eb3 varitone dial plates

[sniper]

I am talking with a person about doing a small run of reproduction varitone plates for the Gibby EB-3's and other Gibsons that use the same 4 position plate. Would any of you builders/self motivated players be interested in having one or two?

PM me if you would be interested. Thanks

[Highlander]

Might be, but may just dot mark the veneer on the T'bird... count me in for now...

[EvilLordJuju]

Yes, if prices are not too steep, i'd probably want one or two

Who's going to start making Delrin saddles?

[sniper]

Yes, if prices are not too steep, i'd probably want one or two

Seems like I have googled the whole world and came up with one new plate! The price on it was $15.45 so that is my target price. Lets hope I can keep it or lower it! Might take a little while to recoup my investment but that would be okay. Maybe I could peddle a few on the bay? The switches and chicken heads are no problem finding, but finding the switches at a reasonable price is some what of a trick. There is a ton of switches out there, just they cost about 25$ average a pop from jobbers.

This last bunch of six I got reasonably by beating the dusty corner shelves for them.

[sniper]

in the next few weeks i should be getting in the first proofs and finalizing what the finished product will look like. they will NOT say "Mallory U.S.A. 374" on them for legal reasons but otherwise should be just about identical (within a few thounsandths of an inch anyways).

then i have to coordinate with the die maker and decide what die(s) i need. i have a resonable bid on a couple of clamshell dies to 1) do the final cut and 2) make the hole in the middle. so far it looks like they will be .020 or .025" thick and 1.75" in diameter.

i'll keep you all posted.

[sniper]

okay, got the proof in today and i need you Gibby players opinion.



let me know what you think, the little "x" marks the center and the outside circle represents the finished size. i need feedback before i have the dies made. the center hole will be 3/8" and the outside diameter will be 1.75".

here is the second proof. it is 2" in diameter and will be reduced to 1.75" with a 3/8" hole in the middle. i don't have an original but you can eyeball it with the entry above with the picture of an original.



i will be making the finished product myself.

thanks

[eb2]

That looks good to me.  Can you take a pic with an oldie sitting next to it, so you can take a quick A/B look?  What is the deal - do you have to punch them yourself?

Instead of Mallory in the middle, maybe you could make it say Mallocup. 

[sniper]

i'm thinking of adding the "374" part number and "U.S.A." but not Mallory

[OldManC]

How about Mallard? You can call them duck plates!

[sniper]

ehhhhhhhh................put washer under the nut and one would never notice the words aren't there.

[Denis]

I think that plate is the same one as used on the early Rippers, so if you get your repros sorted out to your satisfaction, I'll take one!

[sniper]

yeah and i finally got the proof out to the die maker today. yesterday i made a modification to the proof to make it look a bit more "correct" but i have decided to leave the center printing off of it altogether.

i should know something next week for sure and be able to place the order for which type of blanks i am going to use.

i am not going to bid on that Gibson EBO on the bay (man i wanted that BAD!!!) because i want to save the funds for the die maker.   but thats the way it goes sometimes. i did buy a few goodies from GreatDealz to console my grief though.

just a side note, i used to sell a plastic shorting switch that i modified by turning the connectors sideways in order to fit into the Rippers. i did this for a Ripper customer/player in Arizona. i am not sure a 3P4T switch is original to the Rippers though? this is a 30 degree indexed shorting switch but it does not have enough "neck" thread to fit into a 1/4" of wood very well. it fits through a thinner plastic control cover well though. it is rated for 10,000 cycles.



i have not stocked this switch for a few years. i accidently stumbled across it while researching the EB3 original replacement switch (back in my old "Pit" days) i stock. maybe i should stock it again?



i used to stock a 1.5 Henry choke coil but it didn't look like the original Gibby choke. i can post a picture of that also if i can find it. i know i have a few of them hidden somewhere?

[sniper]

1.5 Henry choke coil. it is small enough to work inside a control cavity, the base would have to be grounded but it should work on a Ripper also as well as an EB3 or in a clone circuit.

[exiledarchangel]

1.5 Henry choke coil. it is small enough to work inside a control cavity, the base would have to be grounded but it should work on a Ripper also as well as an EB3 or in a clone circuit.

This looks like those mini Xicon transformers I used for the varitone in a box I built, I wonder if it has the same dimensions.

http://www.banzaimusic.com/Xicon-TMxxx/

[sniper]

here is a size approximation next to a normal sized CTS pot as the coils are buried in my storage rental and i have no idea where in there to measure them.



i can get more.