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Topic: Dobro rattle |
Stewart Thompson
From:
Puyallup, WA.
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 10:08 am |
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| I have a "Dobro" brand Dobro. When I play on strings 4, 5, & 6 I hear a rattling sound in the cone area. It has a metal body with a spider-type resonator cone. I've looked inside, but cannot see anything loose. I secured the cone itself to the hole rim in the body with a little bead of silicone type sealer. The rattle is still there. What else can I do??? Thanks |
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Mike Fried
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 11:54 am
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First of all, remove that silicone - it'll destroy any chance of getting the best tone and sustain from the cone. If the cone can't be removed without damaging it, remove it and replace it, they're not that expensive ($25-$55, depending on brand). The rattle is more than likely from the cone's tension screw being loose, or often it's string ball-ends rattling on the top of the body. First check that there is some sort of felt or leather pad on the bottom of the tailpiece to keep the ball-ends off the body (they would be especially loud on a metal-body Dobro, and can "throw their voice" into the cone area).
To summarize setting up the bridge/cone tension:
1. Remove the spider/cone assembly from the body and disassemble. Ensure the bridge inserts are tight in the slot.
2. Assure the cone is centered in the well, not touching any side, and it is resting flat all the way around. Carefully work the cone edge if necessary to eliminate any gaps in the "seal".
3. Lay the spider in place on the cone and check that all the legs make equal contact with the cone. Sometimes just rotating the parts will find a good mating position. If not, very carefully bend any legs that don't touch the cone.
4. Ensure that the spider is centered on the cone (line up the holes using the screw) and tighten the screw just past finger-tight to keep the spider in place for reassembly.
5. Reassemble and ensure the cone asembly is centered and the bridge is "square" in the body. Restring and tune up to pitch.
6. Back off the tension screw and retighten 1/4 turn past finger-tight. If it still rattles, tighten in 1/4 turn increments until the rattle stops, or up to 1-1/2 turns, whichever comes first. Tightening past that can damage the cone and will dampen the sustain.
You'll be amazed at what a difference a careful setup can make, good luck!
_________________
Visit my music page at http://facebook.com/drfried |
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 12:16 pm
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 Hey Mike,Thanks for that info.I am printing it out.
Thought the Dobro was supposed to rattle.  PJ |
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Stewart Thompson
From:
Puyallup, WA.
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 1:54 pm
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| Thanks for the good advice, but once I have everything re-assembled, I cannot reach any screws. There is a screw that fastens the wooden bridge to the spider assembly, but it is covered with the part you rest your picking hand on. So I'll take it apart and look for an additional screw on the spider assembly. |
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Stewart Thompson
From:
Puyallup, WA.
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 5:08 pm
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Okay, once I got home and actually looked at Dobro again, I saw the hole in which I could adjust the screw. That seems to help with the rattle. Thanks again!!
All the Best,
Stew |
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Mike Fried
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2007 10:46 pm
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You're welcome, guys! A lot of info like this can be found on Reso-Nation.org as well, as many resophonic luthiers and knowledgeable players post advice there on such things.
_________________
Visit my music page at http://facebook.com/drfried |
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Rick Jolley
From:
Colorado Springs
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Posted 18 Jan 2007 5:19 am Rattle
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I had a rattle, and something I read suggested that I put the spider on a mirror to check for flat resting. This is a good idea, along with all the other things that Mike outlined.
(I bend and sanded a little to ensure that it was sitting flat.) |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 18 Jan 2007 6:18 am
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| Stewart, you didn't say whetherr or not you got rid of the silicone around the cone. You'll only get the optimum tone out of your Dobro if the cone is in good contact with the rim, all the way around. No glues needed. |
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Stewart Thompson
From:
Puyallup, WA.
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Posted 18 Jan 2007 7:57 am
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I scraped all that I could off the wooded rim. and set the cone back in place so it is basically loose on the rim and not stuck to it. It is nice and loud now!
Stew |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 21 Jan 2007 12:04 am
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| I have a Jay Turser Electric/Acoustic Resonator which had the same problem. I solved it by rotating the spider a fraction. |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2007 12:32 am
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| There are a number of small tweezes that can radically affect the tone/volume/rattles etc. of Reso setup. I can suggest getting a copy of Paul Beard's Dobro Maintenance and Setup video- it's very well done and loaded with helpful pointers on all of this stuff. |
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