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Author Topic:  Accoustics Non-Res
Jim Landers

 

From:
Spokane, Wash.
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 11:57 am    
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I just picked up a real nice square neck non-resonator accoustic guitar. What is the best choice of strings to use on it? I don't mean brands or gauges, but would regular bronze accoustics be best, or would nickel or stainless be as good or better?

The other question I have is what type pick-ups would work for something like this? I suppose if I put a pick-up on it I'd pretty much have to go with electric strings would'nt I ?

Inquirering minds want top know. Thanks in advance.

Jim
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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 12:11 pm    
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Hi Jim,

Think acoustic--Bronze, even for slide. Do you have a picture to show us?? A non-reso square neck sounds interesting.

Ted
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Mike D

 

From:
Phx, Az
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 2:15 pm    
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There are tons of these old Hawaiaans out there, usually pretty cheap. Martin made some really nice all Koa squarenecks way back when. I've played some that were just outstanding. Kelly Joe Phelps plays a roundneck Gibson Jumbo with a high nut.
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Mike D

 

From:
Phx, Az
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 2:19 pm    
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Opp's forgot part of your question. Depends on what sound you want. Some guy's like Brozman like the Sunrise soundhole p/u. I also like the old single coil DeArmonds that just clip in and plug right into an amp. You can use electric or acoustic strings and one company makes a "Zebra" combination string.
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Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 2:33 pm    
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I can really recommend the Sunrise pickups- I had one for years in my '46 Martin, and then had Sunrise custom make one for my old Sho Bro back when they were located in Kalamazoo. Wonder where both those guitars are now... anyway, even though those pickups are magnetic, you can use Bronze or brass acoustic strings just fine, don't know how they did that. They get a good acoustic tone. I've also had good luck with Barcus Berry Dobro pickups, come in humbucking and single coil styles.

------------------
Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Mullen D-10, Fender Dual Professional, Dobro, Sierra 8 string


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Ted Smith


From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 3:27 pm    
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The problem I've found with acoustic has been the drop in volume with and without a bar. There's always more volume in "open" vs with the bar on the strings, if you use a brass or good quality metal nut.
There is a material that overcomes that called Knife handle Phenolic (sp?), that will still give good volume in open yet sustain a note with the bar down. Bone is close but doesn't have the sustain. I've never played the Martin you're talking about Mike, how were they set up and how was the volume?

Ted
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mikey


From:
New Jersey
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 4:21 pm    
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Phopher Bronze strings...Sunrise is nice, but I've gotten good sound w/ a fishman rare earth pickup,
Mike
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Eric Stumpf


From:
Newbury, NH 03255
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 4:24 pm    
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Regarding those strings, let me pass on this recommendation given to me by Stacy Phillips years ago: For G or A tuning - medium guage phosphor bronze set, throw away the .013 , use the .017 as the first string and buy a .020 for your second string. Plain bronze strings will be flat sounding after a week of playing and the steel strings croak even quicker.
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Ian McLatchie

 

From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 4:38 pm    
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Jim, what brand of guitar is this? Solid-neck Hawaiians are really the most neglected member of the lap family, I think. The Martins are beautiful sounding instruments, as are the Gibsons, but there are lots of other, less well known instruments worth seeking out. I have a jumbo Hagar, 1930s or '40s, which I really love. It's all-maple, probably made by Kay.
It would sound great with a Sunrise, but like many instruments of the period, its sound hole is too small. Still haven't decided on an alternative, but will probably go with a McIntyre, which works very well in my hollow-neck.
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Jim Landers

 

From:
Spokane, Wash.
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2000 9:40 pm    
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Thanks for all the info. That's what I like about this forum. You throw a question out and you get answers backed up with years and years of experience. How did we ever get along without it?

Ted and Ian:
The guitar is an Oahu that was probably made by Regal or ??? It is in almost like new condition, with just a couple of minor scratches on the back of it. It has a very dark walnut or cherrywood finnish and it still has that new luster or glow to it, although there is quite a bit of age checking on the sound board. It also has a black and white rope binding front, back and sound hole.

The guitar is quite a bit larger than most others I've seen. It is 15 1/4" across the lower bout with a 4" depth and 25 1/2" scale length. It definitely looks to be one of their top of the line offerings out of the 40s or maybe early 50s.

A short side note to all of this. I got the guitar off of E-Bay a couple of months ago. It was located in Ohio. When the guy shipped it to me, all he did was put it in it's "soft" shell case, wrap one piece of shipping tape around it and stick an address label on the case and mail it. How it ever got here in one piece I'll never know. The top of the case was all caved in over the head piece, but the guitar was'nt damaged. What in the world could a person be thinking to send a very fragile instrument through the mail like that??? I have never in my life recieved anything more poorly packaged. This guy wins the grand prize. I guess all's well that ends well though.

So thanks again for all the info.......Jim
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Pete Grant

 

From:
Auburn, CA, USA
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2000 4:46 pm    
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Hey, show us! You must have a pic from eBay.

I have an Oahu that might be similar, but with maple back and sides and spruce top, built by Regal. It's 14 and a half inches wide and 4 and a half inches deep. It has abalone purfling and a "sprig of life" fingerboard--not quite a tree of life. Mark Silber says it was the "Teachers' Guitar," used by Oahu teachers to promote the sale of their acoustics.

Pete www.petegrant.com
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Jim Landers

 

From:
Spokane, Wash.
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2000 9:01 pm    
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Pete and Ted, I'd love to put a picture up, but I have'nt got the foggiest notion of how to go about it. I've only been computerized for a little less than a year, and I feel damn lucky every time I manage to get it turned on. I was that old guy that you all know that kept saying,"what does anybody need one of those things for"? My wife bought this one for her, but now she can't get me away from it long enough for her to use it.

Pete it sounds like you got a real pretty one. How does it sound? Mine sounds good to me, and it's pretty loud, but I have'nt been able to compare it to any others. All my other steels are electric. I've been having a real ball with this one because it is so different, and to me some of those old Hawaiian songs(Hula Blues-On The Beach At Waikiki-etc.) just sound better on the accoustic.

Jim
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Pete Grant

 

From:
Auburn, CA, USA
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2000 11:53 pm    
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Quote:
Pete it sounds like you got a real pretty one. How does it sound?

It _is_ pretty and it sounds great! I remember one session I did where the engineer must have said ten times, "Man, what a great sounding guitar." That's pretty much my take on it, along with a lot of pickers and engineers. I sold my Weissenborns when I got this and a Koa pre-Depression Stella with a tree of life fingerboard. Just didn't need them.

Pete
www.petegrant.com
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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2000 9:28 am    
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I've been lucky enough to hear Pete play this guitar (and I've tried to play it myself). It's a real beauty, nicer than most Oahu acoustics you'll see out there. It has a deep woody tone that's really nice.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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