paul h Posted January 20, 2016 Posted January 20, 2016 Here is my new Tonk Bros parlour guitar in Dirty Bourbon! It's Indonesian made from Birch and hand finished in the UK. The company ethos is to make guitars that hark back to pre-war, blues/parlour guitars. It pretty much hits the nail on the head and really has that old bluesman vibe. However with that whole ethos come a few issues. It's a little bit on the cheese grater side to play...there is no adjustable truss rod...the neck is just laminated...well, by that, I mean it's plywood and as thick as my arm! At least it doesn't look like its going to move anywhere soon! The strangest/most irking thing is that the fretboard after the join at the 12th fret dips away. Luckily I have no intentions of ever playing that high! Electrics wise it's just a passive piezo with no controls with the jack socket in the strap pin. I know I could have got a better playing instrument at less than half the price...but it wouldn't be as cool In fact my £80 Gear4Music guitar plays much better. I am going to put some lighter strings on it which should help no end. Is it worth the £320 I paid for it? As an instrument...no. But as a cool, retro guitar with a genuine pawn shop feel to it...maybe.
paul h Posted January 20, 2016 Author Posted January 20, 2016 Thanks...it does, as you rightly say, look the business! I'm trying to get that slightly naive, drunken master style to my guitar playing and this is the guitar do it on!
CamdenRob Posted January 20, 2016 Posted January 20, 2016 I'd be channeling my inner Robert Johnson if I had one of those... I may even try to sing
teleman Posted January 20, 2016 Posted January 20, 2016 It certainly is a cool looking retro guitar. It's probably made or set up to play slide! Have you tried a slide on it?
paul h Posted January 20, 2016 Author Posted January 20, 2016 I had a quick go but I can't really* play slide. *At all Lighter strings will make all the difference. The nut is a fraction high because despite all my best attempts my capo is pulling it slightly sharp. Again lighter strings will help. The fact is I wanted something like an old "cowboy/blues" guitar and this is exactly that. I just didn't really think of the consequences of that! I am going to stick with it though...just like the old blues players would have
teleman Posted January 20, 2016 Posted January 20, 2016 That's the spirit Paul, you'll get used to it. You can always have adjustments made to the nut and saddle which will help.
Beer of the Bass Posted January 20, 2016 Posted January 20, 2016 I think the big neck is to be expected if they're going for a pre-war sort of feel. My 1936 Kalamazoo archtop has a neck so big that I had great difficulty finding a capo that worked! I have to use the cheap nylon strap kind as nothing else will fit...
paul h Posted January 20, 2016 Author Posted January 20, 2016 I've got a Shubb C1b which just about works. If I leave the tension quite loose to fit it, and then tighten the screw a little it seems to do the trick. It has popped off a couple of times but like anything, it will take a bit trial and error before I have it sorted.
leftybassman392 Posted January 21, 2016 Posted January 21, 2016 [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuSKX_gqHn4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuSKX_gqHn4[/url] Need to work on your slide though...
paul h Posted January 21, 2016 Author Posted January 21, 2016 Very cool... ...although this guitar is for a country duo/band I was aiming for something with a bit of a Willie Nelson's trigger feel. (Minus the nylon strings of course.)
paul h Posted January 22, 2016 Author Posted January 22, 2016 Just fitted some Martin custom lights to it and they have made a world of difference, natch. I still probably need to spend a few weeks lifting pints and crushing paper cups with my left hand to build up some strength but judicious use of a capo will limit the amount of barre chords I run into.
paul h Posted January 23, 2016 Author Posted January 23, 2016 @Beer you're totally correct...my nice Shubb capo keeps popping off! It's fine in most positions but we're doing a song that needs a capo at the 6th fret! It's a pain to put on and keeps popping off I've just ordered one of those cheap elastic ones off the bay to see if that works. Totally gutted I can't use the Shubb...it's an awesome looking brass contraption
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