Resonator

[ggibson189]

Looking to learn to play a resonator. Not looking to break the bank just yet (I've already done that with my guitars!) Any recommendations for a decent resonator?

[Monty Christo]

First figure out if you want a spider-bridge, a single-cone biscuit, or a tri-cone. Each has a different sound, as do wood vs metal bodies.

The generic rules of thumb are that spiders are for bluegrass and country, single-cones are for blues, and tri-cones are for everything. But of course, rules are made to be broken; you can play whatever you want on any guitar at hand.

For inexpensive resonators, I prefer Gretsch's offerings over many of the others. Also, Regal and Johnson have been making them for a long time, and they can be found new and used for reasonable prices. Republic, Aersi, and others all take the same imported guitars and put their own logos on the headstocks. I was tempted by Republic twice, but found the construction was pretty shoddy and I didn't keep either one. Epiphone (Dobro) and Fender also make budget resos, but I don't think the tone is very good.

Beard is probably the best compromise between price and quality, but AFAIK they only make spider-bridge styles. Lots of folks will tell you to just buy a National, but I think three grand is a lot of money to spend on your first resonator.

Hope this is helpful -- good luck on your quest!

[Dave Hicks]

I've got a Gretsch Boxcar (spider type) - works OK for what I do.

D.H.

[mo6020]

Monty's covered a lot of ground there, but I just wanted to add another voice recommending the Gretschs. I was pleasantly surprised with how good mine is.

At the high end Mule are worth looking at, too, they're not cheap.

[PapaDafoe]

I think that Gold Tone offers the best value for money. Their resonator guitars are set up in the USA using Beard cones. I own two of them, a round neck and a square neck. They look great, play beautifully, and are very well crafted.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, just to build on Monty Christo's comments.

The "National" design with three small (6") dia cones came first. in about 1926/7.

The bodies were all of bell brass at that time, and came mostly with "square" necks to give Hawaiian style players more volume (this was before the advent of amplification).

Some "round neck" versions were made, targeted at rhythm guitarists as dance music changed from New Orleans style to swing.

Due, probably to their considerable weight, they weren't popular and gave way to the Gibson style archtops.

Certain divisions in the owners resulted in one or more of the Dopeyra brothers leaving to form a rival company called "DObro"
Due to copyright reasons they redesigned the cone using one larger cone effectively inverting it so it appeared similar to a loudspeaker cone with the strings making contact with a "Spider" structure pressing on the edges of the cone. This produced a somewhat different tonality and, I think, more sustain.
The Dobro also had a plywood body which made it cheaper to produce - most being outsourced to other guitar companies.

Beauchamp's National company followed the single cone but retained the backward facing cone, and also offered wooden bodied options.

The original "Spanish" (round neck) single and tricone guitars were largely rejected by dance band players and found their way to Pawn shops, which, possibly, made them accessible to country blues players, hence the connection with blues, bottleneck style etc.

On the othe side- the cheaper Dobro, wooden body Square neck (Hawaiian style guitars hit the market just as the Hawaiian music started to die out), but found an alterative market in country and bluegrass The Dobro was first introduced to country music by Bashful Brother Oswald, who played with Roy Acuff in 1939, and it became a bluegrass instrument by Josh Graves.

I have a Gibson built Dobro (1999) which, as I understand were assembled with the intonation seriously but Beard make a spider and cone assembly to fix the problem.

I swapped my bell brass National for a plywood body Estralita because the Style "0" was just too loud and too heavy.

I suspect that Robin, Wales might contribute more info about far-eastern versions.

[Mandobart]

I've also got a Good Tone round neck spider bridge resonator with a Paul Beard cone. It's a great playing, great sounding guitar that looks pretty good too.

Bought new from Gold Tone online a few years back. Under $1,000 shipped to the PNW with a pickup and hardshell case, setup to my specs.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Monty Christo

First figure out if you want a spider-bridge, a single-cone biscuit, or a tri-cone. . . .

. . . and whether you want squareneck or roundneck. I have one of each. They both have spider bridges and K&K pickups.

I'm betting you want a roundneck. If I'm right, here are some things to think about:

1. Brand

- Nationals are the loudest and priciest.

- Beards can be had for a bit less and are also terrific instruments.

- OMI-era Dobros (1970 to 1993) are a good bang for the buck. There are usually a few posted at Reverb.com.

- Most other brands (not all) are made in Asia. If that matters, check provenence before you buy.

- Of the Asians, Beard's Gold Tone guitars are a safe, high-quality bet.

2. Upgrades

Most of us can't or don't want to shell out for a National or Beard when there are plenty of US and imported resos for a fraction of the price. The good news is that, since the sound comes almost entirely from the resonator itself, you don't have to break the bank.

Just about any of the budget brands can be modified with a domestic handspun cone, a better bridge, and a bone nut. A $600 or $800 instrument with $200 in upgrades will give you an instrument that sounds as good as a Beard. (And that's good.)

3. The spider versus biscuit versus tricone question

This might matter to you, and it might not. If you can, play a couple of each. If you can't, there are a bajillion videos to visit. Then you'll know whether there's only one you'd be happy with. It's very possible you think they all rock. You wouldn't be the first.

4. The learning curve

There are a couple of excellent web forums dedicated exclusively to resonator guitars. They also have good classified sections. And they're Googlable.

Happy hunting. Let us know what you get. And remember: photos!

[Bob Womack]

I wrote up a little guide, etc. after I shopped for an inexpensive reso. It is HERE. The guitar I selected was a Gretsch G9202 "Honey Dipper Special."

Bob

[MissoulaFlood]

I have a single-cone Mule (steel body), as well as a tri-cone National in mahogany. Yes, they are spendy, but both are amazing guitars. If you can find a nice used National at a fair price, it will hold it's value very well in the event it ends up being a passing fancy. Used Mules are hard to find. And I feel a wood-bodied resonator to be a good entry point unless you're convinced the metal body is the sound you want.

[Bluenose]

I just recently bought a National Tricone. I already owned a Gretsch which happens to be for sale now lol. In the world of guitars you get what you pay for.

[Bluenose]

Hey why are resonator discussions relegated to the 'other instruments' sub forum? My Tri Cone can be fingerpicks and flat picked just like a guitar made of wood. I can understand why squares necks should have their own space but round necks are as much as a guitar as your everyday D28. So what gives?

[MissoulaFlood]

I've never thought much about it however, it is indeed interesting how various "enthusiasts" Forums are setup and navigated. Over on the Mandolin Cafe, they even have separate forums for the different variants of the mandolin (octave mandolin for instance). To me, resonators (and their ilk) seem unique enough to have their own forum.