BS: New tiple info!!!!

Subject: New tiple info!!!!
From: Bedubya
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 11:35 AM

********** NEWSFLASH **********

ANSWER TO "WHY A TIPLE?" UNCOVERED!

Okay, it's not really a newsflash, and it may all just be a pack of lies, but after reading the classic tiple thread in the newcomer's section, it occurred to me that I once heard a perfectly believable explanation for the seeming excess of tiples in the world, and that nobody mentioned this theory in that thread.

DISCLAIMER: I make no claim for the veracity of what follows. It's something a drunk once told be while lolling around a campfire at a bluegrass festival.

It seems that during a certain period of the last century, the C.F. Martin Company's attitude toward dealer relations was a little on the draconian side. A dealer could not just sign a contract and order a few D-18's and D-28's, but had to carry, at least initially, a product line dictated by the folks at Martin. This line would have included not just guitars, but mandolins, ukuleles and tiples. The other instruments sold while the tiples gathered dust until the dealers finally sold them off at fire-sale prices.

This does not explain why the folks at Martin decided to make tiples in the first place, but it does explain why the number of them out there seems to greatly exceed the demand for them. Whereas Martin may have built and sold a few hundred tiples in an open market, they used their position of power in the industry to try to create a demand for thousands of them. And it just didn't happen.

As stated above, I have absolutely no idea if this is the truth. I have no desire to offend the fine folks at C.F. Martin or any Martin worshippers. I like my Martin guitars just fine.... But it's a damned believable little tale, isn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 11:42 AM

..then there's the theory that they started spreading across the States from an epicentre at Roswell....
RtS [OK,OK, I just invented the theory, Bedubya's is more plausible...OR IS IT?]

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:07 PM

...ummm... what's a tiple? I thought it was a typo of either triple or tipple... but neither seems to fit, although you can get really close with tipple... sounds like a musical instrument but I've never heard of it?

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: Giac
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:19 PM

Quick! Mrrzy, go read this thread. It explains everything (and don't let Spaw know you hadn't read it, or you'll wind up in NYCFTTS).

a href=http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=9616>classic tiple thread

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:19 PM

Mrrzy, you cannot be a member here unless you are familiar with the CLASSIC TIPLE THREAD........You are indeed deprived so treat yourself to something completely depraved (and a bit educational) and learn everything you never wanted to know about tiples (tipples).

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: Giac
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:21 PM

Dammit, 'Spaw! You're too quick on the trigger, but that's okay, my link didn't work anyhow. LOL.

Subject: RE: BS: New tiple info!!!!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 01:46 PM

Ak, am I now somewhere I also don't know about?