Dobro set-up question

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

I recently had a drawer-full-of-silverware ratle in my resonator guitar, thanks to my three year old son. I was able to take the instrument apart and fix the problem myself without buying the Paul Beard Video or taking it to the shop. Yahoo! My question has to do with the tightening screw that holds the bridge assembly and spider to the cone. How tight should this be and how does tightening/loosening affect the tone? I've read that a few turns too much and you might colapse the cone. True?

PS: This area of the forum justs gets better and better! To have players of the likes of Mike Auldridge and Pete Grant answering our Q's is a tremendous privilage.

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 28 February 2000 at 09:46 AM.]

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

hey Andy, out of curiosity, what exactly did the little yard ape, er... little darlin' do?

As far as the screw. It's only to keep the rattles away, it won't really affect the tone. Just get it snug, don't crank on it.

mikey · From: New Jersey

screw just touches spider...1.5 turns more,
aloha,
mike

Ric Nelson · From: Silver Spring, Maryland

I always went with 1.5 turns until I noticed Paul Beard doing it until just sung (no turns). For sure, you don't want to do it many turns(if at all) since you will flatten out the cone big time.

So for me nowadays, it's just snug.

[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 28 February 2000 at 02:07 PM.]

Pete Grant · From: Auburn, CA, USA

Thanks for the kind words, Andy. I was told by Don Young (former VP of OMI, co-founder of National Reso-Phonic, co-designer with me and Macgregor Gaines of the Zephyr Dobro) to tighten it just enough to where it doesn't rattle. As I recall, there's also some latitude with that, and you can tighten it a little bit more. As posted before, snug is not good.

Pete
www.petegrant.com

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Hi Pete!

Good to see your name here. I'm still trying to figure out how to play that Fender Stringmaster D-8 you helped hook me up with (in Los Gatos) out here in Santa Cruz.

Pete Grant · From: Auburn, CA, USA

Hi Bill,

It's a wrestling match. I always try for two falls out of three. Just deciding what tunings to use is half the battle.

Pete

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Hey Pete, this is a bit off topic but as to tunings I found an Open C tuning in the latest Acoustic Guitar CGCGCE and tried it out on my Weissonator. Wow, what a cool tuning for an acoutic intrument. Great range all the way from that low C to a standard 440 E. Gives a bit of a 12 string feeling.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

oh peter, what do you know...i always back the screw off slightly after snugging it!

Pete Grant · From: Auburn, CA, USA

chris, i wish i'd said that

Mike, you probably need a .070 or better on that bottom string to keep it from going sharp as soon as you get enough pressure from the bar. I use a .068 Bronze on my D-tuning dobro for the low D. I might try that tuning. I've used it on guitar. Thanks.

Pete

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Thanks for the input, everybody. I tried (low to hi) E,E,E,E,E,E tuning but I found that it wasn't very good for complex jazz chords in the straight bar position. Great for natural chorus effect though.

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Pete, thanks for the advice, and you're right. I'm just running a reg med. set 13-56's right now. But I'm definitly going to need a heavier 5 & 6 if I keep it in the C tuning. I just love the rumble it gives off the cones. I tried it first on my steel body and it sounded pretty good on it too.

Andy I use your tuning on my signature piece, "Blues in EEEEEE"

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