Well no one I know around town would get excited about this but I know you guys will. I scored a Johnson Tricone and have been online checking out tweaks to make her a better player and more toneful. I cracked open the guitar and did the mushroom mod and really could feel more mid and bottom end sound. It was also nice to feel the body vibrating against me while I played. It did take some of the "sweet" away though. While I was there I added a Lace Reso Pickup and wired it through the body and put the jack in the end of the reso. While I was in the I checked out my cones and moved them around a little to make sure they weren't on the screws so conveniently placed right where a cone might go. I then examined the bridge...WHAT? It looks like someone whittled that bridge while thinking about something else. It wasn't even flat. I got her back together but I know that balsa looking wood bridge had to go. She played well and sounded alright but not anything close to my Paul Beard, which I didn't expect but hoped for. Plug this beast into an amp and holy bell brass it rocks. Very swampy or very clean - FUN!

I jumped online and ordered a Beard bridge with ebony top - http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/TBI2.htm.
The bridge was tooooo tall and tooo wide. So sanding I did go. To my amazement in about an hour I had that bridge just about perfect and ready to go (I usually mess things like this up and wind up doing it over). I notched my string grooves and put everything back together....
HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL!!! Now this thing actually resonates! I got the sweet back, it's much louder and is getting close to my Paul Beard as far as tone goes. Even my random bridge work did well on the slide or finger picked. This might be the biggest bang for the buck ever. The only thing left is National cones but I'm happy for now. Rock on $360 Johson Tricone!

Can you guys see this image?

Posted - 06/09/2009 :  20:32:11    

There is nothing like the sound of a tricone running good on all three cylinders!! They have an inherent reverb quality that can be so haunting.

And ya just gotta love how they look.........

Posted - 06/09/2009 :  20:32:39  

Some photos:














Goodbye mushroom...






It''ll never heal if you don''t stop pickin'' it!

Edited by - Billy Hell on 06/09/2009 20:36:21

Posted - 06/09/2009 :  20:37:31    

Yes I can see it, LOL, I posted a picture of mine while you where posting your picture!!

Very nice!, style 2

Posted - 06/09/2009 :  20:40:38  

Maybe someone can tell me if those are Johnson cones. From the way the screws are stripped out on the cover I know someone has been into this tricone before me.

It''ll never heal if you don''t stop pickin'' it!

Posted - 06/10/2009 :  18:28:06    

Here is a good close picture...
http://www.nationalguitar.com/natio..._tricone.php

Posted - 06/11/2009 :  04:49:44  

That looks like them to me.

It''ll never heal if you don''t stop pickin'' it!