Dupont Nomade

BluesBop Harry

I'm sorry the shims didn't work. It's trial and error.
The next step I guess would be messing with the bridge.
It took me a while to get my Nomade just right, it's now at 3mm low E and 2.5 high E with a set of 10s with a 11 and 15 for the unwound strings and a little neck relief. The bridge is a lowered #2 but I went too far so had to shim it up a bit.
Plays great, no buzz and sound the best I've heard it.
Hope you get yours like you want soon.

Tele295

Take the neck off???? Is it a bolt on neck like a Fender?

BluesBop Harry

Tele295 wrote:

Take the neck off???? Is it a bolt on neck like a Fender?

Yep, here's a pic of the bolts looking at you like two round "dark eyes"

BluesBop Harry

Hey Swing69,
A couple of things just came to my mind, first. are you measuring the action right?
From the top of the fret to the bottom of the string at the 12th fret without pressing down and using a precise ruler.
I believe you did it right i'm just making sure

Second, when you shimmed the neck and the D string buzzed are you sure it wasn't the string itself, that's often the case when only one string buzzes...

Lastly, the #2 Dupont bridge is 19mm. so if you're getting a 4mm action reading with that, a #1 which is 17.5mm would lower it by .75mm putting your action just above 3mm which is pretty good, maybe that is the best way to go?

Tele295

BluesBop Harry wrote:

Tele295 wrote:

Take the neck off???? Is it a bolt on neck like a Fender?

Yep, here's a pic of the bolts looking at you like two round "dark eyes"

Wow, I'm really surprised. Is this construction found on all Duponts or just this model?

crookedpinky

Hi there, bolts only on the Nomade. Having heard Swing69s playing I have to say it appears to almost no effect on volume and tone.

When Swing69 ( Gary ) and I were talking about this last night I totally forgot about the bolt on part of the equation and thought he had lost the plot when he told me he had shimmed up the neck.

Anyway, they're great guitars - look the business and sound even better.
PS Swing69 also has the advantage of being a really good player.
Alan

Swing 69

Merci beaucoup Alan :oops: ,

May I repay such a kind comment, by complementing you too, on your fine playing Sir.
Not only that, but for starting up such a wonderful little hot club and enriching, an otherwise empty Tuesday night, for me, (and I'm sure for all of us), with a delightful Django inspired swing night. Merci once again Alan.
Oh..., I gotta get ma a pair of those patent pointy Debarre numbers too mate, I seriously love them!!!

A couple of things just came to my mind, first. are you measuring the action right?
From the top of the fret to the bottom of the string at the 12th fret without pressing down and using a precise ruler.

Yeah BluesBop, top of fret to bottom of string.

astly, the #2 Dupont bridge is 19mm. so if you're getting a 4mm action reading with that, a #1 which is 17.5mm would lower it by .75mm putting your action just above 3mm which is pretty good, maybe that is the best way to go?

Yeah this was the reason I was thinking about the #1 bridge, I'd looked up the cost of them and got the heights there, wasn't exactly sure how it'd measure up but I don't think by the small differnce in height beween bridges that it would drop it too low.

Second, when you shimmed the neck and the D string buzzed are you sure it wasn't the string itself, that's often the case when only one string buzzes...

No mate no chance, I got it in tune, had a bit run up and down, i noticed it most on D but it was elsewhere too, i didn't play it too much at that, just whipped neck off again. ( I was at my work and we kept getting turned out :x )

I have a couple of bridges here actually from the dad'nlaws guitars (he made extras "for me other guitar"), i had a look earlier and I think one or two are slightly lower than the #2, I might muck about with them on it till i get the height, then measure up and see about lowering #2.
mmmm, could be an idea.

Thanks again guys, love your input.

P.S.. Incidentally, When Alan and I were speaking last night, it was Samois, Samois, Samois, Samois, Samois, Samois......Grrrrrrrr.....

crookedpinky

Samois ? It'll be rank rotten.........aye, right. Lets ban all talk of it on Tuesdays.

Swing 69

If any one out there has a #1 bridge they don't use/never going to need and would like to sell on please, PM me!
Thanks.

Craig Bumgarner

I had a couple questions on the Nomade bolt on neck if any owner's are on the board.

If you have had the neck joint apart, are the "bolts" actually a bolt, that is a machine screw? If so, is there a threaded metal insert of some sort in the underside of the neck for the bolt to screw into? Or are they just wood screws right into the wood.

It looks like there are only two screws. Is there some other hidden form of attachment? Two screws would seem to make a hinge of sorts and not hold the neck down well to the body. Four screws is, I think, more common on solid body electrics where this kind of joint is more common. But on an acoustic this would mean the head block would be overly large.

How thick is the part of the neck that laps onto the body, that is where the screws go into? Looks like about an 1" to 1.25", about a 1/4" thicker than the playable part of the neck.

Does the shorten heel feel weird when playing?

The consensus here and elsewhere seems to be the sound is not adversely effected by the bolt on neck or the block glued under the top to receive it. Oui?

Full disclosure: Not thinking about buying a Nomade. Rather, I'm contemplating a test bed guitar that I can try out different variables like different woods, thickness for tops, bracing, doming, bridge break angle etc. The Nomade bolt on neck design would help to 1) quickly remove neck, 2) not overlap the top, making top changes easier. 3) shimming would allow variable break angles as described by others above. For my purposes, the abbreviated heel doesn't make much difference unless it feels weird for playing. I could always glue a faux heel to the body I guess.

CB