Comment

Comment by smokestack guitars on March 20, 2012 at 4:35am

Mark I believe this is the page with the stainless quad http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/quad-cone-double-3-string, I like both the stainless and the copper, different things about each. Lol, I have thought about using 2 stainless and 2 copper because that could be the best. But I haven't done it in fear of what it might look like :-)

Comment by smokestack guitars on March 20, 2012 at 4:24am

When I said "true" I only meant in the sense that it travels down into the box. Faux resonator in my mind generally represents a piece of metal that is simply laying on top of the box. In other words I meant it is truly "internal" since the caps are connected to copper pipe which travels to the bottom of the box. This guitar would probably sound the same if it only had 2 copper tubes. I use the 4 tube design because  with this set up it allows the guitar to be more versatile since the saddle can be slid forward or back to set intonation or washers added or taken away to drop or raise strings. Since I sell these guitar it gives the person and option to change the set up also the quad cone concept also allows the use of the straight through neck and for all intensive purposes it's a true internal resonator. Like the guy who builds his own boxes yet still calls his guitars "cigar" box guitars. Also you might find this interesting mark, I have built these using stainless steel as well. Exact same neck material, exact same box,fingerboard material, saddle and set up yet the ones with the little stainless cones (stainless condiment cups) sounds completely different. They have less bottom end and a lot more on the high end, very sharp clear highs which leads me to believe that the saddle set up really don't have much to do with the sound but more so the type of metal that it is attached too. Matter fact I think I have a sound check video up of the stainless quad on my page and "turkeychicken" here on the nation bought the guitar.

Comment by Mark Bliss on March 19, 2012 at 11:50pm

Please dont take any of my comments as critical, I am just curious, and always interested in experiments.

I should have said de-coupled top with mag pickups, I didnt mean de-coupled top and mag pickups. Also I was thinking of a solid body construction, not top materials. I can see where the top material might have little effect with this construction.

Unless I am missing something though, the copper caps would not be very comparable to a "true resonator cone" and most likely, the majority of the unusual sound would be the way the bridge assembly is connected to the frame or "superstructure" of the guitar, and the woods used. This is very interesting, I would like to see more of its hidden secrets! Very unusual approuch.

Comment by smokestack guitars on March 19, 2012 at 5:17pm

The copper basically rest on the bottom( I reinforce the bottome with 3/8" solid black walnut) of the box just barely sticking through the top of the box. All the string vibration is relayed through the copper because any of the saddle or other components touching the top of the box results in the sound of a guitar instead of a true internal cone resonator. Interesting you brought that up about a solid wood top. With this set up you get just as nice of tone off a laminate box top as with a solid wood top. In other words boxes that don't sound as good when rigged like a regular guitar sound awesome with the internal cones and solid wood (mahogany or cedar) don't sound any different. The magnetic pickup only picks up the vibrations of the strings and the strings vibration (or tone) is controlled by what the saddle is attached too, different types of wood cause the strings to vibrate is slightly different ways as does the copper, alluminum or stainless. ALso a  strong infuence on the vibration or tone is the thickness of the wood, solid body verses holly body. ANyway mark, this is not proven. Only my opinion based upon my building and experimentation.

Comment by Mark Bliss on March 19, 2012 at 12:29am

I assume then the copper pieces are mounted into the back or structure of the body, de-coupling the top from the bridge? Interesting.

Maybe you could elaborate further on your thinking on this. Very little string energy transferred to the top and mag pickups, how do you feel this effects the results as opposed to just going solid body? Very curious design.

Comment by smokestack guitars on March 18, 2012 at 2:47pm

Thanks Mark, that bridge is 1/4" keystock. Worked down to the shape it is with a dremel (pain the the butt). It rest on 2 pieces of ebony that are attached to the copper tubes so as nothing touches the top of the box, only the copper.

Comment by Mark Bliss on March 18, 2012 at 4:26am

Of course we want to know, whats up with that bridge?

Comment by Mark Bliss on March 18, 2012 at 4:24am

Very nice and unusual sound, good stuff!

Comment by smokestack guitars on March 17, 2012 at 11:39am

I appreciate that John

Comment by Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw on March 17, 2012 at 3:04am

Very nicely played. As always those instruments produce a wonderful tone.

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