| Author |
Topic: Beltona Fiberglass Tricone |
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 17 Jul 2005 5:08 pm |
|
For about 6 months of the year, I spend my weekends on a barrier island which is a thin sliver of sand separating The Great South Bay from The Atlantic Ocean.
Humidity today was 93% and you could almost cut it with a knife. There is also a lot of salt in the air and most things deteriorate much more rapidly than on mainland NY.
Brass, stainless steel, fiberglass, and pressure treated lumber is the way to go here. Since I don't like to drag guitars back & forth on the ferry, I have some fiberglass guitars that I leave out here, Melobros which are almost "Coast Guard Approved".
I recently aquired a fiberglass Beltona Tricone.
 |
|
|
 |
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 17 Jul 2005 5:18 pm
|
|
I've been having a ball with this. First of all, it is very, very, light, but strong. It is loud and has great sustain, perhaps a little more so than a metal Tricone.
It does not however sound like a vintage Tricone. It tends to have a blusier tone to it, probably closer to a dobro. The action is low like a Tricone.
The fiberglass guitars certainly have their own sound. Close to wood, but not quite. Loud, yes. Sustain, yes. Dry rot, no!
 [This message was edited by HowardR on 17 July 2005 at 06:24 PM.] |
|
|
|
Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
|
Posted 17 Jul 2005 6:43 pm
|
|
| Looks like a Red Submarine batten the down the hatches here comes HOWARD anchors aweigh Oy Vey |
|
|
|
Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 17 Jul 2005 6:47 pm
|
|
| Very nice Howard! I'd sure like to hear what that bad boy sounds like. Could you either post an MP3 or swing by for a visit? Whichever is more convenient . . |
|
|
|
Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 3:19 am
|
|
That's is a sweet steel Howard. I had a Melobar on order but he closed up before I got it. I still have the lap though.
So tell me, how much longer do you have on this work release program?
------------------
JCFSGC,RMSGC,HSGA member since 2005
Fenders- Georgeboard- Melobar
Boyett's Glass Bars
[This message was edited by Gary Boyett on 18 July 2005 at 04:20 AM.] |
|
|
|
Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 6:04 am
|
|
Nice looking guitar, Howard. The sunburst is a big improvement over the only other Beltona I've seen, which was a shade of blue that (IMHO) would have looked better on an old T-Bird or a '55 Chevy.
Is the neck hollow all the way up to the first few frets, like a vintage National? |
|
|
|
Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 6:54 am
|
|
Howard, you are indeed my hero. Batchelor-playboy, hatmaker extra-or-de-nair and friend to the guitar builders of the world!
Very cool.
------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.
|
|
|
|
Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 7:07 am
|
|
| Howard, I've been curious about these. In your opinion, would the sound suit Hawaiian music? |
|
|
|
topo
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 7:33 am
|
|
| Mine is the grey one in picture of the Beltona web page and yes for me is good for the Hawaiian music. Renato |
|
|
|
Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 8:07 am
|
|
| Gerald Ross and I made a trip to Elderly Instruments last summer and I played one of these with Gerald backing me up on guitar doing Hawaiian tunes. I thought it sounded great. |
|
|
|
Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
|
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 18 Jul 2005 9:00 am
|
|
well, I'm heavy into my catalog work so I haven't posted much lately, and did pass up some photo opportunities.
Jody, not only oy vey, but oy gevalt... 
Rick A.....I have no knowledge of recording, but, I did buy a small unit (Edirol R1 thanks to Bill Leff) and I'll see how I can get something on here. I'd much rather stop in and hopefully sometime this winter I will. Do they have any vodka and cigars where you are?
The neck is hollow. I don't know if that is all the way through or where it stops. It came tuned in G and I haven't used any other tuning with it. It sounds closer to a dobro but I'm sure the tone would be different with a C6 or C#m. I should check that out.
Gerald, is one of my writers moonlighting for you?
|
|
|
|
