Talk To Me About Resonators

bermudianbrit · September 2018

Hi all,

I'm interested in adding a round-necked resonator to my world. I'd like to learn a bit of slide, but I also just really like the sound. I often play with 2 other acoustic guitarists, and I get lost abit in what we're doing. I'd like something different and cool to add to the sound. I typically play cords up the neck, 3-4 note voicings to accompany the cowboy cords that others are playing. I also play some lead.

I know I need to go play a bunch, but having played wooden and metal ones, I prefer the metal ones for their distinctiveness.

So what should I care about? What price range am I looking at for a solid resonator? I'm not interested in spending the earth but anything in 3 digits I'm ok with. What about on-board pickups? I also heard that some cheaper resonators are impossible/very hard to adjust intonation etc. Is that the case and if so how do I verify that mine can be adjusted?

Any other tips welcome.

Thanks

Foster · September 2018

I've got a Harley Benton (thomann own brand) full metal reso that i'm looking to sell on if interested.

KDS · September 2018

Micheal messer reso are great, go for about £400 second hand. If you want to spend abit more I have a national resolectric for sale

Lewy · September 2018

So, first thing to decide is which kind of resonator it is you like the sound of. There are three main types:

Biscuit bridge single cone - patterned after the National Duolian and Triolian - think Son House, Mark Knopfler, Bukka White,

Spider bridge single cone - patterned after the original Dobros. Think Jerry Douglas (yes he plays square neck but it's that same sweet nasal bluegrass tone)

Tricone - three small cones driven by a T-shaped bridge. Think Bob Brozman, Tampa Red.

If it's a biscuit bridge single cone, be it metal or wooden bodied (they sound more similar than you might think) there is nothing better out there under a grand than Michael Messer guitars. I have owned two vintage National guitars (a 32 Triolian and a 33 Style O) and played dozens more, and frankly I wouldn't back myself to pick between an old Nat and a Messer in a blind test (listening, not playing mind....)

For spider cone, Gold Tone Paul Beard probably represents the best value

For tricones, I've never heard a cheap one that sounded close to a good one.....if that's where you're taste lies you should think about upping your budget and finding a National Resophonic.

Caveat: my points of reference are the original instruments. There are lots of people who have cheap or somehow not "properly" made or designed resos who love them, so let your ears decide.

merlin · September 2018

I've just invested in a Gretsch G9201and I'm picking it up on Monday.
I've played the Square neck Bobtail version which was great but I wanted a round neck.
I suspect you can get them second hand for around £350. This one cost me £200 £300. I'll report back.

Edit, typo. £300!!

richardhomer · September 2018

KDS said:

Micheal messer reso are great, go for about £400 second hand. If you want to spend abit more I have a national resolectric for sale

Or a Busker Delta (the same guitar rebadged). As near as you’ll get to a ‘real’ National at ‘handy’ money. Most ‘cheap’ resonators sound nothing like a genuine one - these do.

Lewy · September 2018

richardhomer said:

KDS said:

Micheal messer reso are great, go for about £400 second hand. If you want to spend abit more I have a national resolectric for sale

Or a Busker Delta (the same guitar rebadged). As near as you’ll get to a ‘real’ National at ‘handy’ money. Most ‘cheap’ resonators sound nothing like a genuine one - these do.

Buskers and MMs used to be near enough be the same guitars rebadged but not any more. MMs now go to Dave King’s workshop not just for set up but for neck finishing - not so, Buskers. They feel very different indeed now.

richardhomer · September 2018

Lewy said:

richardhomer said:

KDS said:

Micheal messer reso are great, go for about £400 second hand. If you want to spend abit more I have a national resolectric for sale

Or a Busker Delta (the same guitar rebadged). As near as you’ll get to a ‘real’ National at ‘handy’ money. Most ‘cheap’ resonators sound nothing like a genuine one - these do.

Buskers and MMs used to be near enough be the same guitars rebadged but not any more. MMs now go to Dave King’s workshop not just for set up but for neck finishing - not so, Buskers. They feel very different indeed now.

