Inexpensive resonators

Jetsam1 · March 2018

Another one putting a Thomann order in and want to make it worth the while. Been browsing the site and found resonators from Fender and Harley Benton around the €300 to €350 mark which is well in the "ok to have for a bit of fun" bracket.

Watched a few videos and a resonator for altered tunings and a bit of slide sounds like a fun idea? They have a Fender Brown Derby (wood body) and a Harley Benton (with a metal body). The Fender appeals as it has a telecaster style neck apparently and won't be too traumatic a change from my normal electrics. I don't play a lot of acoustic though I really should...... HB electrics are supposed to be not too bad but no idea about the acoustics.

Just a thought about something I never really considered before.....

rustneversleeps · March 2018

I once owned a Ozark steel resonator which was good and about your price range.I think there still about.

KDS · March 2018

Either of the Micheal Messers reso are great and well worth paying a little more second hand

Lewy · March 2018

+1 on the Messer’s. I’ve owned several vintage Nationals and the Messers are very close in tone and feel (in fact the only reso I have now is a Messer Blues).

Generally cheap resos are not great, and the brands you quote are some of the worst. But that assumes you are comparing them to the sound of classic “good” resos (so
old Nationals and Dobros, modern National Resophonics etc) - if you just want to just muck about with a flavour of ‘that’ sound then they’ll get you some of that for sure.

Jetsam1 · March 2018

I would be just mucking about with the flavour to be honest! I'm not a skilled player by any measure and just play for my own enjoyment so a really good instrument is probably wasted on me! Just thought the Fender would be enough as it seems well reviewed for the price and one review said the cone is made in Hungary of all places...... So probably of decent quality. But the Messers are not actually all that more expensive even new.....

Or if I can actually find one to have a play with I will see whether I like it enough to wait for a better one. I live in Hungary and outside of Budapest (one shop really if I'm honest) finding stuff to try is not always easy.

It was going to be a bit of an impulse buy but again watching the videos of people playing them and realising that that sound is in quite a lot of my favourite music makes me think....

bbill335 · March 2018

rustneversleeps said:

I once owned a Ozark steel resonator which was good and about your price range.I think there still about.

I've never seen it confirmed but I reckon the Harley Benton resonators are rebranded Ozarks

Rocker · March 2018

@Jetsam1, there is no 'should' in guitar playing. If you like the sound of an acoustic and enjoy the experience of playing one, get one. But not every player 'should' have or play one.

Gagaryn · March 2018

I've had a cheap metal bosied reso for about 10 years, was under £200, Chinese branded Rally. It's fine. I suspect this is down to my ignorance of resos but I don't hear a massive leap (read: any difference) between it and my mate's National - both sound like resos!

richardhomer · March 2018

Lewy said:

+1 on the Messer’s. I’ve owned several vintage Nationals and the Messers are very close in tone and feel (in fact the only reso I have now is a Messer Blues).

Generally cheap resos are not great, and the brands you quote are some of the worst. But that assumes you are comparing them to the sound of classic “good” resos (so
old Nationals and Dobros, modern National Resophonics etc) - if you just want to just muck about with a flavour of ‘that’ sound then they’ll get you some of that for sure.

I own a Busker Delta - which is essentially a Michael Messer Blues, without the paint finish. I agree they are leagues ahead of most ‘cheap’ resonators, in terms of sound.

Creme_Brulee · March 2018

From what I understand, following a conversation with a guy who's been playing and modding resonator guitars for years. A lot of it comes down to the 'cone'. His theory was "find a resonator that you like playing and then upgrade the cone". I have to say, it sounded like hardworking to me but he felt it was cost effective way to get 'what you want'.

My personal preference is a wooden bodied, round neck with a single cutaway, for easy access to higer frets.
Having said that (if your just amusing yourself and your not a purist) my line6 Variax Acoustic700 has them in with the rest of the goodies plus all the tunings you want.

erky32 · March 2018

I tried a few resos triples/dobro & biscuit and finally landed with a Fender Resocaster, - hollow body, biscuit cone, tele neck - and I really enjoy it more than others I've played - National, Ozark, Regal, and a couple of homemade! - I use 11-54 elec strings with medium action so it plays as an elec in standard tuning. But open tuning is poss. It also has a lipstick elec pup and a reso centre fix (fishman I think) so the elec aspect is brilliant giving a good range of amplified reso sounds. Works for me - but theyre not easy to find because they were only produced for 2 or 3 yrs, .... I paid around £300 secondhand.

OilCityPickups · April 2018

I have a Harley Benton resonator ... sounds okay ... but not stunning. It required a hell of a lot of setting up when I got it, as the cone wouldn't sit flat in the 'well' due to glue overspill in manufacture, and the bridge saddle had been cut so low that the strings were slapping on the cover plate like a sitar! It was cheap as chips, and only intended for fun ...but gives me my odd fix of delta blues playing.

longjaw · April 2018

I bought a MIK 'Rally' resonator a good few years ago and love it - build quality is superb.

Well worth keeping an eye open for one on Gumtree etc.

equalsql · April 2018

I own a Gretsch Honeydipper which I can highly recommend. Good bang for the buck and real authentic tones.

Clashman · April 2018

I heard a Gretsch they sound fine to my ears.

Winny_Pooh · April 2018

If you could stretch the budget....
these are EXCELLENT

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/282908152849

John_P · April 2018

Not sure how good they are but Anderson’s have a recording king reso in their second hand section that looks a good deal.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/second-hand/recording-kind-rm-99

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