Grateful Dead Music Forum

So ...I scored the TB500 prototype. Here are a few words on the subject.

It's a splendid guitar. Indescribable really. The highlights are:
1) The pickups - When I talked to Kevin Burkett (EGC) who built this under supervision from Mark McElwee (the luthier who put TB's design into a playable guitar) he said they were awesome & different. And they are. The original design was supposed to be very P90-ish. These are like a large hot single coil. They have a wonderful chimey-ness which could be attributable to the aluminum, but it is the first guitar I've played that has that "somethin'" that was in the '77 shows. Maybe subtle for some, but for a guy who's been listening to the Spring '77 shows for almost 35 years, it's there.
2) The action. The guitar has a scale length closer to a Les Paul. But do to the string-through design it retains the tension & the twang needed for Jerry Tone. It also came with a brass nut. So all in all it was perfect for me. I set up my Strats so that the action is raised just to the point of compromise to the intonation. This guitar came set up exactly like that. The TB intonates beautifully.
3) This version has a slight adjustment to the bridge position which allows the guitar to intonate much better than the originals.
4) I've compared this guitar to many photos of Jerry playing his TB, and to the images of Jeff Mattson & Stu Allen. I can find no flaw or difference in the Prototype. Other than it carries the serial number 00.

There is more ...but I'm still putting it through the paces. I was traveling abroad for a bit right after I received it, so it's still a new toy. It sounds incredible through the Maestro. And it sounds differently incredible through the SMS. And it really drives the Deluxe Reverb I own. Eventually, I'll add the Waldo Buffer. They decided to build it replicating the time when Jerry was using the MuTron as a buffer. I've played it though the Mu & a TruTron, and it's still great without the buffer.


Note the Jerry sweatpants. These were not purchased from the Estate. Not sure I would wear Jerry's sweats if I had them. This pair certainly has been on tour. All 13 volcanic peaks of the Pacific NW. The hat you ask? Antique store. $39.00

congrats, that's a beauty!
how are the frets, high, med or low?
do you know what material was used for the frets?
is it easy to play with vibrato?
I love that '76-'77 vibrato, I always felt he played
vibrato a little more stridently in that period
which I believe gave his guitar a more vocal quality

Frets - I haven't measured them, but I would say they're med-Jumbo. Very close to Jerry spec.
They seem like stainless, but I should inquire. That's an excellent question!

Yes on vibrato. Because the guitar sets up well with good string action vibrato is easier/different/more resonant.

Diatribe:
Something i've been thinking about. Solo violinists (I once heard, but it was on NPR) play just a hair sharp. Just a few cents. Higher actions does this. The further the string has to stretch the sharper the note becomes. But only to the point where intonation degrees are lost. Does this make sense to anyone else? Builders especially. Also...if you want your action up, I think you must also practice applying just enough downward force to fret the note. That's good practice for anyone, but especially if you are playing a guitar set up low & fast.

It is it's own thing...this TB. And altogether Wonderful. Cold when you first pick it up. Run some arpeggios to loosen up and she's ready to tune and tear it up.

Nice - Captain Trips in sweatpants. Congrats again on the guitar. Would love some sound clips if possible.

mgbills wrote:Solo violinists (I once heard, but it was on NPR) play just a hair sharp. Just a few cents. Higher actions does this. The further the string has to stretch the sharper the note becomes. But only to the point where intonation degrees are lost. Does this make sense to anyone else?

Only if they wanted to play sharp. Without frets you can get the note exactly anywhere you want it, so I would say that if they are playing sharp it's because they want to be sharp- not due to the action.

Agreed. I did not mean to imply that action would be acting on the same principles for a fretless instrument. I was thinking of this sharpness as a calculated outcome of years of practice and intentionality.

Beautiful guitar and nice threads too!