I had Beard set up my dobro, probably 10 years ago, with a new cone, nashville bridge, and some other wood work, and it is still working perfectly (I highly recommend them).
I would like to do the nashville bridge set-up on another guitar, a Wechter/Scheerhorn, and I would like to do the install myself. The guitar is wired with a Schertler and has a guitar jack already in it.
I am considering a Scheerhorn cone, which I believe is slightly smaller outside edge diameter, which is good for this guitar I believe.
I have not kept up on the newer versions of the nashville bridge with inserts and also the other adjustable spider (name escapes me).
Any advice on the newer nashville bridge and spider combos out there?
Ver. 2 of the Nashville has been around like forever. Ver 1 had the "collar" that separated the upper from the maple lower. I believe that Beard and Schoonover had the 2 "typical" spiders used in the Nashville installs.
h
Brooks, if your 'horn was in fact set up by Beard with the Nashville no more then 10 years ago, then you likely have what are still the most current components.
Adding to Howard's description, the original version had a metal "bar" sandwiched between the cap and the base. Some players complained that their acoustic tone suffered when they were playing unplugged. After Fishman modified it and removed the metal bar, we have come across very view complaints about unplugged tone, because the piezo ceramic element between the cap and base is very thin.
This Version 2 hit the market in 2013, but unlike a software company where they use the term "version" for successive generations of a product, Fishman didn't do that with the pickup insert.
I talked to a guy at Fishman not long after they made the change, and he told me they were going for better sound transfer while plugged in when they did the redesign. He was pleasantly surprised when I told him that players also felt they were not losing any tone in comparison to a standard bridge insert when playing unplugged.
And you likely have the Beard adjustable spider with the screws in the side of the slots that keep the inserts firmly in place.
I have the Schoonover modular spider in my Clinesmith, and Kent's version of the pickup mounts on a flat surface with screw inserts on the bottom of the pickup. I had to take measurements and send them to Kent. He sent the spider/insert combo to Todd Clinesmith and in 2016 on a road trip to Oregon I dropped off the guitar at Todd's place and he did the soldering and installation while I was at a trade show in Portland.
You wrote that you're going to use a Scheerhorn cone which is a good move, though I have a Legend cone in the guitar and it works fine, the clearance is tighter under the palm rest. This is because the "lip" of the cone on the outer perimeter sits higher when placed on the spider in comparison to Scheerhorn and Quarterman cones.
I have another guitar I bought used with the Nashville, and the guy who owned it prior installed it in a regular #14 spider and it works fine plugged in.
Two companies that don't use a special spider with the Nashville insert are National on the National-horn guitars, and Gretsch on their resos like the Bobtail model.
The photo on the left is Version 2. The photo on the right is the original version, used from the beginning around 2009, and scrapped for the new improved version sometime around 2013.
Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 06/11/2024 15:55:43
On a side note, Paul Beard posted on Facebook and Instagram a couple months ago in a short teaser video where he mentioned there is finally a production pickup on the way for seven and eight string resos.
Still waiting for more information - I haven't come across any additional news about this since that short video.
Thanks Howard, and thanks Mark!
Beard didn’t install in my “true-horn”(nashville-less) —I sent them my Phil Leadbetter dobro for nashville install. And they put a Quarterman in it also.
And despite the bad reputation of those dobros, Beard did an amazing job on it and it sounds fantastic. I’ve lost track of time—it might have been more than ten years ago. It is my “bar guitar” and I would like to get my Wechter “Ike-horn” going as a back-up, and now that I’m retired, it’s time to learn how to work on my reso’s.
I appreciate all the input, thanks!
Edited by - Lounge Primate on 06/11/2024 16:59:58
Just so the newer folks aren't confused, Brooks is referring to a Gibson/Dobro Phil Leadbetter signature model , which hasn't been made for many years now.
He's not talking about the Recording King Leadbetter model.
Gibson made two Leadbetter models-m - the first one was maple, and as I recall it was solid maple.
Later they came out with if memory serves the Deluxe model which was solid mahogany and had a lot in common with the Jerry Douglas model they made years ago.
Yes, thanks Mark. I have the solid maple version Gibson/Dobro. Apparently many of the Gibson’s were dogs.
Mine is quite bright and projects well, and is a good bar gigging guitar (IMO).
And like the the joke, “what’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin?", "you can spill beer on a fiddle"….and my Leadbetter dobro.
Edited by - Lounge Primate on 06/11/2024 17:35:46
To your original question, I’m a huge fan of the Beard #14 spider / Legend combo. I’ve A-B’d them vs a National spider/ Scheerhorn cone combo (same guitar, same shop, same hour…), and the Legend wins to my ears. More punch and liveliness. YMMV.
Funny timing…I’m having Byrl Murdock install a Nashville pup in my Wechter- Scheerhorn next week. It also has a Beard #14/ Legend in it. This was a DIY build-out (which Byrl also helped with…).
Caveat, I’ve never tried the Schoonover module setup.
Good luck!
Thanks Jaime. I think I will order the Beard spider and nashville pup but will order the Scheerhorn cone in hopes that it drops in—it is, as I understand, a bit smaller in diameter.
Edited by - Lounge Primate on 06/12/2024 09:22:41
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