Weissenborn Tricone Build

[Jeff Wewers]

I’m in the process of building a hollow neck Weissenborn style guitar with a Tricone resonator in it. I’m at the point of making the “shelf” that the cones sit on. How much of the T-bar should stick up above the top of the guitar? This will determine how deep I make the shelf. Hope this question makes sense.

[Freeman Keller]

Jeff, I have built both Weissenborns and a tricone, but not in the same guitar. On the Weissie you will want the string plane about 3/8 off the fretboard from nut to saddle. My tricone on the other hand is set up for both fretted and slide playing so I want my strings a lot closer - the action is very similar to any acoustic guitar. I believe that my well is one inch deep but its been so long I frankly don't remember.

The action on a resonator is usually set by adjusting the neck angle (shim the neck stick). I set mine so the fret plane just hits the top of the tee bridge which means I can put a saddle of about 1/8 in it and have reasonable action. For a lap slider I would make that somewhat higher to give the 3/8 action.

[Freeman Keller]

I'll also add that I have drawings of the top of a tricone in both pdf and dwg formats, including one modified to be a square neck lap guitar (not a true weissenborn but more the National square neck shape). I can make those available if its not too late.

[Jeff Highland]

Hi Jeff, I'm currently building a Weissencone too, Just closed the box yesterday.
Had some advice from Freeman too when I started.Thanks Freeman.
Depends on your cones and T bar and cover plate but I ended up with 28mm depth (4mm top plus two layers of 12mm plywood) and it look like that will sit nicely under the cover bar with maybe 4mm saddle above the t bar.
The tricone arrangement was a little tight on my weissenborn outline, I ended up widening the body 7mm at the tail and relieving the corners of the well a bit.

[Freeman Keller]

Guitar looks great, Jeff. Wonder if the other Jeff will come back.

[Jeff Highland]

The 28mm deep well has worked out for the weissencone with a 3mm saddle protusion giving me my preferred 8mm string clearance over the board

[Jeff Highland]

Finished mine today

[Ed Minch]

Beautiful. Where did you get the binding

Ed M

[Jeff Highland]

Binding was from Gurian, Shipping to Australia was expensive but I think worth it.

[Freeman Keller]

Lovely, Jeff. The rope binding just looks "correct". How do you like playing with those three cones right in your face?

[Jeff Highland]

I'm liking playing it very much. It's got that Reso bite but not overwhelming and I've also got a ultrathin pickup under a wood cover up at the end of the neck which is very effective for amplified playing.