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Loose horn on '21 Gibson -Help

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5/24/2000 11:42 AM

Loose horn on '21 Gibson -Help

Hi,

I'm having some serious trouble with my favourite vintage amp. It's a 1921 Orville Gibson Melodie Horn with a 18" walnut burr horn. It was handed down from my great-grandpa and it sounds wicked with amplified cello.

Trouble is, there's been a spell of hot dry weather and the catgut binding that connects the horn to the transducer is starting to crumble. The horn is looking shaky and if I don't do something soon it will fall right off! I thought about using nylon fishing line but I'm worried about hacking this priceless piece.

Please help,

Steve C.

5/24/2000 2:56 PM

Maybe you can find a leather shop or a distributer of leather porducts that can help you. I've seen "catgut" for sewing leather pieces together. I know it's been a long time since gut was used for guitar strings but it may be possible to find some that was intended for a restoration og a guitar, or possibly for gut violin strings. I'll keep my eyes peeled for something like this and post more information if I find something.
Peter S

5/27/2000 7:32 AM
Steve Ahola	Steve: I thought about using nylon fishing line... The question is... SOLID or STRANDED? Or maybe there is a silverplated version available... I just checked my books and you may have a bogus amp: the OGM did not start using the 18" walnut burl horn until 1923! (The 1921 model used a pair of 12" horns in a TV front cabinet.) Steve Ahola

5/28/2000 11:31 PM

quote:
"I just checked my books and you may have a bogus amp"

Oh no! Well at least I don't have to worry about hacking it, in fact I've got most of an old 5150 lying around, I think it would be an interesting marriage of the old and the new. I'll use No More Nails adhesive to strengthen the horn as the extra sound pressure would surely finish it off.

Steve C.

5/31/2000 1:58 AM
Steve Ahola	Steve: Well, you could use a Brainiac to reduce the line voltage going into the amp to 95vac, but the lowered voltage may create problems with the filibusters... Steve Ahola

5/31/2000 10:00 PM

quote:
"filibusters"

what are filibusters?

Steve C.

6/1/2000 3:58 AM
Peter S	Arent they senators from Massachusetts?

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