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  #1  
Old 12-19-2009, 01:37 PM
Aaron Smith Aaron Smith is offline
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Default Questions for the resonator experts

Greetings all... I posted this over at Reso Hangout as well, but I figured I might get more replies here.

I am a fairly accomplished fingerstyle country blues player, and I've always played regular acoustic guitars. I am interested in getting a resonator; I would play it spanish style, mostly fretted, some standard tuning, in the country blues style. I've never played slide and plan to learn; however, most of my playing would be fretted, especially at first. I would also accompany with voice.
I am wallowing in all of the options I have. It is also very difficult to find different options to play before buying. After much online listening I think I prefer the warmer, more "sustainy" tricone sound, but the triolian sound is also nice. I don't think the spider bridge sound is for me. Main questions I have:
- Is either tricone or biscuit bridge better suited for the style that I plan to play?
- what are the tonal differences between steel bodies, brass bodies, and wood bodies?
- When it comes to acoustic tone, I am pretty picky. As a reso beginner, would I be satisfied with a Republic tricone, or should I just bite the bullet and go straight with the Nationals? Are both likely to sound the same in my hands for the first year or two?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
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  #2  
Old 12-19-2009, 02:23 PM
Dan Carey Dan Carey is offline
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Any chance you can try an example of each before you decide?
I'm far from an expert but:
I thought I wanted a tricone but wound up with a biscuit bridge Duolian instead.
I bought a Regal and changed out the original cone for a Quarterman and WOW! what a difference in the sound...it's LOUD!
Don't get me wrong, the Tricone was great but just not my bag of tea.
Still, I'd like to try a National before I finally decide. My Tricone was also a Regal.
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  #3  
Old 12-19-2009, 03:17 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Smith View Post
Greetings all... I posted this over at Reso Hangout as well, but I figured I might get more replies here.

I am a fairly accomplished fingerstyle country blues player, and I've always played regular acoustic guitars. I am interested in getting a resonator; I would play it spanish style, mostly fretted, some standard tuning, in the country blues style. I've never played slide and plan to learn; however, most of my playing would be fretted, especially at first. I would also accompany with voice.
I am wallowing in all of the options I have. It is also very difficult to find different options to play before buying. After much online listening I think I prefer the warmer, more "sustainy" tricone sound, but the triolian sound is also nice. I don't think the spider bridge sound is for me. Main questions I have:
- Is either tricone or biscuit bridge better suited for the style that I plan to play?
- what are the tonal differences between steel bodies, brass bodies, and wood bodies?
- When it comes to acoustic tone, I am pretty picky. As a reso beginner, would I be satisfied with a Republic tricone, or should I just bite the bullet and go straight with the Nationals? Are both likely to sound the same in my hands for the first year or two?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
Hi Aaron,
Pare down your question a little bit and post it here:
http://www.guitarseminars.com/gs/

This is the forum that Bob Brozman belongs to and he posts almost every day. Just about every member there plays some sort of resonator instrument.

HE
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  #4  
Old 12-19-2009, 04:34 PM
Dan Carey Dan Carey is offline
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Good thought, Howard...don't know why I didn't say that...I'm a member there!
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A couple of guitars
A Merida DG16 Classical Guitar
A couple of banjos
A Yueqin
A Mountain Dulcimer that I built
A Hammered Dulcimer that I'm currently building
And a fiddle that I built!

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
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  #5  
Old 12-20-2009, 08:55 PM
Aaron Smith Aaron Smith is offline
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Thanks guys- that Guitar Seminars forum is just what I needed. I'm waiting to get my user priveleges so I can post over there, but it has already been a wealth of information.
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  #6  
Old 12-21-2009, 02:59 AM
dweezil dweezil is offline
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I was at the same crossroads (geddit? ). I'm a pretty accomplished fingerstyle player and wanted to add a resonator sound to my tonal palette and to add slide to my technique.

So I looked long and hard, cheapo to start with or dive in with a National?

