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#1
08-22-2012, 10:29 AM
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Just ordered a resonater 10 minutes ago!!!
Hello all... I finally took the plunge and ordered a Wechter Sheerhorn Resonater just now!!! I have never played a resonater before, so I expect a steep learning curve... This will be my third Wechter so I know about the quality of their products... I went with the round neck,(so I could play like a guitar),instead of the square neck... Any tips? My AGF friends are the 1st to know of this new toy
 
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#2
08-22-2012, 12:14 PM
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Clay, the only tip I can pass along is that resonator instruments require a different sort of maintenance approach than standard acoustic guitars. There are lots of screws and other metal parts that can gradually come loose. As they loosen, they can cause mysterious buzzes and rattles that can be difficult to track down, sometimes.
So it pays to become familiar with how all the pieces go together, and learn how to tweak them and firm them up when they need it. I just googled the Wechter Scheerhorn, and it appears to have the Dobro-style spider resonator cone. I own a few Nationals, which have the so-called biscuit bridge that's mounted directly on the cone, whereas the spider cone resonators have the bridge on a metal lattice that touches the cone on its edges. On biscuit bridge resonator instruments, the cones have a bit of a tendency to rotate and/or shift a little bit. Because the bridge is mounted directly on the cone, when it rotates or shifts it affects the intonation. I had to have the cone on my National RM-1 mandolin rotated back to its proper position just yesterday. These are generally very subtle little shifts when they do occur, and it might not be obvious, but the instrument simply won't sound exactly right. I have significantly less hands-on experience with spider cone instruments, so I don't know whether the cone rotating or shifting is as much of an issue with those. I do know that the one you've ordered is likely to need a set up when it arrives, simply because of the probable need to firm up all the hardware that might have vibrated a bit loose in transit. Having a resonator instrument optimized makes a very large and audible difference in its performance, so hopefully you can find someone local who can do that for you, or else find some online tutorials that can guide you through the process. Hope this helps. Have fun with your Scheerhorn when it arrives. Wade Hampton Miller
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#3
08-22-2012, 01:59 PM
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Wow, you dove right in without ever playing one. Bold! What type of music will you likely play on the new instrument? Please do let us know how it turns out for you. Hope you love it!
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#4
08-22-2012, 02:16 PM
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Thanks Wade... You've given me much to think about...ESP the tips on the hardware...which I had not considered!!! I asked my salesperson(Sweetwater) to find the "pick of the litter",they had two, and he promised to play both of them post setup... But I will probably double check the setup after shipping... They always double box their guitars, so hopefully the gorillas at the shipping company will be stymied
Mucho Gracias my friend!!!
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#5
08-22-2012, 02:45 PM
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Quote:
The music I play is 90% improvised fingersstyle (let's my mind go Zen  ) with the other 10% playing keyboards. I will probably learn "slide guitar" since I am getting a resonator, but the main reason is just the "sound of a resonater".I think it will go well with Nashville Tuned (I.e. high strung) and regular tuned guitars but don't exactly have a sound in mind yet...I will just have to practice!!! How will this sound with pianos,organs, and synths??? Not a clue!
