Crazy Topic for Hump Day: Resos and Nylons

[Stackabones]

IIRC there was a Brazilian reso that everyone thought had nylons, but it didn't, right? Chet Atkins loved them ... can't recall the name. I know that there is a picture of one on one of Earl Klugh's discs.

 

Here's Chet and Earl ...

[YOUTUBE]DRxq7mSC1SE[/YOUTUBE]

Chet's got that reso.

 

*

 

So ... we've had the garthman conversion of dreads with nylons: how about a conversion with resos? Anyone ever done it? Someone want to be the bellwether and take his extra reso and experiment so that it'll become the "your-name-here" conversion of resos?

 

btw, all the arguments about how it won't drive the cones and that it will sound awful are duly noted and will be put in a special file. Thanks!

[Jake7]

The tuners will cut the nylon strings off as you get them up to pitch won't they?

[Stackabones]

The tuners will cut the nylon strings off as you get them up to pitch won't they?

 

Why would they do that?

[Jake7]

That's what happens when you try stringing a paddle headstock with nylons in my limited experience. Unless said reso was a slothead.

 

If it sounded cool I'd use it for recording no doubt.

[Stackabones]

That's what happens when you try stringing a paddle headstock with nylons in my limited experience. Unless said reso was a slothead. If it sounded cool I'd use it for recording no doubt.

 

Ahh ... okay, I see what you're saying.

 

My default mental image headstock is slothead. I don't think I have paddlehead ... wait, I have an old Tak paddlehead in my stable.

[Freeman Keller]

'bones, I think that Chet played a McPherson (sp) or something. Can't remember any details but there is no reason the a nylon string guitar couldn't also have a cone. Remember that over the years National and Dobro have made mandolins, violins, ukes and all sorts of other resonators - why not gut?

 

And of course the tuners on a nylon strung guitar are those big plastic rollers - I've never seen that done on a paddle head.

[Terry Allan Hall]

'bones, I think that Chet played a McPherson (sp) or something. Can't remember any details but there is no reason the a nylon string guitar couldn't also have a cone. Remember that over the years National and Dobro have made mandolins, violins, ukes and all sorts of other resonators - why not gut? And of course the tuners on a nylon strung guitar are those big plastic rollers - I've never seen that done on a paddle head.

 

Atkins played a Del Vecchio reso.

 

 

In Brazil the guitar factory of DelVecchio (or "Del Vecchio") made a local version of the dobro. This instrument was officially called the Dinamico, but players often refer to it just by the factory name. The factory in S

[Terry Allan Hall]

A little more info:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Vecchio_(guitar_maker)

[Freeman Keller]

Thanks, Terry, you are an encyclopedia as usual. It was the McGill that I was thinking of, I knew it was Mc something.

[Stackabones]

Yeah, that's it! Del Vecchio.

 

Now that's solved ... resos and nylons? Hmmm???

[garthman]

Re Jake7's comments: My nylon string dreadnaught has the usual paddle headstock and I have never had a problem with strings breaking - the only consideration is the smaller diameter of the tuner peg so you just need to keep the strings under tension while tuning up to compensate for the greater stretch of the nylon strings.

 

And why not put nylons on a reso? - I suspect it would sound very good. Unfortunately I don't have one or I would try it myself.

 

Good idea, Stack.

[Terry Allan Hall]

I recall reading about a reso classical offered some years ago, with a lighter-than-usual cone assembly...might've been Del Vecchio or someone like that.