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Topic: Dobro saddle-coverplate problem |
Robert Allen
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 10:09 am |
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| A customer has a 1980 California made Dobro brand that doesn't sound all that good. There is almost no string angle across the saddle so I'd like to raise the saddle but the coverplate is in the way. Two repair shops have worked on this prior to it arriving here. The cover plate has already been slightly bent upward but it doesn't look like they gained more than 1/16". Does anyone make a coverplate that has a higher space for a taller saddle? The tailpiece is original and resting on the plate. |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 10:46 am
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Yes,
The Beard made cover plate is higher however, It leads me to wonder what might have changed in the interim that caused the problem.
Cone ok? Maybe a replacement nut that is way too high? Spider bent?
A few things to check before you spend your $$.
Howard
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
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Robert Allen
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 12:04 pm
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| I have it apart and everything looks normal except for the saddle being less than 1/8" above the top of the spider and no room for a higher saddle. Maybe someone previously replaced the cover plate with a lower one. Difficult to say what might have happened over the past 25 years, especially with others having worked on it. Might be best to first make a higher saddle, string it up without the cover plate and see what I've got. This project will be limited by the customer not wanting to spend much. |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 12:14 pm
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I just checked and a new Beard cover plate runs $150 retail.
FWIW Dobro squareneck action was always low (by today's standards) but certainly playable and the cone would load OK.
If for some reason the cone won't load because the break angle is too shallow then there is likely to be an underlying cause and you'll have to play detective.
You probably knew that! 
Good luck!
h |
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Robert Allen
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 12:33 pm
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| Thanks Howard, I phoned him and gave him the price. He told me to just put new EJ42 strings on it. It turns out he wasn't really dissatisfied with the Dobro until he bought a new Beard Reso and noticed the difference. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 12:56 pm
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| I bought a close-out Johnson round neck for bottleneck and Blues. I've often thought about cutting away the front half of the bridge cover, to just slightly behind the bridge, so I could do better palm-blocking. |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 31 Oct 2014 1:01 pm
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Thanks for the explanation, Robert.
I'm not surprised he noticed a difference!
h |
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Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Posted 1 Nov 2014 9:17 am
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| John Billings: I say cut off that portion of palm rest, or bridge strap. or whatever it's called. My bet is that you will then cut all of the strap off to enhance your palm damping. In my understanding the strap is there to protect the cone from collapse, and as long as your are storing and transporting in a robust enough case or bag, and treating your palm damping with sufficient respect, there should be no problem. I recall advertising photos of post-war resos with more than 6 strings having no palm rest. Finally, even if a problem arises, today there are ample replacement parts available. |
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