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Author
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Topic: Cone changes - OMI Dobros
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Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 02 August 2005 08:03 PM
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I've had the same OMI/Huntington Beach squareneck Dobro (all-mahogany, engraved cover, lyre inlays) for decades now. I've never really felt a need to mess with it otheer than the removal of the cone-glue the first week I had it!But I wonder what tonal difference another type of spun cone would have? From what I've seen, though, replacement cones are all larger than the OMI's take, and I'd like to avoid routing...well, make that I'm NOT going to rout the guitar (don't have the tools or knowhow and would prefer not to "cut" anyway). Do Quarterman, Beard or anybody make smaller cones that are a drop-in replacement for the OMI instruments? I haven't found a source yet, but iit seems like somebody must. I wouldn't mind doing some experimenting, but routing wood or trimming metal aren't the way I'd like to do it. |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 02 August 2005 08:20 PM
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Beard has a 10-1/2" Dobro cone that might do the trick, as does Quarterman. |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 02 August 2005 08:29 PM
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Goes to show that I should have just done some Googling - and that the acoustic shops around L.A. don't know squat about dobros.Thanks! While I'm thinking about it - anyone have any opinion of the toonal differences between stock OMI (70's) spun cones made just after Quarter left; the new Quartermans; and the Beards? Are there any other makers I've never hear of??[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 02 August 2005 at 08:30 PM.] |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 02 August 2005 09:47 PM
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National Resophonic's spider cone is also 10.5 inches. Don Young worked for Dobro/OMI in the 70s and 80s, so you might want to ask for his opinion and advice. |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 03 August 2005 03:34 AM
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I have an OMI Dobro that I took up to Paul Beard (45 minutes north).He installed a Quaterman cone, new nut and saddle, etc ... his upgrade He explained to me that some minor 'work" needed to be done to get the Quarterman cone in and to sit properly ... it was a tad bigger than the stock .... It really was an big improvement ... and it sounded real good before the "surgery" ..  ------------------
Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 03 August 2005 at 03:41 AM.]
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D Schubert
Member From: Columbia, MO, USA
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posted 03 August 2005 08:31 AM
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You'll notice the difference right away, and it should be more than subtle. Fuller, more resonant, etc. Quarterman learned to spin cones from the Dopyera Bros when he worked for them. Seems that most folks with an opinion say Quarterman cones for a spider bridge, new National cone for a biscuit bridge or a tricone. Don't know about Beard cones, but he knows his stuff, too. |
Billy Gilbert
Member From: Texas, USA
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posted 03 August 2005 02:53 PM
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OMI cones vary a great deal in quality. Quarterman and (presumibly) Beard cones are quiet uniform in tone and volumn. If you have a good OMI there won't be much difference. If you have a bad one the difference can be a great deal. If you had a really great OMI cone you probably wouldn't have asked the question in the first place. Billy |
Mike D
Member From: Phx, Az
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posted 03 August 2005 07:13 PM
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Along with the cone change this gives you an excellent oppurtunity to do a great set-up on the guitar. Which can make as much or more difference than the cone depending on how well it was set up to begin with.Flattening the spider and installing a new maple saddle (maybe with an Ebony cap) with the string height properly set. Don't forget to take a good look at the nut too. ------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.
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Howard Parker
Member From: Clarksburg,MD USA
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posted 04 August 2005 05:59 AM
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The Beard BC-1 cone, as well as the QC-1 Quarterman are both 10 9/16 so fitting is almost always necessary, sometimes because the top has shifted slightly over the decades.I'll second MikeD's suggestion that a cone change is about 25% of the solution. It's time for a setup. The current philosophy is to jack up the action as high as you can get under the coverplate and replace the (usually OMI installed) plastic nut for bone and bridge inserts for something like new maple or ebony capped maple. The guitar will become much more responsive. Also,FWIW, the trend for the last couple of decades is to widen the string spacing a tad. Someone reso knowledgeable can do this even on the narrow OMI necks. Just my .02 HowardP ------------------
Howard Parker
poobah@resoguit.com
www.resoguit.com
ListOwner RESOGUIT-L
77' MSA Classic D-10 |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 04 August 2005 09:20 AM
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Yep, basically all the above should probably be done, although even with the stock cone, plastic nut and such this particular one is a screamer. If it improves, it's icing on the cake.I can handle everything except routing or cone trimming, so that's what I was really concerned about. Nut/saddle replacement and other setup items are no problem. |
Bill Pastuch
Member From: Clarkesville, Georgia, USA
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posted 04 August 2005 12:23 PM
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Rick:I also had a similar experience with one of the most "premiere" dobro luthiers on the planet. He performed his surgery on two of my dobros and screwed both of them up. I did some of my own personal tweaking and got better sound out of them than he did. Shows to go 'ya, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. |
Garry Vanderlinde
Member From: Garden Grove, California, USA
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posted 04 August 2005 07:02 PM
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and...if you're broke, no one will fix it!I had a Quarterman cone installed in a mahogany '78 OMI Dobro model D. Installing the cone and removing some excess glue was all that was done and it was a vast improvement in clarity and volumn. Luthier Larry Brown who works out of Boulevard Music in Culver City, Ca, did the routing and I recommend him very highly! As do most of his clients. Not to far from you Jim. He can be pretty busy at times, but well worth the wait.
http://www.boulevardmusic.com/ [This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 04 August 2005 at 10:15 PM.] |
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