[roylor4]

Originally Posted by Larry Esposito

Thanks guys.

Not a whole lot of info on resonator setup and such on the internet...not like there is for guitars. I have run across the spider bridge flatting, thanks for the link! I feel pretty conformable with nut/saddle and bridge adjustment, never seen the inside of a reso though! The biscuit line did throw me for a second

While I have your ears, if I can pick your brains a little:

• National Cone: I could have sworn I found these for sale before, but I only seem to be able to find Biscuit bridge ones for sale at nationalguitars and elderly instruments. Any place sell a spider?
  
• Are these all pretty standard, as in size. 9.5 inches?
  
• I've seen people reference the "Hot Rod" cones. Are these made by someone other than national, and where to purchase?
  
• I did find stew-mac selling Replogle Resonator Cone - any good?
  
• Found resophonicoutfitters selling the beard legend cone. Is that comparable? The bridge on the Boxcar is ebony/maple, so I think I'm OK there.
  

One last, "loaded" question. barring me coming into a windfall of $, what other makes in the less than 1K price range make good biscuit resonators? Is there a big enough difference in sound compared to the spider?

Thanks for all your help!


Larry

I have had my Boxcar for about 3 years or so now, and have never done any mods to it - including setup. I use it strictly in open G with Reso gauge strings.

Biscuit Resos sound different, to be sure. They are brasher and louder on the initial attack and have a LOT less sustain, as apposed to the long sustain of a spider. I had a Honeydipper for a while and it was too heavy and louder than I liked (I play with thumb and finger picks). I have tried the Alligator (the wooden body version of the HD) and wasn't real crazy about it.

Unlike Blue and some of the others, I have no real experience with nicer stuff like National.

I do know that the stuff from Michael Messer gets good feedback here. People talk about Republic too, though the comments seem to be more mixed.

As far as cheaper US imports, the Gretsch stuff is the best overall that I have played.