Members Freeman Keller Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 When I built the tri cone I was seriously considering building one out of titanium. One of my buddies was a welder at Moots Cycles, he is probably one of the 10 best ti welders in the world, he agreed to do the welds and we have a Trump laser cutter where I work that could cut the pieces. I actually have the Autocad drawings of National so there really wasn't any reason not to, except that I had the koa. Would a titanium tricone be a TiCone? fwiw - when my last mountain bike was stolen (feeding some druggie's habit) I treated myself to a Moots. Totally incredible bike. Titanium can be cast, extruded, cnc'd. The biggest source, I believe, is Siberia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 I hear that Zager is selling some bridge pins made out of irradiated unobtainium now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kiowa1 Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Engineering studies have proven that the best bridge pin material is hardened structural steel. You ever seen the {censored} that happens when a bridge falls? When a guitar bridge goes, doesn't it usually go up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Speaking of bridges and resonance frequencies.... [video=youtube;j-zczJXSxnw] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pitar Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 There was a guy who didn't use bridge pins on his Goodall RCJC. He took a piece of brass plate he fashioned to fit and lay flat against his bridge plate and drilled 6 small string-gauged holes in it for his strings. He then threaded the strings through this plate and carefully put each string through its respective hole in the bridge from inside the guitar. Then he tightened up one of the two middle strings while holding the brass plate straight and flat inside the guitar. Once the string was tight he could let go and finish restringing. The purpose for this arrangement was to put mass on the bridge plate with a sure-fire method of ensuring the ball ends rested firmly on the brass bridge plate thingy. He carefully explained his reasoning and procedure to Tim McKnight who had volunteered to change strings on people's guitars during an LB jam in Georgia. Tim's silent response could have been weighed. But, the guy swore it vastly improved the sound. He changed the guy's strings using the brass plate. BTW, Tim used a modified string winder he grafted onto a shaft for installing in a drill driver for tightening strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Check out Doolin's design. The ball-ends hook on to the built-in bridge pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Martin guys, National guys, and Gibson guys like those hash pipes as well. There's just no way the sound difference would be perceptible to most, if there is a sound difference, over your plastic variety. Sure, there may be, but noticeable? Doubt it. Go for the look and spend big on that, makes much more sense than chasing someone else's tone. I mean, that's like taping coins to your..... oh, nevermind... I didnt realize people put Bigsbys on Martins and Nationals:idk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pitar Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Check out Doolin's design. The ball-ends hook on to the built-in bridge pins. That's pretty crafty-like. But, why not just make a through bridge? Lot less work. Of course, it doesn't exhibit the guy's design sense and craftsmanship but it's certainly less work and probably more reliable over the long run. One of the things I look for from a builder is his sense of style through economy and basic utility. When someone starts going for complex (Babiscz, McPherson) because they can I tend to lose some respect for them. It's the ability to render economy into a design of aesthetic utility that always wins out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 But, why not just make a through bridge? Lot less work. It's a competitive market. These guys try to distinguish themselves from every other builder. Sometimes the distinctive features are useful. In this case, it probably is easier to restring and wears less on the bridge and bridge plate. Besides, if it's good enough for piano builders.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 I didnt realize people put Bigsbys on Martins and Nationals:idk: I'm sorry slim, I was joking. That looks like a pic of a small hash pipe. And the joke would be that Martin, Gibson, and National guys like to smoke hash as much as Gretsch guys. I love explaining poor jokes, so if the forum has any others they don't understand, I'll get right on it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 It's a competitive market. These guys try to distinguish themselves from every other builder. Sometimes the distinctive features are useful. I think that's a "bingo". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 My plastic ones seem to work fine. And when I lose one it only costs me 25 pence to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Titanium is commonly molded. Google it. All I'm finding is titanium alloy and even then it's not that common either.Like I said, you would have to mold it in an environment sealed off from all oxygen to avoid it all turning into titanium oxide powder on you. Also there are problems with pure titanium reacting to what you cast it in. Not a cheap process. http://www.demajournal.com/article/S0109-5641(03)00223-9/abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2174447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'm sorry slim, I was joking. That looks like a pic of a small hash pipe. And the joke would be that Martin, Gibson, and National guys like to smoke hash as much as Gretsch guys.I love explaining poor jokes, so if the forum has any others they don't understand, I'll get right on it for you. 'preciate it, I'm slow. Prob too much hash in my younger days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kiowa1 Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Here's a poor joke: A woman goes to the dentist. He takes a look in her mouth and says, "That molar has to come out." She cringes and says, "Oh, no, I'd rather have a baby than to have a tooth pulled." He says, 'Make up your mind, lady, I gotta adjust the chair!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Here's a poor joke: A woman goes to the dentist. He takes a look in her mouth and says, "That molar has to come out." She cringes and says, "Oh, no, I'd rather have a baby than to have a tooth pulled." He says, 'Make up your mind, lady, I gotta adjust the chair!" But other than the fact that bridge pin conversations around here are something akin to having teeth pulled, I'm not sure how this is any more relevant than Neil Young. Sorry . . . I couldn't resist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'm cheap. Plastic works for me and da gits sound great. Ain't gonna spend money to fix what ain't broke, though I gotta admit, brass ones might be a pretty bit of bling on my GAD-25, but only if I got gold-tone tuners to go along with it. On second thought...meh....maybe that would be too much bling. I like da git just how it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stringbender11 Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 ^I agree^. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted January 30, 2012 Members Share Posted January 30, 2012 Here's a poor joke: A woman goes to the dentist. He takes a look in her mouth and says, "That molar has to come out." She cringes and says, "Oh, no, I'd rather have a baby than to have a tooth pulled." He says, 'Make up your mind, lady, I gotta adjust the chair!" Heck, even I don't get that one. Was she pregnant to begin with.... Kidding, kidding... good joke. And to get back on topic.... I have a titanium bolt on my Glyph 'ukulele in the neck, Dave Means, the luthier, found a stash of them some years back and uses them for his necks. He's never claimed any acoustic improvement, just has them in there until he's out of 'em. But this does go to show that we, as a whole, will spend money on pretty much anything interesting. I have one of these (below), and it cleans strings about as well as a microfiber cloth, but for 10 bucks more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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