The ShadowMusic Web Community

D6 and prices etc.

Lionel,

If you have a look at the two 12 string BURNS in these pics of Hank's guitar collection a while back, both have tremelo fitted -the early one has a 'roller block' as fitted to the Jazz guitars etc and the other one a Rez-O-Tube same as a Marvin. That tends to support what Hank was speaking about methinks.

Lionel,

And here's the early D6 (prototype?) with trem in use on stage way back when -listen to the gutsy sound it belts out!

Thanks Bill, I have the "Hank's Collection" photo on my computer somewhere. I had never noticed the trem before! According to Barry G they would have originally been strung with tapewound strings. Hence Rotosound going into their archives for the new one. I certainly DO remember the sound of the standard bass version when used by Southampton groups on stage. It needs a really gutsy amp/speaker combination to carry it. I wouldn't consider using less than at least one 15" speaker - preferably a 12" or two and a 15" in a seperate cabinet. I had planned to build a speaker cab with a 15" - come retirement in the Summer maybe!

I still have my Bird Golden Eagle with a 15" Goodman, so I expect it would sound good through that. When I started out playing live at age 16 we ran all 3 guitars through it, as you did in those days! I also have a modern 2x12", 4xEL34-powered 100watt amp so could use a 15" extension cab with it. I don't think I would chance it through the AC15TV!

I'm hoping Chas will get back to me to let me know how he altered his D6 to take the bass strings.
Cheers, Lionel

Hi Lionel,

Sorry for delay with reply (the days just slip by...). I don't re-call whether I adjusted the neck or not - if I did, it wasn't by much. The bridge was no problem - no modification. The nut was straight forward thanks to the zero fret. Having first experimented with some normal bass strings I decided to get some made specifally for 25.5" scale. Newtone did this for me, and the only thing that didn't quite work out was that I forgot to mention to them that the octave down strings go through the body, which wasn't a problem except for the lowest. Where it steps down in thickness towards the machine heads, it needs to be a few millimetres longer. I put a small shim between the string and the zero fret for the purposes of trying it. Sounds fine, though I haven't got around to trying it at a rehearsal. I'd be interested in trying flat wound strings - probably sound more authentic. Trouble is the only number I'd use it on would be On The Beach, and I can get away with the 'normal' D6 for that. It's only a few notes at the beginning of the first solo that falls below the range of the normally strung D6. Interesting though, I always fancied a D6 strung this way.

Chas.

In relation to the tension put on the neck with the bass string setup this might be of interest:
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html

Erik