Kong

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 29 May 2006 4:14 pm

Meet Kong ...

The next "evolved" species .... of Hawaiian Steel Guitar Pickup.

Looks like an MRI ... but it ain't !!!

And folks thought the H-Shoes were powerful ...

Kong will make his debut at CityFolk Festival '06 ... in Dayton Ohio ... July 1,2,3.

Come on by and see this "8th Wonder" ...

And watch me pour Doug Smith's new Dustpan ... "Live" ...

I'll have a "new style" Dustpan to house Kong there also ...

The Casteels may even play alittle too ...

Kong has been on my drawin' board for months ... it's 100% handmade ... by Me.

I can only make 2 or 3 Dustpans a year now-days ... so I like to come up with "new" stuff ... to keep the ol' gray matter from deterioratin' ...

Kong is a TRADEMARK of the "Save the Slant Bar Foundation" ... all rights reserved

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 29 May 2006 at 05:45 PM.]

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 29 May 2006 6:01 pm

I want one. Put me on the list! It reminds me of something from the LaBrea Tar Pits. One of my favorite swimming holes.

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 29 May 2006 6:20 pm

Hey, that'uns got mo' wires than my MRI! No fair makin' better stuff before I finish up with the old ones!

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 29 May 2006 6:45 pm

Awesome! The big guy strikes back.

I can only make 2 or 3 Dustpans a year now-days ...

That's a lot better than no dustpans.

Ron Bednar · Post by **Ron Bednar** » 29 May 2006 7:33 pm

So Rick, are you back in the saddle again...so to speak? If true, it's the best news I could read all month!!

Oh yeah, I wants some o'them Kong's!

Cheers, Ron

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 30 May 2006 5:14 am

that reminds me of something from the LaBrea Tar Pits.

Hee, hee ...

It's just my prototype with black wrinkle and a "not so carefully" applied binder ...

Hey, that'uns got mo' wires than my MRI

"D" ... you noticed that ...

I made a few versions of Kong ... none of which worked very well.

Then on a "lark" ... I goofed around and found the solution to my problem ... not really tryin' to ...

The bobbin weighs close to 3X what an MRI bobbin weighs. There has never been one made like this ... it's a completely unique design ...

Gotta give my buddy ... Danny James ... "kudos" ... for the polycarbonate suggestion.

I had been using silk impregnated with acrylic resin for the core ... it worked well, but took along time to make and was very messy.

are you back in the saddle again...so to speak

Nuttin's changed much 'round here ... "available time" wise ... but summer is when I have alittle time to get out & work abit.

I plan on having a couple of "new" Dustpans for sale at the HSGA '06 convention ... and another at next years "Summit".

Presently I am only making Kongs for my own Dustpans ... but if I ever get that 21 yr old Au Pair I keep requesting ...

Anyway ... Kong is "very sweet" at low volumes ... but really "roars" when he gets "cranky".

But don't take my word for it ... come on over to Dayton, Joliet or Berryville ... and give Kong a try ...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 30 May 2006 at 06:36 AM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 30 May 2006 6:10 am

next years "Summit".

silk impregnated

As an appreciation of the next Summit, Harry & I will volunteer to impregnate anything that needs impregnating....

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 30 May 2006 6:23 am

but if I ever get that 21 yr old Au Pair I keep requesting ...

Yeah right, with a 'a pair' like that hangin' around you'd never get anything done!

Howard you just stay in your corner!

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 30 May 2006 6:38 am

the first photo looks like the pickup is smiling.!

Jesse Pearson · Post by **Jesse Pearson** » 30 May 2006 7:24 am

Way da go Rick!

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 30 May 2006 7:49 am

Err, ummm, does it cure arthritis?

~~W.C.~~

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 31 May 2006 4:17 am

Err, ummm, does it cure arthritis

Nope ... but I know some folks about 15 miles from here ... that make some mighty fine Rheumatiz Medicine ...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 1 Jun 2006 2:35 pm

I'll have a "new style" Dustpan to house Kong there also ..

More fun than cuttin' the grass ... but alot more nerve rakin'...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 02 June 2006 at 08:20 AM.]

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 1 Jun 2006 6:53 pm

Rick, I like your new slotted peghead. That's how I like to make them, even though it's more work. It sure makes for easier tuning.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 1 Jun 2006 7:00 pm

It's funny how things come around again.

It seems that in the 1970's 80's and 90's slotted headstocks fell out of fashion, standard guitars that is.

Now they are showing up more and more. I think they are pretty cool.

Nice addition to your catalog Rick.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 01 June 2006 at 08:01 PM.]

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 1 Jun 2006 7:32 pm

That new headstock will look beautiful cast in an aluminum guitar. I can't wait to see one. Have you altered the body shape at all?

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 2 Jun 2006 4:44 am

That new headstock will look beautiful cast in an aluminum guitar. I can't wait to see one.

