The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:15 PM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default Mule Steel Resonator Guitar Thread

I started off five years ago here on the forum when I first hunkered into a basement to figure out how to build metal body resonator guitars. We are now coming up to our 500th guitar. It's been a total pleasure - seeing wonderful players light up when they hear an inspirational sound has been a humble joy. Being a part of that moment is my favorite thing. Inspirational tone is one that challenges you. It's the one that wakes up your ear and your hands. It shows you the ruts you're in- what you usually play may sound dumpy on a resonator. If you're willing to be patient, to hear differently, to explore that initial "What do I do with this thing?" you'll find new players - guys like Charlie Parr, and Jeffrey Foucault, and Doug Wamble, and Joey Landreth and... And then when you go back to your dread or telecaster your ear is fresh and newly informed. A revolving door of inspiration...

I'll be posting build pictures and final pictures here, along with sharing some videos of the guys mentioned above.
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com

Last edited by MattEich; 01-03-2019 at 01:26 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:27 PM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default



Attached Images
File Type: jpg 71FBA877-C8EF-4DD8-979C-C1342EEF3B36.jpg (23.9 KB, 292 views)
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com

Last edited by MattEich; 01-03-2019 at 01:44 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:46 PM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

IMG_3007.jpgIMG_3006.jpg
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:47 PM
Mark Hatcher's Avatar
Mark Hatcher Mark Hatcher is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Green Mountains
Posts: 4,861
Default

Great to see you here Matt. I enjoyed meeting you at Woodstock and I also enjoyed hearing the various folks playing your cool looking (and sounding) guitars! Can’t wait to see you building one!

Mark
__________________
Mark Hatcher
www.hatcherguitars.com


“Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.”. Andrew Fletcher
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:52 PM
CMEkneurauter CMEkneurauter is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Chicago
Posts: 269
Default

Hands down - The best resonators being built today, as well as ever.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-04-2019, 07:23 AM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by CMEkneurauter View Post
Hands down - The best resonators being built today, as well as ever.


Thanks Karl!

One thing I do that’s unique in the reso world is put a tricone in a single cone body. This is the way the very first National prototype was set up (by my understanding). I like the F holes and the sound is somewhere between the two designs, erring more towards what you would expect from a single cone. Tony Polecastro does a great job explaining it here.

https://youtu.be/74-r2yEhq3M
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-04-2019, 08:45 AM
Guitars44me's Avatar
Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mountains east of San Diego
Posts: 7,374
Smile Very COOL stuff...

Congrats on your continuing success and on figuring out how to do it on your terms! I love the passion in your story.

I heard a while back that you might be considering some wood bodies. I would love to see a few coming down the pike!

I had one of your awesome steel tricone models but it was just too heavy for my 67 year old bum shoulder.

Carry on, Sir! And a most excellent 2019 to you and MULE

Paul
__________________
3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS:
Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
96 422ce bought new!
96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

More
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-05-2019, 08:36 AM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitars44me View Post
Congrats on your continuing success and on figuring out how to do it on your terms! I love the passion in your story.

I heard a while back that you might be considering some wood bodies. I would love to see a few coming down the pike!

I had one of your awesome steel tricone models but it was just too heavy for my 67 year old bum shoulder.

Carry on, Sir! And a most excellent 2019 to you and MULE

Paul


Hey Paul! Yeah the metal beasts are heavy! I’ve looked into different metals to try to save weight but alas... steel is steel. Wood bodies are being tinkered with as we speak !
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-05-2019, 08:39 AM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

Some pictures about how the plates are attached. Flange ‘em with a whacker-tool to make a surface suitable for soldering. Put in on the side jig and clamp the sides in position.

IMG_2737.jpgIMG_2750.jpgIMG_3061.jpg
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-07-2019, 11:03 AM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

Soldering the top on. Soldering stainless steel requires a bit more presanding and a special flux for good joints.

A069147F-F412-4C10-BC4C-3DBA018B91C0.jpgIMG_2064.jpg
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-07-2019, 06:59 PM
Ovation1 Ovation1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 148
Thumbs up

Thank you for posting pictures!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-07-2019, 09:09 PM
Guitars44me's Avatar
Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mountains east of San Diego
Posts: 7,374
Smile No.....

No safety goggles? Come on Matt!

Have fun

Paul
__________________
3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS:
Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
96 422ce bought new!
96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

More
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 01-09-2019, 10:48 AM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

IMG_3141.jpgIMG_3142.jpg

Tricone and single cone soundwells.
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 01-10-2019, 04:24 PM
MattEich MattEich is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 29
Default

_DSC9199.jpg

Cutting relief notches for a cutaway.
__________________
Matt Eich
Owner
Mule Resophonic Guitars
www.muleresophonic.com
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 01-11-2019, 08:44 AM
RGPGuitars RGPGuitars is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Peterborough, ONT
Posts: 175
Default

Really nice. Interesting how you do a tri cone in a single cone body. Never would have thought of that, love to hear one. I have only made 3 resos ,one brass body biscuit bridge, one wood body spider bridge, and 1 wood body biscuit bridge. The last being my favourite sound.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=