New Double neck, resonator lap steel

Kenny Kitching · Post by **Kenny Kitching** » 12 Mar 2011 7:05 pm

This is a double neck resonator - lap steel. I made the necks for it some years ago and a friend of mine Ray Marshall, who lives nearby (Wollongong, Australia) made the body.
We think that it may be the first double neck resonator guitar in the world. I could be corrected on that though. If anyone knows of one similar, please me know.
Comments welcome.

Further information on my 3 bed pedal steel guitar: It's a Perina, made by Peter Williams of Toowoomba Qld Australia. It has 2 10s An E9 and C6 tunings. The extra 8 string Hawaiian neck with E7 tuning, combined with C#min7. It was made by Noel Anstead (Anapeg)
Cheers, Kenny K.
PS
I'll be at the Brisbane Steel Guitar Convention in June this year,

Bill Fisher · Post by **Bill Fisher** » 12 Mar 2011 10:01 pm

Nice, and unusual. Real nice to have you on the forum, Mr. Kitching.

Bill

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 12 Mar 2011 11:20 pm

Hey Kenny,
That looks great!
I`ve seen a pic of a double neck reso with the necks on opposite sides of the instrument, obviously for standup playing only. It may have been in the Stacy Phillips dobro book, Oak pubications.
This is the first conventional double for me.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 12 Mar 2011 11:24 pm

Well this a coincidence !
Here is one for sale on eBay !

http://tinyurl.com/5sab8dy

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 12 Mar 2011 11:56 pm

Hi Kenny - looks awesome mate, I look forward to hearing you play it at Brissie in June !!

Welcome to the forum too.

Nick ONeill · Post by **Nick ONeill** » 13 Mar 2011 1:46 am

Welcome to the Forum Kenny. We are all looking forward to hearing you at Brisbane this year. I do hope you play some tunes on this beautiful looking guitar too ..... Nick

Tomi Graso · Post by **Tomi Graso** » 13 Mar 2011 1:59 am

Welcome Kenny , it was so nice to catch up with you last Thursday night at the Canterbury Country show.
Wow ...your double neck resonator guitar is definitely one of a kind - special! Really enjoyed your playing on the night , it sounded amazing...
You got such beautiful touch and tone ! No wonder Mr. DeWitt Scotty is calling you "Mr Velvet touch".
You are a unique player that we can all identify with a specific style and a lovely playing touch and filled with so much emotion Kenny ! And being playing since 1950's - true pioneer of the instrument and an Ambasador for the Australian Steel Guitar Association ! We can all look up to you and must say that i am extremely proud to call you a dear friend !!! God Bless you Kenny !

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 13 Mar 2011 3:36 am

I've been looking at getting an 8 string dobro and agonizing over which of 2 tunings to use. Looks like you wouldn't have that problem! Can you tell us what tunings you have on your double neck dobro?

Greg

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 13 Mar 2011 4:08 am

Nice Kenny..Nice
Can I have your old one....you wont be needing it now!!

Tony

Bob Alloway · Post by **Bob Alloway** » 13 Mar 2011 4:25 am

G'day Ken,welcome to the forum.Correct me if I'm wrong but they look like the necks you showed me under your house at Nerang years ago.Beautiful job mate,we look forward to seeing you in Brisbane.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 13 Mar 2011 10:35 am

The question I've always had about these is, what keeps the strings on the other neck from vibrating sympathetically with those on the neck in play?

John DeBoalt · Post by **John DeBoalt** » 13 Mar 2011 12:39 pm

Did you design, and machine a spider with 2 bridge insert slots? Is the center of the spider cut with a modified piece welded in? Was the spider cast with a new mold that would let you mass produce them if you wanted to? Just curious? Also is there some kind of damping for the alternate neck when the guitar is being played played, or doesn't it matter? John

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 14 Mar 2011 12:24 am

Just a little heads up for our American friends , Kenny Kitching has been the "foremost steel guitar player" in Australia for many decades .
I have never had the pleasure of knowing him but have known of him and his accomplishments for a long time .

Dennis Saydak · Post by **Dennis Saydak** » 14 Mar 2011 7:01 am

Brendan Mitchell wrote:Just a little heads up for our American friends , Kenny Kitching has been the "foremost steel guitar player" in Australia for many decades .
I have never had the pleasure of knowing him but have known of him and his accomplishments for a long time .

And a very talented musician he is. I've posted this link before but here it is again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SALFInw ... re=related

Michel Rose · Post by **Michel Rose** » 14 Mar 2011 4:12 pm

I saw Ken play that Instrument last night in Stu French's studio , i had the honor of playing acc guitar
and mandolin on Ken's new recording . He has been like a Dad to me ever since i saw him play at the Transport club with the Kevin King Band some 30 years ago , and we have been friends ever since . He is a great player and more importantly a great Human being as well .
Welcome to the Forum my friend .

Michel.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 14 Mar 2011 5:22 pm

Thanks for the link Dennis , I had not seen that .

Kenny Kitching · Post by **Kenny Kitching** » 24 Mar 2011 10:21 pm

Hello, and thanks to everyone who commented - i appreciate the interest.
The tunings:
The 7 string neck at the front is tuned to E7 and by raising the B string to C# it becomes a C#m7 tuning.
The other neck is 8 strings - it's the popular C6 tuning that Jerry Byrd invented (I think around about the 1940s)
Tony D, that's a good joke seeing that my uncle bought it new 1930 ..... Hello!

Bob, they sure are the same necks you saw at Nerang. Sometimes these things take time eh mate. It's been on the drawing board since the 80s and finally done, thanks to Ray Marshall.

Hi Edward, I have a toggle switch to cancel out the one I'm not playing - so no problems with vibrations. Thank you for your comments.

Thank you Michel and Tomi for your comments, I really appreciate them - i've got heaps of time for you fellas. Michel thanks very much for the tracks, i just love your playing - you have so much talent.

Brendan, i hope we can meet up some day and i can get to hear you play. Cheers and best regards, Kenny

John, they are all dobro / style parts . Ray (who is a fitter and turner by trade) extended the bridge on the spider to accommodate the two lots of strings, and modified the cover plate for this purpose.

By the way, Ray has made resonators before, and also acoustic guitars and Mandolins - and also Banjolas. Clever man, and i'm very grateful to have found him and shown him my plans.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 26 Mar 2011 9:23 am

It puts paid, once and for all, to the discussion as to whether a resonator cone can take more than 8 strings. Nicely done.

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 2 Apr 2011 5:01 am

G'day. Kenny. Always enjoy your playing at Brissy. See you there again. There has been a fair bit of interest in my Parina so want to get some pics of yours this time with your permission or you could post some yourself.
Thankyou for your inspiration
Cheers
Jeff

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 2 Apr 2011 4:59 pm

A huge welcome to the forum, Kenny!

The link to the Youtube video shows Kenny playing his double-neck Perina, with the Anstead-built third neck at the rear. Gorgeous sounds!

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 2 Apr 2011 11:42 pm

Thanks Dennis for the link. I have had the privilege of seeing Kenny many times in person and his playing is simply great!!
Brendan- you should try to get to Brisbane for the festival

http://www.brissteelguitar.com/2011festival.html

Jeff

Gary C. Dygert · Post by **Gary C. Dygert** » 7 Dec 2015 1:15 pm

Beautiful tone.

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