Steel Guitar Builder

I have pictures of aluminum necks and they have been milled out on the underside. I have been told that this is the norm. Also, the necks do not touch the changer or the keyhead but are simply screwed to the deck of the guitar. So it is questionable whether they contribute to overall sturdiness and also tone.
Some people say the tone is different with a metal vs a wood neck. I believe it is in the ear that hears it. A "best player in the world" plays a wood neck. Another "best player" plays a metal neck. they all sound dynamite.
I believe it was Bobbe Seymore who took the neck off his guitar and couldn't hear any difference between the two.

Bigsby had solid aluminum necks on their guitars. They carried the whole load of the string tension. A lot of people swear by the Bigsby sound. Our own Georg Sørtun has a solid aluminum neck on his Dekley as you know. He, you and other people love the tone on his Dekley. Truth be told, I can't hear any difference with my cardboard ears.

To me, most of the tone is in the hands that play and the ear that hears.
Sorry, Will, I got carried away from the topic a bit....

deleted. Double post

triangulatio:

http://www.harmosmusic.com/images/MVC-454F-matteB.jpg
http://www.harmosmusic.com/images/MVC-452F-clnB.jpg
http://www.harmosmusic.com/models/sacredsteel.htm

there's also a welded titanium space frame console steel out there that I've seen pics of, but I can't find it right now

have a nice weekend

Ross -

Thanks for the links. I had that machine in the back of my mind but couldn't, for the life of me, remember the name.

A few folks with an eye towards mechanical elegance might enjoy that guitar. For the most part, though, I suspect that the vast majority will prefer the "traditional" look.

Richard

Holy smoke, Ross! It looks like something out of "Alien" or its sequels. Sort of "Extreme futuristic" meets "trash bin"....

I guess it works great though?

The last link that Ross supplied has mp3 snippets of the Harmos sound - what there is of it. Might interest a bunch of rock-'n-rollers but not many others. Approaches a "sinusoidal" waveform sans the character that overtones provide.

Folks like Bent and Dave don't have to be concerned about THAT competition - if you can call it that. Definitely NOT my "dish of tea".

Richard

That one is funny, Richard! Comic relief is always in order. If sinusoidal means "it clears out your sinuses", I am with you! I will add its a good earwax remover as well
Hey, I didn't know that folks drink their tea out of a dish in Gallatin .
Be good!

Bent -

Sorry to disappoint you, but the term "sinusoidal" refers to a waveform whose amplitude is a function of the sine of the angle through which it has travelled as it is generated. The waveshape of the AC voltage at the electrical outlets in your home is, essentially, "sinusoidal" in shape. It is a pure waveform without much character. Even the rocker's "fuzz" tone can be described as a combination of "sine" waves of varying degrees of amplitude and frequency.

I actually prefer your definition whereas one's sinus's are cleared with an abhorrent sounding instrument. Yucka!

Got that "dish of tea" thing from a Brit colleague many years ago. If I remember correctly, one would pour their tea into the saucer in order to cool it down. I use the phrase when indicating my lack of enthusiasm for most anything - mild disdain.

Richard

It's "cup of tea" actually, guys. But yes, on a closely related track, some people (years and years ago) apparently poured their tea into the saucer to drink it, so it cooled off quicker. It was looked down on, and a sure signal that anyone doing it was "working class"! I don't think it survives in UK anywhere these days. But the expression was always "not my cup of tea, old chap".

The phrase was "Americanized" by a good friend of mine many, many years ago so as to emphasize the "saucer" or "dish". No matter - the meaning remains.