Monday, July 9, 2018

The Cone of Uncertainty

Unlike tropical storms resophonic guitars are somewhat easier to predict.


While we see a handful of them on the bench for maintenance per year,
the primary reason they need tending to is silencing rattles and 
buzzing. Think about it: you play vibrating strings and those vibes
travel throughout the guitar's body so that anything oscillating at
a certain frequency can begin to work loose screws, tuning machines,
and anything else that requires a mechanical fit to stay in place.
Resophonic guitars, dobros, and other resonator based instruments 
including ukes, have many screws holding their cover plates 
(the shiny plate you see on the guitar top) onto the guitar. The 
spider, those 'arms' or metal web you see inside behind the cover plate
is held by string pressure when fully tuned, otherwise it would simply 
fall away from the guitar without the cover plate in place. 
The cone, the heart of the resonator guitar is very light
and must be fitted properly to the wooden body and that
in turn shares the load from the bridge and strings so
that it is all 'unified' so to speak.

When we see resophonic guitars on the workbench we always
check for screws that are loose or not seating properly. We also
inspect saddle placement and tailpiece screws and alignment
so that your strings stay in line from end to end. Even strap 
buttons can rattle if not tightened!


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