Reso sightings in Germany

[Bennett]

The universe has once again arranged to put beautiful instruments up for auction when I can only sing the empty pocket blues.

But maybe other Café people are interested in following items on German eBay:

A National tenor:

http://cgi.ebay.de/National-Resonator-Gitarre-30er-Resonator-Guitar-30th_W0QQitemZ180471456145QQcmdZViewItemQQptZStrei ch_und_Zupfinstrumente?hash=item2a04efe191


And a resophonic Dobro mandolin:

http://cgi.ebay.de/Dobro-Resonator-Mandoline-3oer-30th-Dobro-mandolin_W0QQitemZ180471455785QQcmdZViewItemQQptZS treich_und_Zupfinstrumente?hash=item2a04efe029

Sure don’t see these too often around here.

[Cliff D]

So, were I to purchase it would I commit sacriledge if I removed those in-line tuners? I thought they had been banished to use only on ukes & banjos donkeys years back! (I refer to the tenor).

[allenhopkins]

So, were I to purchase it would I commit sacrilege if I removed those in-line tuners? I thought they had been banished to use only on ukes & banjos donkeys years back! (I refer to the tenor).

The tenor guitar has planetary banjo pegs, not "mere" friction tuners. Since tenor guitars were often marketed to tenor banjo players, many manufacturers used the same type of tuners. They are geared and they work fine (well, that's a generalization; I don't know if the particular set on this guitar works at all).

When C F Martin came out with its OM 6-strings in the '30's, featuring a longer (14-fret) neck and designed to attract tenor banjoists, Martin put planetary geared pegs on them.

And it's not "sacrilege" to replace original tuners on a vintage instrument (my 1937 National Style O resonator guitar has 1980-vintage tuners, 'cause the originals were irredeemably broken), but it's wise to hold on to the originals in case you ever want to sell the instrument to a collector.

[Cliff D]

Thanks Allen. The one banjo I have was supplied with in line tuners: if they were geared there seemed precious little in it. Fine tuning was just awkward, though not impossible. I eventually put some guitar tuners on it: way better.