Resonator guitars

[Noflatpick]

Do any of you fine folks here on the ol' Taylor page play resonator guitars?

After visiting the Port Townsend, Wa. blues festival last weekend, and seeing such fine acoustic blues artists as John Cephas, Tom Corlett, John Jackson, Steve James, Guy Davis, and a host of others, I'm a'hankerin' to get myself a tri-cone resonator and become a bluesman.

'Course, to be any good at it I'll have to change my skin color, trade my west coast home for a share croppers shack in Mississippi and wait 'till I'm 75 years old and penniless, but it gives me something to shoot for.

But seriously, I've just about decided to buy a metal-bodied resonator guitar. I've been researching the hell out of them on the internet and there are some fine instruments available besides the usual brands like Dobro and National.

I found a company in the Czech Republic called Amistar that makes several models of single-cone and triple-cone resonators, and from what I can see of the photographs, they are beautiful instruments.

Also an American company called Johnson Acoustic makes some fine looking axes.

Anybody familiar with resonators?

Anybody have any advice for a wanna-be bluesman?

[JW]

I have an old National steel Dobro and its great. The Johnson resonator is a bit on the cheezy side and not real good quality. If you want to start out with few coins and get a good starter go with the Fender DR-50. A few hundred bucks and you'll be playin the Mississippi Delta mud blues in no time. Great bang for the buck and has real F holes. Check it out. JW

[trombone]

I agree. I haven't looked at them super-closely, but the Johnsons I've seen haven't been of the best quality.
The Musician's Friend scratch'n'dent warehouse is in Kansas City and I like to visit often. Almost bought a Dean reso, 'cause it was cheap and needed fixing. Even it was made better than the Johnsons I saw.
I did buy a Johnson uke to fix and turn into a clock!

[JW]

Trombone thats funny! I built the clock in my living room from an old stella. Just cut the hole the right size a stuck the clock in and restrung it. Everbody ask "where did you get the clock?" I just tell them Wal-mart but they never ask about the guitar. Im so bad JW

[Guitar Dad]

Originally posted by JW:
<STRONG>Trombone thats funny! I built the clock in my living room from an old stella. Just cut the hole the right size a stuck the clock in and restrung it. Everbody ask "where did you get the clock?" I just tell them Wal-mart but they never ask about the guitar. Im so bad JW</STRONG>

Man, that is just an awsome idea!

[Duolian]

Noflatpick:

Would you prefer a Yamaha or Zumaguchi over your Taylor? Comparing a National to a Johnson on ANY other reso guitar is like doing that. I bought my resonator guitar just under a year ago, a National Style 1 Tri-cone. There was no way I could afford $5,000 for a 1930's National so I settled for one of the modern ones. I could not have made a better choice in a guitar. For playing bottleneck guitar, there is no finer instrument made than a National Reso. Granted, the Style 0, or Delphi would probably be better for strictly Blues (Sun House played Duolians, hence my name) which were single cone steel body resonators, & probably have the best pure blues tone. The Tri-cones have more harmonics, a richer sound, & I just fell in love with the sound the first time I heard one.

If you have to, save your $$$ for the "Real Thing". Don't settle for one of those off shore rip-off's. After all, the quality & reputation of Taylor is as alive & well in the National name also.

You might want to check out:Dave's Guitars or:
Wildwood Music
I bought my National from Wildwood, but my online guitar dealer of choice is Dave's. BTW, both are Taylor dealers, & you probably won't find a better deal ANYWHERE than from these 2 stores.