In your context, I would suggest not to bother with the new parts quite yet. When you get to a point when items begin to wear (insert/nut/cone) then you can consider specific parts (and labor) or an upgraded instrument.

h

quote:

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Originally posted by hlpdobro

In your context, I would suggest not to bother with the new parts quite yet. When you get to a point when items begin to wear (insert/nut/cone) then you can consider specific parts (and labor) or an upgraded instrument.

h

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The cone started rattling like crazy recently (I already tried screwing the tension nut and adjusting it) and I'm planning to bring it into a shop soon to get a fix and a proper setup. Thought might as well get some new parts in it.

12th Fret in Toronto knows resonator guitars. They are also a Beard dealer.

h

A $600 guitar is a $600 guitar. I doubt any amount of money you spend on it will improve the value on resale.

Sound yes, likely a bit. Some.

In making a top grade guitar every part is likely better. The guy making it was more skilled.

I called My friend the late Frank Harlow one day. I had two of his guitars. We travel months per year in an rv. Bad environment. I wanted a sort of don't care guitar, what could he do for me. He said to buy a certain guitar and he would make it as good as it can be. Still worth $500. That guitar plays way out of its league. 37 Regal/Dobro type.
Frank suspended the spider from the table next to a new Beard spider. Hit each with a tuning fork. The difference was monumental. Same with the cones. Frank used Quarterman cones.

it is the summation of a whole lot of little things.

Save up for a Beard.

I would think $250 would pay for them.

I wouldn't hesitate to switch out the cone, but I would try to use the same spider and bridge inserts.

3 minutes into this video he compares a stock RK with one that has a Quarterman cone: youtube.com/watch?v=U7dTJ1-s02s

I’d get a #14 spider, good inserts, and a good Beard cone, any recent Beard cone (unless your guitar already has those spider parts).

From Beard or the local Beard dealer.

quote:

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Originally posted by gadobro

I wouldn't hesitate to switch out the cone, but I would try to use the same spider and bridge inserts.

3 minutes into this video he compares a stock RK with one that has a Quarterman cone: youtube.com/watch?v=U7dTJ1-s02s

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I heard that some factory spiders don't fit the Beard cone and would require a lot of sanding and modifications. Given that I'm trying to install this myself, is this true?

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Originally posted by Mikoyan1

quote:

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Originally posted by gadobro

I wouldn't hesitate to switch out the cone, but I would try to use the same spider and bridge inserts.

3 minutes into this video he compares a stock RK with one that has a Quarterman cone: youtube.com/watch?v=U7dTJ1-s02s

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I heard that some factory spiders don't fit the Beard cone and would require a lot of sanding and modifications. Given that I'm trying to install this myself, is this true?

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The issue you may have is the cone being a little too large for the opening in the RK. You would have to take a little material off the cone (1/16" off the diameter?) in that case. Some people recommend cutting with scissors, others have recommended sanding the edge.

The spider will fit the cone and will come with a tension screw (the RK tension screw might be different than the Beard). 

A good video from Howard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZinUxtQ-frw

And another that shows the innards of a resonator guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=742yaNdymss

Another video you might want to check out: youtube.com/watch?v=2BkKuYMPfhU

This guy takes off material from the opening, which is the proper thing to do I think. If you wanted to put money into it you would send it to Beard or another luthier to have them route the shelf.

Replacing the stock cone, spider, and bridge insert in my National Scheerhorn with a Beard Legend cone, Beard #14 adjustable spider, and Shockwave inserts made a huge difference in how the guitar sounded. It went from "meh" to really nice. More sustain, more volume, and more clarity. YMMV.

quote:

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Originally posted by mesmithut

Replacing the stock cone, spider, and bridge insert in my National Scheerhorn with a Beard Legend cone, Beard #14 adjustable spider, and Shockwave inserts made a huge difference in how the guitar sounded. It went from "meh" to really nice. More sustain, more volume, and more clarity. YMMV.

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I'm thinking of only replacing the cone and keeping the factory spider. Would the sound difference still be noticable?

I can't say since I just replaced everything at once. I liked the results and I'm not really a tinkerer so I just left it like that and play it a lot.

Bone nut?

Hard maple bridge?

Spider?

Cone?

Strings?

I would do all or nothing.

Actually a real luthier would not charge a lot for this. Those screws in the wood are tricky.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mikoyan1

 

I'm thinking of only replacing the cone and keeping the factory spider. Would the sound difference still be noticable?

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If the spider looks like a #14 (not weird like the one in the Regal video I linked to above), I would just keep it. 

I think changing the cone makes a big difference, but you may not agree or may not like the difference. For blues you may prefer a different sound than you might get from a Legend cone.

The way I look at, if you don't like it, or you want to sell the guitar later, put the old cone back in. I have two or three cones in boxes in my closet in case I want to use them in a guitar later. 

There's really nothing wrong with the RK Maxwell. It's very similar to a Crafters of TN--parallelogram soundwell, R-body, plywood body. Most Dobros from the 30s to 80s were similarly built.

IDK about the RK’s, but my Regal RC55 benefitted greatly from the addition of a Beard cone. It’s a biscuit bridge, so my upgrade was cone only.

I see I'm about a month late for the party and you may have already installed a new cone and spider. I am building a guitar now, so I bought a Beard cone, spider bridge and bridge inserts. I threw them into my first squareneck, a Flinthill that I got for $300 last year. Man, that guitar really sings with the Beard hardware. I took it all out to measure and position the top wood. I put the old cone, spider and inserts back in and just laughed at how it sounds with those original parts (dead-sounding cone and spider that wasn't properly fit). I ordered more from Beard so I could have two nice sounding Dobros. Can't wait to finish the new guitar off.