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Author Topic:  My New Melobro
Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2000 10:06 pm    
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How about some Positive ranting and raving? I'm leaving at 5am this morning for a three week tour run and so was delighted to find the UPS man at my door with this remarkable, amazing new guitar. I've finally gotten the new G-1 Melobro, and I think Ted and the gang have truly got it together on this one. A really cool modern looking body design, it's the solid fibreglass with top quality resonator and hardware, the great Ned Steinberger peghead design- and it sounds AWESOME. My OMI Dobro can't hold a candle to the tone, sustain and bark that this one has. Nice crispness and clarity on the higher strings, but the depth and warmth of the low end is amazing. I can't wait to get into the studio with this! Many thanks to Ted and all at Melobar for a truly outstanding instrument. For any of you in the market for a Resonator guitar- if you can stand a bit of a wait, they're busy- order one of the several models these guys make and you'll be thrilled. Very nicely priced too! This guitar RAWKS!
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 6:20 am    
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Thank's Mark, I needed a positive this morning. By the way, before I get mail from you dozen guys waiting for Melobros-they are ALL just about to ship, and thank you for being patient during the changes we made but I think you'll find the sound coming from them well worth the modifications. Bert re-designed that entire top dropping the tie down to create more drive on the cone and actually molding each neck into the body, they really are coming out well.
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Mike Tatro

 

From:
Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 7:32 am    
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Mark, I completely agree.

I bought the black RayBro off Ted's Hot Sheet (look up "smokin deal" in a dictionary and there's a pic of this guitar at that price).

You don't want to know what I was playing before, but this instrument just smokes it. The complexity of the sound is just remarkable. Mine is a real cannon too - a banjo killer.

Like I told Ted, "I've bought my last square neck resonator."

BTW, Ted I got your note about the rattles some guys are having after shipment. Mine arrived in perfect condition. No rattes, no problems. Perfect!
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 8:00 am    
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I better clarify rattle here. That rattle or buzz we had on 2 guitars was the cone turning slightly in the sound well during shipping which made the string go slightly sideways in the saddle groove and buzz, to fix it you simply turned the cone till it was straight again. It's solved now but I sent a letter out to early model Melobro customers to be sure it never happened to them in the field.
We now know that part of the ringing good tone on the Melobros is the hard slick surface of the fiberglass sound well for the cone edge to vibrate against - versus the soft open plywood edge on a conventional wood dobro which is more abrasive to the cone. But that slick soundwell was why the cones were moving slightly, so now we are putting in a little thin adhesive strip on the very tail end and try as we might, even with the strings slack, the cone is staying dead straight.

All these new designs these last 2 years have had to have so many details worked out, only thing that's kept me going is the sound coming out. I like Mike's Cannon banjo killer comment, slide is a lead voice and it's got to be able to stand out and above the rest.
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Chris Schlotzhauer


From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 8:03 am    
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What is the price range and lead time for one of these?
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 8:12 am    
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Prices are on the site, there's a special on the site www.melobar.com under the Store hotsheet and lead time is 90 days when Bert and I are not swamped.

I've got a question for everybody here, Bert has worked 14+ hours a day on this project till his wife moved his living room chair out to his shop, I'd like to name this latest version after him, it's an unusual name - Quenzar, what do you think? The Quenzar model, too different?
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Chris Schlotzhauer


From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 9:00 am    
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Hey Ted,
For some reason the Word document won't open at my end. My Word program opens, but it says it can't convert the text files. Any suggestions?
Thanks
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 11:44 am    
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I'm really lame on this computer stuff Chris, Brad may be able to help, go to the products and look at the GB-I, that's what we've been talking about, then give me a call for a price, 800-942-6509, it's a special on the Black Royale with Case. Bert said he has some of the older R&D models coming through too that will be sold as 2nds. I have to see them first, they'll be good sounding or I won't sell them. I'm not big on cosmetics but they better blast your hair back and still have that sweet acoustic sound.

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 22 June 2000 at 12:48 PM.]

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Chris Schlotzhauer


From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 12:21 pm    
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Is the GN-1 the only one with a built in pickup? What's the difference between the GB and GN series. Mark said his was a G-1. Is that a GN-1?
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 12:58 pm    
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I know, too many models.
The pickups are optional on all Melobros.
The GN-I is the original Neeley body made by Carl Neeley, the neck joints were not satisfactory to me on that model and Bert Quenzar [G(B)-I] made a new mold with the neck brace actually molded to the body, curved back, lighter weight with curves around the bottom bout for your arm to keep off the sound board and a relief where the tie down is for more downward string pressure on the cone. Right now I am only selling the (B)Bert molded body unless Carl improves his molds. Mike has a 3rd Generation GB-I, Mark has a 4th generation GB series with a 16th higher sound well.
They have all sounded good, we have experimented a lot with the new Fiberglass matts and resins now available and they have a surprising range in acoustic vibration tones.

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 22 June 2000 at 02:00 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 22 June 2000 at 02:02 PM.]

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Chris Schlotzhauer


From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 1:33 pm    
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Thanks Ted,
I must leave to go on the road. I will contact you next week and discuss further. I'm definitely interested in ordering one.
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 2:36 pm    
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Call me on the 800 number on the road Chris, get's blasted old on that road and I don't mind hearing from you guys out there.
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Mike Tatro

 

From:
Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 4:21 pm    
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Ted, how hard is it to install a PU in a non-PU model like mine?

