andyboyman - Posted - 04/02/2009:  19:56:34

Hi all,

I have a carlo robelli mahogany laminate biscuit job that I've been playing for several years and am thinking about upgrading the cone. It is a kinda cheapo guitar, but it sounds pretty sweet with new strings on it. I've read alot of info on this site about the significant difference cone upgrades can make, but it seems to mostly apply to spider cones in terms of specific changes like increased sustain and volume, clearer highs and stronger lows. I was wondering what my options would be for a biscuit cone upgrade and what kind of changes it would make, since different cone styles have different ideal sounds. I was mostly hoping for a little more volume out of it. I've seen that beard and national both make biscuit cones, but things like quarterman and scheerhorn seem to only have spiders.

Slideman1939 - Posted - 04/03/2009:  07:27:12

Replacement biscuit cones is a limited market / limited sales with less demand than replacement dobro cones.Each supplier (spinner) has his market niche.There would be no need for scheerhorn or quarterman to start with biscuit catagory. The market is already covered with suppliers Beard and National.Both are fine quality and worth the price. Most cones with tone projection problems originate with a foreign manufacturer using the wrong metal to keep prices low OR using the wrong metal because they haven't done their homework.There were no "cone upgrades" in the 1970's--the domestic US cones were the main choice.Then import products--some with tinny sounding cones--caused the catagory of REPLACEMENT cones to flourish.Be happy you have a choice now.It took bad cones to create the demand for better, replacement cones.

Beard Guitars - Posted - 04/03/2009:  08:35:31

Both Paul Beard and National Reso-Phonic spin biscuit cones.

Howard Parker
Beard Guitars, LLC
howard@beardguitars.com
301-733-8271

andyboyman - Posted - 04/03/2009:  08:39:30

are there any significant differences between the two (I assume there are, I'm more wondering what they might be) and also I noticed stewmac has a generic biscuit cone that says its domestic hand spun aluminum. Any knowledge of those?

Bradskey - Posted - 04/03/2009:  09:32:01

The best biscuit cone is reputed to be National Reso-Phonic's latest variation, their "hot rod" cones. Of course even their earlier generations were darn good. Beard makes some biscuit cones and I'm sure they're good quality too, bound to improve most imports. I believe (maybe) there is/was such a thing as a Quarterman biscuit cone but it has never been highly sought after.