Busker are now defunct - he’s not been taking orders for a couple of years - but when they were available they were sourced from the same Chinese supplier.
http://www.buskerguitars.co.uk/

bermudianbrit · October 2018

thanks so much guys. I am gunna pop into Hobgoblin and try a bunch. Any other Birmingham-based shop recommendations welcome.

ToneControl · October 2018

I sold a recording king tricone recently for about £400, it was quite well made

I still have a Harley Benton wooden body "HARLEY BENTON CUSTOM LINE CLR-SQUARE VS" that is very good, was only £130 new, but had to return it 3 times because the bridge was badly built, they made one in the end I think.

I think they then stopped selling that model, due to supplier issues

if you intend to play slide, I'd have a look at their current models

Another tip is that cones break in, a tonerite or placing near a speaker will accelerate this

stimpsonslostson · October 2018

I had an Ozark resonator for a while.
I loved the sound & playability of the guitar.

Two things I would mention incase you haven't played one before:
Mine was heavy. To be expected with a metal guitar, but I didn't hang it on my usual wall hangers for fear of generating one of those 1970s serving hatches between my sofa & kitchen!

Resonators are LOUD. Again, considering the design this should not be a surprise, but if you live in a flat/have small children/irritable neighbors it's worth considering.

I sold mine after waking my (then a baby) daughter once too often!

TheBigDipper · October 2018

I'm about 6 months ahead of you, having looked at all sorts of prices, bodies, bridges, 12/14 fret, etc., before buying my first one. Just sharing the key points from my journey. I was also looking for my first one and not prepared to pay more than £1k. I am not a resonator expert. I didn't play slide then - and only just do a bit now - I was trying them out in standard tuning and finger-picking.

Metal bodies vs wooden body. On the ones I've played side-by-side, at the cheaper end of things, I'd agree with the comment that the resonator cone makes more of a difference to the sound than the body material. At the cheaper end (below £1k) of the market. I never got to play expensive (£2.5k) models side-by-side in the same way. Places I visited didn't stock a huge range of expensive resonators, just the less expensive models.

Curiously, some resonators sounded more like standard flat top acoustics - the Gretsch range (IIRC) was like that.

Intonation. It's like any other acoustic - it's just a bridge (or two) sitting in a fixed place. I found lots of cheaper resonators that had dreadful intonation in the shop and a very high action. It might just be factory/retail laziness because we're all expected to play slide, but...

One of the brands that Hobgoblin stocks had 14-fret necks which could have come off an electric (incl. glossy varnish, etc.) and I didn't like those. Their own brand range was dreadful in playability and sound. Hobgoblin in Southampton doesn't believe in changing strings on demonstration guitars when they go dead and almost rusty - which doesn't help.

I played some great metal-bodied Nationals priced way outside my budget and never found the same sound in a cheaper guitar, so I stopped looking at metal bodies.

I also found I preferred the sound of Spider bridge single cone on a wooden body to anything else. That's all personal, of course.

In the end, I bought this one. Decent finish and build. Sounds nice and wasn't too expensive. This "Deluxe" is a much better guitar than my neighbours "Standard". I wouldn't have bought one of those.

ngd-nuthin-but-a-hound-dog

I realised that (for me) it didn't matter if I bought the perfect resonator as long as I bought something I would enjoy playing which sounded decent. This is still making me happy. The pickup fitted to it sounds awful, though - but that's something I don't care about. However, if I ever found a spare couple of grand, I'd be very tempted by a Beard (not the same thing as Gold Tone Paul Beard)

menamestom · October 2018

I had a Regal for a while, think it was an RD-40, about £400 ish. I upgraded the cone. I sold it after a few years for my next guitar fad, but it sounded nice. I did a few recordings of it, the one below should give you an idea. It is a Wooden bodied dobro type guitar.

merlin · October 2018

Even though I've only just bought it, I'd consider selling mine. Gretsch Honey Dipper G9201. Great instrument, just not for me after all.

richardhomer · October 2018

menamestom said:

I had a Regal for a while, think it was an RD-40, about £400 ish. I upgraded the cone. I sold it after a few years for my next guitar fad, but it sounded nice. I did a few recordings of it, the one below should give you an idea. It is a Wooden bodied dobro type guitar.

Lovely playing and tone, mate!

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