looking guitar. _________________ Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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George Keoki Lake
From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 11:10 am
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I'm quite certain he was referring to DICK SANFT.....right ? |
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Todd Weger
From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 11:35 am Dick Sanft, yes!
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Whoops -- my bad. I thought I had put his last name there, but now see I didn't. Yes, it was Dick Sanft's. Whoever he had make the body did a pretty good job. Unfortunately, the nut is just too narrow compared to the bridge for stringing it up for eight strings, at least IMO, and apparently Dick's, too, because he just used it as a 7-stringer.
I was just playing it through my little 5-watt Crate (VC-508) tube amp, and it sounds incredible. The little tube amp with this steel just has "the" sound. What really has me scratching my head though is NO NOISE! Why does this p'up act like a humbucker? All my other single coil p'ups through this amp sound like an electric razor, but not this one. Is this a by-product of the 'shoes?' Whatever the reason -- I LOVE IT!
TJW _________________ Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Ron Simpson
From: Illinois, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 12:20 pm
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Hopefully Rick A will be along with a definitive answer, but I believe the external magnet acts as a shield for the coil. |
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Rick Aiello
From: Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2007 2:05 pm
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As Ron just said ... it's all about shielding.
Addin' to the grounded steel magnets ... you have a metal body that's grounded also ...
One giant freaking RF, etc antenna ... that shunts noise to ground ... similar to a Faraday Cage
The "noisiest" Rickys I have are the pre-war bakelites. Since the bridge and nut are integrated bakelite ... the strings are not grounded ... and any RF, etc is picked up by the strings.
The post war bakelites with that tailpiece ... eliminated that issue.
But Frypans, Silvers, Model 59's and NS's are all pretty quite ... as are any well grounded metal guitars ... |
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Todd Weger
From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 13 Jan 2007 6:03 am
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Rick Aiello wrote: |
As Ron just said ... it's all about shielding.
Addin' to the grounded steel magnets ... you have a metal body that's grounded also ...
One giant freaking RF, etc antenna ... that shunts noise to ground ... similar to a Faraday Cage
The "noisiest" Rickys I have are the pre-war bakelites. Since the bridge and nut are integrated bakelite ... the strings are not grounded ... and any RF, etc is picked up by the strings.
The post war bakelites with that tailpiece ... eliminated that issue.
But Frypans, Silvers, Model 59's and NS's are all pretty quite ... as are any well grounded metal guitars ... |
Rick, you da man! Thanks for that explanation. It makes moe sense to me now why some control cavitites of electric guitars are literally coated in metal.
So, would I be able to reduce the noise on my Stringmasters (when not using my blender knob, and just using one pickup), or my Epiphone by simply putting more shielding metal into the control/pickup cavity? Is there a way to do that non-permanently without de-valuing it?
In any case, I sure do love the sound of these things. That horseshoe pickup is just the coolest.
_________________ Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Rick Aiello
From: Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2007 8:40 am
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Shielding cavities in wood guitars is always a good idea.
My Stringmaster has aluminum foil shielding ... you can get copper foil (better) from StewMac, etc ... and even conductive paint
But the key to a setup like the frypans ... is that the coil is "sitting" in ... and almost completely surrounded by conductive metal ... similar to a Faraday Cage.
Kinda the same "rationale" as you being safer inside a car if its hit by lightning ... or why passengers in an airplane struck by lightning don't get electrocuted.
When I taught Physics ... we did a lab each year where the kids built Faraday Cages .. and we would place sensitive electronics within it ... and arc some pretty significant "voltages" at it.
Year after year ... my kids would try and get me to go down to the biology classes and steal a hamster ... and put it in the cages.
I never did ... or course ... but they would have been fine ...
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Bill Creller
From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 13 Jan 2007 11:11 am
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Like Rick said, it's pretty hard to beat a cast aluminum shield around the electronics. My bakelites need shielding with certain amps, and shielded wiring doesn't do the job too good.
Todd, if you turn the tuners up, just switch sides with them and they will work for you. The original frypans had them facing down, but most seem to be up these days.
The four screws that mount the pick up should be all you have to remove to swing the pickup out of the way to get at the jack.
Nice guitar!!
Regards BILL |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From: Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 13 Jan 2007 9:32 pm
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that's one sexy mutha! |
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