abcdave - Posted - 03/13/2010:  16:36:57

Hiyall, first time here, I'm an amateur engraver,Dobro player, I'm looking for an unplated reso plate to engrave, engraving can't be done through chrome. Any type of metal would do. As said, amateur engraver and this would be for a Johnson guitar. I don't want to spend alot of money on this project . If it turns out good,????. any suggestions (other than f#!% off)? thanks, abcd

Steevarino - Posted - 03/13/2010:  17:26:01

Dave,

Give me a day or two to look around. I might have something. If anyone else has one for Dave, don't let this stop you, as I'm not certain I have one.

Steve Smith
RedLineResophonics.com

Grizz - Posted - 03/13/2010:  17:42:46

Dave, first off welcome to the best reso site on the net. The nicest, friendliest people you will find anywhere. You will find people here are more than willing to help you out in any way they can. Trust me on this, you will find yourself welcome with open arms. We also have a lot of fun along the way here. Hopefully you will find a home here as I did. Now, I don't have a cover plate but when you get this engraving done I would be very anxious to see it. Make sure you post some pictures.

Mike

Erik Waynesmith - Posted - 03/13/2010:  19:41:39

Dave,

If you happen to have any plating businesses nearby you could probably talk one of them into stripping the chrome off your Johnson coverplate for very little money (especially if you were planning to bring it back and have them replate it after engraving); otherwise, for $50 I could sell you an unplated brass coverplate nearly identical to the modern 'high-palmrest' coverplates distributed by Beard's Resophonic Outfitters, and used by most builders of pro quality resos.

Slideman1939 - Posted - 03/14/2010:  12:56:32

Slideman suggests Paul Beard/Resophonic Outfitter's has multiple choices of "matched" hardware from the same supplier. As an engraver you would want 2 screens, a tailpiece, AND a coverplate all in the same metal from the same supply source. Paul Beard would have that in unpolished raw brass.You could then ehgrave, buff, polish, and take to a plating house for whatever finish. 4 engraved matched pieces would look better than just a coverplate.You could sell the existing Johnson set of 4 used pieces on E-Bay to offset the cost of the Beard Co. brass.You probably would also want to topcoat it with a hot clear lacquer clearcoat to that you don't have to keep repolishing. There's more to it than meets the eye and that's what makes a "set" of 4 pieces hardware, engraved, cost more than most folks realize.

Erik Waynesmith - Posted - 03/14/2010:  16:01:40

To purchase a 4-piece "matched set" of unplated brass hardware from Beard's Resophonic Outfitters would cost about $150 (if shipped to a U.S. address). Selling a 4-piece set of used import hardware from a Johnson reso on eBay you'd be lucky to get much more than $30, so your net cost would probably be about $120. Purchasing just an unplated coverplate from Beard's RO would cost about $108 (if shipped to a U.S. address).

Erik Waynesmith - Posted - 03/14/2010:  16:02:09

I'm surprised to find that Beard's tailpieces are made of brass (rather than steel); IMO this explains why some of them have fractured either at the 90 degree bend or along the row of string insert holes, most likely due to metal fatigue caused by the 200+ pounds of string tension on a reso.

Edited by - Erik Waynesmith on 03/15/2010 00:38:35

abcdave - Posted - 03/14/2010:  18:14:25

Hey on that tailpiece subject, where would be the place to go for a proper 8 string tailpiece for my OMI? I bought it with a 12 on it , might have even left the factory like that??? Tried sending Erik a PM, don't think it went thru, we can share it with everyone this way. Thanx for the great advice all, I'll for sure post photos at the end of this project, might even be able to pick up some business from it. abcdg