Well, since you asked ...

They are cast as kinda a big chunk ... then everything is milled, filed or sanded into "shape".

A big foundry with lifts, etc ... could do a better job at casting (more refined initially ... less work after the cast) ...

But I almost killed myself trying to lift and turn over the "more traditional" cope/drag ... each weighed over 200 lbs apiece ...

So its "pour" a chunk ... and then cut away anything that doesn't look like a "Hawaiian Steel Guitar" ... ha, ha

Come to Dayton OH ... in a month and play this Kong equipped rascal ...

Gotta lotta work to complete in a month

Or the HSGA convention in Joliet ...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 02 June 2006 at 05:49 AM.]

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 2 Jun 2006 8:42 am

Hey folks, you need to go to Dayton or Joliet and see and hear a demonstration of what Rick Aiello's MRI's and Kong will do.
I made a bobbin ( pickup coil ) and sent it to Rick who made me a housing with an enclosed Neodymium magnet that he made and sent back to me yesterday.
I am really quite proud of how it came out. It is very sensitive, whatever sound the pickup hears it amplifies. That's as it should be. You will hear sweet sounds you didn't realize were there.
The tone is out of this world and the sound is sharp and clear as a bell. The more I play it in the guitar I built the more I like it.
My thanks to RICK AIELLO for his help in my having and outstanding sounding guitar with an MRI pickup.
Now I have to finish working the bugs out of the changer I have designed and built for this lap steel I made.[This message was edited by Danny James on 02 June 2006 at 09:43 AM.]

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 2 Jun 2006 11:45 am

Glad you like it.

Danny wound a "heck of a coil" ... actually 3.

I dropped each one into my Sierra with the MRI magnet assembly I made for him ... and one really "stood out" ...

Guys like Danny, Bill Creller, Terry Farmer and Oakley Hicks ... sure make noodlin' around with this stuff fun ...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 2 Jun 2006 3:23 pm

Ahm a-feared, mama!!!

Man Rick, that definitely looks like the p'up that ate New York. LOVE IT!

And watch me pour Doug Smith's new Dustpan ... "Live" ...

Can you have someone document that on video? I'd love to see how that process works, and specifically with you pouring a steel guitar. Way cool...

I hope you're able to start marketing your designs. Any plans to market the MRI with Jason? I want to see you eat R'backers lunch, and rub their noses in it. Just my opinion...

TJW

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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); assorted ukuleles; upright bass

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 2 Jun 2006 4:07 pm

There are (or will be in about a week) ... three pickups that basically will kick RIC's horseshoes ... right outta the ballpark.

And I don't mean the cheesy "Fauxs" that they make for their modern basses ...

I mean the George Beauchamp/Adolph Rickenbacher 1930's 1.5"ers ...

Kongs and MRIs ... will be in my Dustpans ...

The MRI for that sweet, delicate sound ... and Kongs for those who wish more drive.

I have built a winding machine and have developed the technique to wind these myself.

I don't have the time to make these available for retail sale ... so they will be "exclusive" to my Dustpans ...

I am buliding Colin Alder a prototype ... to be used in conjunction with Jason Lollar's bobbin ...

I have guaranteed Colin that ... although the look will be unique to his steels ... the performance will be exactly as that found in Jason & my "H-Shoes" ... that he has in his 8 string Cruztones ...

With an extra special "surprise" thrown in to boot.

So there will be a "production" steel guitar ... with an Lollar/Aiello combination ...

And a "limited" edition steel guitar ... with a design we developed a couple years ago and an "evolved" version of the same.

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 02 June 2006 at 05:12 PM.]

Doug Smith · Post by **Doug Smith** » 2 Jun 2006 5:32 pm

Can you have someone document that on video?

Why not? If Rick is agreeable, someone could certainly videotape it.
In fact, Rick is one of a number of metalworking artists featured in this exhibit that is part of a regional folk festival-the Cityfolk Festival. It is free and runs three days, with lots of music and dance. The website:
www.cityfolk.org

There are presentations on the hour that explore the various artists work-these are audiotaped and archived.
If someone would like to come to Dayton and videotape-get in touch with me. The price? You'll have to fork over a copy of the video for Cityfolk's archives.

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 2 Jun 2006 5:50 pm

I checked the website and unless I missed something I didn't find directions on where this festival is located.

We would like to come.
Directions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Danny

Doug Smith · Post by **Doug Smith** » 3 Jun 2006 2:23 am

Try This:
http://www.cityfolk.org/festival/directions.htm

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 3 Jun 2006 4:33 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Old-time
Jam Session at
International Beer
Garden<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jam session & beer? Well that just pi$$es me off!

Bobby Ingano is going to be there?[This message was edited by HowardR on 03 June 2006 at 05:35 AM.]