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Topic: Double Neck Acoustic Steel |
Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 6 Jan 2002 3:04 pm |
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First, let me send you all my regards for this coming year with lots of picking.
Introducing a new way to steel away the french way, here is a double neck acoustic instrument.
It will be soon seeable at the following adress : http://www.rfcharle.com
I wanted a travel instrument that would allow me to have my dobro and 8 string steel with me without all the luggage (2 instruments plus one amp !). Dominique Chevalier, luthier in Caveirac, France made it for me.
It is beautiful, sounds good, is easy to carry along. It has piezo bars under the bridges, so you can amplify yourself in case you need to jam.
I am very happy with this instrument. Dominique Chevalier is ready and willing to make others. Mine is all maple, the frets and dots are ebony inlays. It is the one and only of its kind sofar, but it is up to you that it does not stays alone in the world ! |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 7 Jan 2002 2:59 pm
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| Sounds like an interesting instrument. Can't wait until the pictures are posted. |
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Cindy Cashdollar
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 8 Jan 2002 12:20 am
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| This sounds almost too good to be true ! Can you please post the website address again when the photos are up ? Thanks ! |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 8 Jan 2002 2:23 am
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I actually designed this exact instrument(8-string lap; and Dobro) 8 years ago. I have it copied and patented; and in a folder here in my filing cabinet at my house.
I'm glad someone beat me to it; so I don't have to be the first one to introduce this thing. I can't wait to see what it looks like and hopefully they will have some specs. on how and what went into building it.
I can't wait to compare it to what I designed; and belive me; I will be highly critical; as I believe I designed the perfect two-in-one instrument; and we'll have to see about this one   .
I have never told anyone about this instrument; except my younger brother; and I have no idea why I'm saying it now.....except......"I thought of it first"...but too late and a dollar short I guess.
Congradulations my friend.
Ricky |
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Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 8 Jan 2002 9:22 am
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| I'm glad this new instrument interests you all. I certainly will post the exact adress when the pictures are on the site I indicate. Meanwhile, you can visit the site anyway, the man has nice non pedal vintage slide instruments + guitars, mandolines, banjos, ... And while on that site, email to Mr Charle and insist that he puts the pictures of that instrument quickly on his site. He does have them ! |
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Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 8 Jan 2002 10:44 am
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By the way, my children baptised this instrument "the Beckophone" and they wanted me to say that to the entire world. So it is done !
Personnally, I don't mind calling it a double neck acoustic steel.
militer pour cette appelation ! laurence
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 8 Jan 2002 1:37 pm
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Merci Bernard. Great Link.
there's a beautifull shop w: some DynOmite instruments !
1 Euro is equal to 90 US cents.
i sent a note askin' them to put up some pics of your BeckOphone...
Steel countin my €€€... |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 10 Jan 2002 11:01 pm
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Bernard,
Francois has sent me some pics of your BeckOfone. Quite nice and i'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.
Keep on Pickin'.... |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 11 Jan 2002 6:45 am
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| Ooh, c'mon! I want to see this thing! |
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Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 20 Jan 2002 6:14 am
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Hello again, Mister Charle takes some time to put up the pictures of my instrument on his site. Actually, I have them in my computer so I can send them through email to any of you.
I thought I might as well give you the Mail of Dominique Chevalier who built this beauty.
It is not an email, so you will have to take a pen, a peace of paper and find a stamp and an enveloppe. Yes those things still exist and they work.
Dominique Chevalier
Luthier
30820 CAVEIRAC
FRANCE
As I said, he is ready to build others of those "beckophones". He already has ideas to improve them too.
One last thing, I was very much honoured Miss Cashdollar that you took interest in that instrument. I have your 2 videos about 8 string steel. Your playing inspires me a lot.
And I must say that the sight of your multiple neck fender gave me the idea of having this double neck acoustic for travels.
Keep on picking to you all |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 20 Jan 2002 11:22 am
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Very interesting Bernard! Thanks for sending on the pics.
A few questions:
What is the scale?
What about volume output?
The bridge looks like it is positioned very close to the end of the guitar which I think
would cut down on the vibration of the sound board. However Dominique probably made allowances for that?
Care to comment?
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Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 20 Jan 2002 1:52 pm
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The scale of the instrument is 22 1/2. Actually, I simply measured the scale of my fender de luxe 8 and used that measurement.
The sound of the instrument is sweet, the volume is not loud. It does not compete with my dobro !
One reason for that is certainly that the bridge is too close to the tail.
That is due to my specification since I wanted a short instrument for travelling. It might be a good idea to change the place of the bridges for instrument # 2.
Any other ideas for improvement are certainly welcome. |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 20 Jan 2002 4:37 pm
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My first acoustic steel was low volume also and for the same reason.
I put a quarterman resonator in there and that made a world of difference. Whereas mine is a single 10 string I was able to redesign
fairly easy. In your case with a twin 8 I don't think a resonator is the answer for obvious reasons.
For my next building project I have been toying with the idea of suspending the soundboard under the top and dropping the strings down to connect to it. Put sound holes on the top and let the music come up.
This is an alternate to a resonator and would accomadate the twin necks and keep the width dimension at 12" or so. The "woody" sound would still be a part of the equation and
hopefully the guitar would then be loud enough to do a little jammin if the need
arose. You could also keep the 22 1/2" scale.
Something for you to think about maybe. |
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Bernard Beck
From:
Paris France
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 10:27 am
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Well, it seems Mr Charle is not in a hurry to put the pictures of this instrument on his site. I guess he is too busy.
Well, anyway here are some news that might interest some of you travelers.
April 6 to 9 there is a music exhibit in Paris called "musicora". If you happen to be in Paris at that time, you could have an interesting day visiting it.
Mr Chevalier, the maker of my double neck instrument will be there and we agreed he would have the instrument for the time of the exhibit.
Enough writing, I think I'll go back to picking |
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