Which PU are you using? McIntyre? Lace sensor? Proprietary?
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2000 6:53 pm    
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Really easy Mike because you don't have the plywood back to top sound well to contend with. I've been using Bill Lawrences new dobro pickup and a mini-flex mic combo that I think gives great tone and volume power in loud situations. You might try a acoustic mini flex first and see if that doesn't take complete care of your amplified work.

The reason I say that is, as you noticed, you have a lot more volume with that guitar than most dobro applications and that makes it so you don't have to jump the gain as hard on the mic meaning less feedback problems from the monitors etc.

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 22 June 2000 at 07:55 PM.]

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Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 26 Jun 2000 1:34 pm    
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Posting this from out on the road where this new Melobro is really turning heads. Most of the guys think it should go for at least twice what Ted's asking. The volume and tone are equal or better than anything I've heard including some real high dollar custom jobs. The bar slants and string spacing work out fine, ergonomically it's a really great well executed design. I really like that the strings are pretty high off the fingerboard, you can really bear down without running into the fingerbaord, a problem on my two Dobros. I love this guitar. Thanks Ted!

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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Pedal, Non-Pedal, Lap, and Dobro
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Jeff Peterson

 

From:
Nashville, TN USA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2000 6:48 pm    
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Hey Ted!
I've got one whole day home before I go to Las Vegas.....2 days ago The Wheel opened for us(always fun), Cindy got to try my Melobro and my tech had to pry it out of her hands. I just love putting the hurt on that Beard she has....although it's pretty..it can't match the sound and pure output of your design. later.....Jeff
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HowardR


From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
Post  Posted 29 Jun 2000 7:37 pm    
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I recently received my long awaited 8 string Melobro,Royale model in black and I am loving this thing.I play just for the fun of it and since I spend 30 weekends a year on a barrier island,which is not much more than a sliver of sand between the Great South Bay and the Atlantic ocean,I wanted something that would be impervious to humidity,salt,and something that could take a beating.I wanted something reasonably priced and it didn't have to be the greatest sounding for this purpose.First off,this is a solid rugged guitar.If it had 1/8 " flotation inside of it,I'm sure that it would get a type III coast guard approval.
But the sound is far better than I expected.Since I have a 1990 8 string Dobro,I decided to compare the two.I restrung both with bronze phosphor strings and tuned to E6.Putting them both side to side on a two tier folding X stand,I played both in a few different styles using a variety of technique.Without a doubt,the Royale has a better sound than the Dobro.There is considerably more resonance and body.It has a fuller sound from the highs to the lows.The string spacing is a little tighter but not much.And it is louder.
It looks great also.The NS head mades it extremely easy to restring and tune.This guitar is a winner and Ted went out of his way to make sure that every detail in the making was well accomplished.Worth the wait.

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[This message was edited by HowardR on 29 June 2000 at 08:39 PM.]

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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 30 Jun 2000 2:44 pm    
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Thanks Howard, I've been waiting on pins and needles for your response on that guitar. That's the first 8-string in Fiberglass ever built and I felt it was more alive than any other 8 Resonator I've ever heard.

NAMM note. Dave Guptill of ProPik will have a RayBay Melobro at his booth at the Nashville NAMM show the 3rd weekend in July.
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Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 10 Jul 2000 12:17 pm    
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Just got back from our tour- good news, everybody's been totally blown away by the Melobro. Boulder's Dobro great Sally Van Meter couldn't believe you can get tone from fibreglass- and several Scheerhorn wielders at the festivals are thinking twice about their investment. Kudos all around on a great instrument. Bad news, we had a major bus crash just before our sadly missed show at the Oregon Country Fair, totalled our poor Silver Eagle. Everybody in the band's OK though, we'll have to pick up the pieces and move on. At least I didn't crack my new Melobro!...

------------------
Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Pedal, Non-Pedal, Lap, and Dobro
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 12 Jul 2000 4:52 am    
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Round neck version now available to see on the hotsheet under the store. The upper bout is rounded up to the neck and we seem to have really increased the acoustic volume dramaticly because of that.
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Tony Palmer


From:
St Augustine,FL
Post  Posted 12 Jul 2000 1:19 pm    
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I just received my GB-1 and it really cranks!
It has a tone that jumps out at you...I don't know how Ted gets that sound out of fiberglass but he does!
I'm a pedal steel player and not a dobro expert, but you don't have to be an expert to know a QUALITY instrument when you play one.
I wouldn't bother with the pickup, though, unless you find one that's microphone based or something...the magnetic pickup doesn't capture the beautiful sound.

------------------
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David Stehman

 

From:
Port Orchard, WA, USA
Post  Posted 23 Jul 2000 12:38 am    
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Thanks again Ted for this terrific instrument! (GB-1 Hula, custom paint.) This man Ted can paint! I wanted plain black, like my Reed, and we ended up with black, with an overlay of Viper (+/_Navy) Blue with
a sleight blush of tiny tiny silver sparkle, which just explodes at certain angles in spot lights or sun! Or, it just looks like a very beautiful black with "is that midnight blue, or...Gosh that's a handsome guitar!" The volume is so loud I can give up pickups even with the LOUD country band I play with, and I can play loud enough when I want with my fingernails with the folk, BG,etc band. WoW! With all due respect to my '88 Reed, THIS is the reso guitar to play.
Congratulations Ted!
Dave Stehman
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Chris Bauer

 

From:
Nashville, TN USA
Post  Posted 24 Jul 2000 6:59 am    
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I finally got a shot at a Melobro at Dave Guptill's NAMM booth. AMAZING! It played and sounded great!!! I've always been a major fan of Melobar produts but this one takes it all up another large notch. Terrific job, Ted. (Now I just gotta figure out what to sell to put in my order...)
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