Improvements to a Resonator guitar ?

erky32 · August 2016

I've just bought myself an entry-level reso from the big T, you can see another photo of it on my sales thread for a Variax guitar. The reso is an experiment, never had one before, hardly touched one before. When I received it last week, first impressions were excellent, pretty well assembled guitar, good looking, and sounded loud! Whilst it is loud and "overdrive" sound for slide, and the electric pup is fine, I'm not hearing the clanky chimes I expected fingerstyle. Its got D'Addaria 12-53 phos/bronze, I tried some Elixir 10-52 elec nickel but they were duller. I've tried adjusting the biscuit screw attaching the bridge to the cone, and that has brightened the sound a little , but not much.
As I say , I'm new to this technology, and realise that buying the cheapest elec/acoustic reso wasn't going to be drop dead fantastic, but I wonder if there's anybody out there who has dabbled with these guitars, esp budget guitars, and know any tricks to enhance them .....maybe a quality cone? ....but I dont really want to blow £50 on a cone , unless it's a absolute essential, I'd be more tempted to send it back and ask for a better one (now that I've got the bug!!)
Any thoughts, experience, advice??

equalsql · August 2016

Are you using metal finger picks? I
I found that you really need to use these and play quite hard to really get that old timey blues/country tone.

I also found a considerable improvement in the sound when I put a set of Micheal Messer Strings on my resonator.

richardhomer · August 2016

In my experience, low-end resonators simply don't sound like 'the real thing' - and I've played a lot.

Recently bought a Busker Delta (which new are £550 - £600) that definitely sounds right:

https://m.soundcloud.com/richard-homer/acoustic-blues

The guitar is strung with 13 gauge Martin bronze strings, tuned to open G. It was played with a heavy glass slide and my fingers.

Rather than throw money at trying to improve it, I'd return it.

Some of the Regal branded ones I've played are decent - the Michael Messer ones (made by the same workshop in China as Buskers) and also very good, believe.

Lewy · August 2016

That's a spider bridge guitar so it's not really going to do clanky chimes. It's going to do smoother, more nasal sounds. I would suggest that exchanging for a biscuit bridge guitar - even one of the same quality as this - is going to get you closer to the sound you have in your head.

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Improvements to a Resonator guitar ?

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