G'day, Its not a Fender but some of the slide guys may be interested in my new acoustic.
It's a Recording King Tricone Resonator.



It's a fairly accurate reproduction of the National Tricones of the 1930s.
After a bit of research, I took the plunge and bought it online. Call it a "cheap knockoff" or an "affordable replica", this was as close as I was going to get to owning a National for some time.
It arrived without a set-up, which suited me, as I wasn't really sure how I wanted it. The action was way high! The overall build and finish quality is very good but it is let down by a few small things. I was happy with the purchase although some work was needed before I could bond with her.



Under the hood, everything is as it should be, good quality "Continental" cones sit nicely in the pan, solid wooden bracing, no squeaks or rattles. It just needed some wood/metal shavings vacuumed out.
The original saddle is a 3mm piece of ebony/maple. I made a couple of blanks out of ebony so I could play around with the string height and spacing.



Over a few weeks, I've come up with a set-up that I can live with for now. It has an adjustable truss rod if it comes to that, but I don't think it will. With slide guitar, it's a compromise between a high action which give you crystal clear slide sounds and a low action which makes fretted notes a bit easier but buzzes occasionally with the slide. Personally, I use the slide on the pinky and throw in the odd two or three finger chord or lick.
All this tweaking has taken it's toll on the coverplate screws, they are poor quality and will be replaced.



The original tuners were OK but not great. To get the most out of this guitar, I want to train myself to quickly change tunings. Open G/A, open E/D also C6 for a country sound and C7 for that pedalsteel thing. I've replaced the tuners with these really nice Ibanez (deco) ones. Superb quality, easy to grab. They don't look much like the original National tuners but suit the styling of the guitar perfectly IMO. I also put on some Martin resonator strings .016 -.056.



I've been using a brass slide on my wooden single cone resonator to boost the metallic sound but this tricone doesn't need that. A thick bottleneck is much more suitable and no need for the metal fingerpicks either.



I really like the fat little Mahogany neck, the wide flat, fretboard is perfect for sllde.
I thought the abalone fret marker dots were a bit odd at first, random colours, even one with a black centre on the 17th fret, but these have grown on me. They add a bit of character.



"Recording" King guitars are an offshoot of Johnson guitars which did not have a good reputation. With the name change came an increase in quality I have read. I have never seen or played a Johnson guitar so I can't comment.



I'm very happy with her now after those few minor mods. Time now to enjoy and work on my technique. Man, this thing is LOUD. There is nowhere to hide It's metallic and bassy with incredible overtones. I can sometimes hear little voices coming out (I'm fine,really), harmonics are a whole new adventure
In short, it sounds just like a Tricone should, it's my first and I'm well pleased.
A stylish, authentic, well made instrument. Now I can immerse myself in some traditional music forms.




Here are some Specs-

RECORDING KING RM-991
New list - $839.00
BODY - Nickel plated bell brass
NECK - Honduran Mahogany
CONES - 3X6" Continental cones
TAILPIECE - Bell brass
T Bridge with ebony/maple saddle
Abalone dot fret markers
1.9" Nut width
25.5 scale length



These guitars can be had at well below the list price. I personally was able to get the Reso with international postage for just over half price, very happy.

Any other Resonators out there ?

Goodonya ....Mark.

Congratulations, Mark! That's a beautiful instrument...some great photography as well; we really get the sense and feel of the instrument, as much as can be gotten in a picture, at least.

I've heard nothing but good about Recording King...didn't know they were related to Johnson...but "budget" doesn't mean "bad".

Do you have the ability to post a sound sample/recording? I'd love to hear it.

Again, congrats!

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Thanks SA. Yep, she's a beauty. I love the whole Art Deco style.
As far as a sound sample goes, well this isn't me, but this guy on youtube does the thing justice. The guitar shown is the optional Matte Champagne finish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT3ttwMgqbs

......Mark.

Really nice Mark, Congrats. I always liked Tri Cone Resonators. I'm due for a new resonator. Mine developed a nasty backbow, probably from leaving it in different tunings all the time and the fact it's pretty cheap and poorly made. It's always a compromise between action/playability and slide tone. I like John Pearse Strings myself for my cheapass resonator, but that's a personal choice. They have a ton of options for different tunings etc.
http://www.jpstrings.com/brstring.htm#acoustic

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

That looks great, Mark, and comps on the great photos too.
Makes me wish I still had my National Reso-phonic tricone baritone guitar.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

congrats bro... I too want to own a resonator one day.I went to a blues festival some years back and saw this guy Eric Sardinas play and ever since I have been hooked.I always loved Johnny Winter and this guy kinda has a similar style, check him out.He plays with the slide on his pinky also.He has four or five albums out of which I own all of them.He has tons of stuff on you tube too.
Heres a snippet of him
http://youtu.be/UPlV3hdmphE
http://youtu.be/GmEWcBW_8YA

_________________
1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion

Thanks guys. I'm glad the quality of the pics has made up for the small size.
There's never been a better time to afford an authentic sounding Reso.
Cheers Scarleg, Johnny Winter is also a hero of mine. I'd never seen Eric Sardinas before and watched his stuff for about an hour. That's the sort of thing I like to play. Thanks mate. With your musical tastes, you need a Reso in your arsenal.

This new slide arrived today.



A real bottle neck, heavy glass, beautifully polished. It came in a foam lined tube with the wine label stuck on I've tried to make these, so I can appreciate the quality, a really nice slide. It should be perfect for the Tricone.



I forgot to mention that the case didn't come with the guitar. It's an old one that I picked up for $15. It looks a lot like the originals though.



Goodonyaz .....Mark.

G'day, I've played the Tricone now for a few days with this extension nut fitted.



There's a lot to like about this set up. The great sound for one thing, and the fact that I can use more pressure with the slide and really work the bass strings without any rattle. I can even bend strings vertically (ie - towards the fingerboard). It sounds almost like a fretless bass guitar accompaniment when fingerpicking

All this is great for lap steel playing but I really need to compromise and lower the nut height for my normal playing style which includes fretted notes. Somewhere between this and the standard nut height. As far as I can tell, any adjustments to the nut would not affect the rest of the guitar as long as the fretted note are comfortable to play.

Do you think I should use an extended bone nut and gradually grind it down underneath to the desired height, or could I use the standard nut with some ebony underneath to lift it?

I'll figure it out eventually. Meanwhile I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks .....Mark.