I ended up with the new Republic Highway 61



http://www.republicguitars.com/highway61travelsize.html

It's a small bodied reso but has loads of volume, hell these are endored by Johnny Winter (he has #0001 and #0002) so they must be OK and are buckets loads less than a National.

It hasn't arrived yet (clearing customs) but when it does I'll be posting a report here.

As for steel vs brass, for me the brass has a warmer (less harsh) tone and better for a wider variety of music, i.e. not just that raw blues sound though it's also perfect for blues stuff.
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  #7  
Old 12-21-2009, 03:51 AM
James1971 James1971 is offline
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I jumped straight in and got a National....... It sounds incredible.....





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  #8  
Old 12-21-2009, 07:38 AM
jmcphail jmcphail is offline
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I tried a Republic for a week, returned it, and bought a National.
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  #9  
Old 12-21-2009, 11:34 AM
Aaron Smith Aaron Smith is offline
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James1971, what model is that? I'm starting to lean towards the wood bodies and biscuit bridges. It seems like I'm headed for a National; I'm sure the Republics are nice, but I have a feeling I would own it for a few months then want to trade up.
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  #10  
Old 12-21-2009, 11:53 AM
IanS IanS is offline
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Default Beltona

I'm in the same boat. Fingerstyle blues player, standard tunings, playing regular acoustics. I want to branch into open tunings and slide, and I love the sound of resos. I don't like heavy guitars, and I wanted a top-quality build. I recently bought something in-between, price-wise: a Beltona Southerner - http://www.beltona.net/nav/guitar_southerner.htm .

I have a question for reso players: how do you deal with sympathetic string vibrations in open tunings? The tone from the Beltona is magical, but if I play a single note on any string while in open G, I get audible notes ringing from all the other strings. Does this happen on Nationals?
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  #11  
Old 12-21-2009, 01:16 PM
Dotneck Dotneck is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Smith View Post
James1971, what model is that? I'm starting to lean towards the wood bodies and biscuit bridges. It seems like I'm headed for a National.
Its an M-2. Mahogany body. The El Trovadore is also a mahogany body... but with a deeper body depth. Trinity Guitars has an M-2 in stock...

NRP also is just releasing a mahogany body Tricone called an M-1. They are just starting to hit the street....
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  #12  
Old 12-21-2009, 03:46 PM
Neal Neal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IanS View Post

I have a question for reso players: how do you deal with sympathetic string vibrations in open tunings? The tone from the Beltona is magical, but if I play a single note on any string while in open G, I get audible notes ringing from all the other strings. Does this happen on Nationals?
Hi Ian,

If you lay your hand on the coverplate thingy, you'll get sympathetic tones, so you need to adjust your palm like on a guitar with a regular bridge to dampen some strings forward of that metal biscuit protector. It can be done.

Also, to the OP, you need to figure out if the biscuit bridge or spider bridge sound is to your liking. The spider bridge(dobro) has a more nasal country quality that I don't care for, but lots use 'em to great affect.

Edit to correct the last sentence, I read you're already leaning toward a biscuit. Can't go wrong with a National.
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  #13  
Old 12-21-2009, 06:21 PM
mstuartev mstuartev is offline
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The RAdiotone Bendaway and M-2 are really sweet wood body resos. I regret selling my Bendaway some years back. PLayed an M-2 in a shop that knocked me out (but I was OUT of the guitar market)
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  #14  
Old 12-21-2009, 11:02 PM
James1971 James1971 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dotneck View Post
Its an M-2. Mahogany body. The El Trovadore is also a mahogany body... but with a deeper body depth. Trinity Guitars has an M-2 in stock...

NRP also is just releasing a mahogany body Tricone called an M-1. They are just starting to hit the street....
Well.... Its sort of an M2. I custom ordered it and had a few changes incorporated. Im in australia, but am married to an american so I ordered it in advance to be delivered to my wifes family when we were visiting for Xmas 2005.

The finish is actually slightly 'burst, but quite dark. The neck isnt standard. The M2 comes standard with the paddle style headstock. I had them put the slotted headstock on it. The headstock veneer is the ivory sort of deal rather than the sparkly toilet seat kind of deal.
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