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#6
08-22-2012, 05:53 PM
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Hi Claytone,
I thought I'd chime in here. From my experience I think you made a pretty good decision. The spider bridge resonators are great to own, and one of the benefits of the speaker-forward spider cone resos (biscuit reso speakers face down into the body), is that they blend extremely well with acoustic guitars and mandolins. There is just something about the midrange of those instruments that make them sit well in a mix. If I'm recording an acoustic song that require reso, my spider cone is the first that I grab. Also the fact that you got a round neck will make that instrument much more versatile. I find that spiders sound best with John Pearce bronze strings with at least a .013 high E string... http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/jopephbrspne.html Lighter strings just don't have enough downward pressure on the cone to get the best tone. I also find IMHO medium thickness (or thicker) glass slides sound best with spiders. Try to find a long enough length to cover all 6 strings for playing lap style, slightly shorter for playing conventionally. This guy makes GREAT polished slides for reasonable prices... http://www.ebay.com/sch/bim6/m.html?...id=p4340.l2562 It's also been said spiders aren't very good for the blues, but for some reason I love mine for blues... http://www.soundclick.com/player/sin...&q=hi&newref=1 All the single note slide parts were done on my National Model D Reso roundneck spidercone. ENJOY YOUR SPIDER!!! I hope providing links isn't SPAM as I was just trying to help getting you some examples of things that have worked for me Dan Weldon (rockabilly69)
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#7
08-22-2012, 06:06 PM
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All great advice so far. I would add that it is good to try different slides to see which feel best to you and give you the sound(s) you want. I play a steel bodied National single cone (biscuit bridge) and I generally like a very heavy brass slide the best on it, but sometimes I use others (glass, steel, etc.) There are so many slides out there that it can be dizzying to determine what might work best for you. Good luck and, again, hope you enjoy your new guitar.
I have played lots of spider bridge resonators and to me they are generally smoother sounding (less attack, longer sustain) than biscuit bridges, but then there are the different builds, materials (wood, brass, steel, etc.), and other factors that affect tone. As with the slides, lots to choose from, but let's hope you chose well for yourself and like what you hear when you get it.
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#8
08-22-2012, 06:34 PM
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The three biggest tips on resonator health are:
1. Never take all the strings off. In fact, change one string at a time. 2. If you have to take all the strings off, when you put them back on, apply pressure evenly across the tailpiece. 1st and 6th string go on first. Then 2nd 5th, etc. It's not the bridge that you are worrying about, it's the tailpiece. 3. Don't tinker. Resonators are not for shade tree mechanics. After initial setup and shakedown, leave it alone. You are much less likely to encounter mystery buzzes and such.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
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#9
08-22-2012, 07:16 PM
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Thanks for the feedback and insights guys... You are swell... I ordered a Pyrex from Dunlop, and will try brass, steel, and what the heck...copper from the hardware store while I'm trying out slides!!!
Just got an e-mail confirmation that my guitar has shipped!!! Should be 2-3 days P.S. Blue...I'm glad you mentioned #3...I've been known to tinker !!!
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#10
08-22-2012, 09:00 PM
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Well, Clay, I've never met a serious resonator player who DIDN'T tinker, but I suspect it has more to do with just keeping them maintained and optimized than anything else.
whm
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#11
08-23-2012, 03:12 AM
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I agree with Wade - every Reso player I know is a TINKERER! Hell many reso players got their start by buying cheap reso's and modding them with new cone, biscuits, etc. I've installed pickups in all but one of mine, and replaced cones, biscuits, etc. They are basic instruments and do not require as much finesse to work on as a high end acoustic. And with a little practice you can get pretty good with setup, and at very least, good at preventative maintenance. The best tip I have heard though is replacing one string at a time when restringing, that tends to keep the cone in place and in turn seems to keep the stray buzzes in check.
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#12
08-23-2012, 07:06 AM
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Thanks Wade and Rock-a-Billy Goat
I promise to try to keep the tinkering to a minimum...yeah right... My new resonater should arrive tomorrow and I'll keep you posted!!! If it arrives like my other guitars from Sweetwater, then setup should be spot on. The main thing about all the Wechters (and other high end guitars) is dressing the frets with a Plek machine. This makes the intonation awesome all the way up the neck...keeping my fingers crossed my friends...
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#13
08-23-2012, 07:21 AM
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I used to have a Regal RC-1 that sounded great, but often rattled and buzzed. The National I now play has not rattled or buzzed at all, even after taking it apart and putting it back together again a couple of times to clean it, look around inside it...okay, to tinker with it. There, I said it.
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#14
08-23-2012, 07:42 AM
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Quote:
 At least I know now about the problems of buzzing, rattling, and rolling!!! Well...no one mentioned the latter...
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#15
08-23-2012, 03:16 PM
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