|
Post by flashart on Feb 26, 2019 17:46:39 GMT
I'm starting to get the taste for a Resonator. I've never owned one but the limited research I've done would lead me to believe a tricone would be sonically what I need. (Smoother, less bark?)
Firstly, does anyone have any do's, don'ts or comments on owning such a beast? (I'm thinking weight, live use etc)
Secondly, I'm probably going to fund this by selling a Strat, so recommendations for makes that sound/play okay in the low to mid-price range?
Thirdly, someone talk me out of this as I can't afford it, don't have the space, etc...etc...
|
|
|
Post by bleatoid on Feb 26, 2019 18:23:18 GMT
I’m no expert on reso’s flashart, but like you, I got a hankering for one a little while back. Went out and tried a few and concluded the market seemed polarised - you either pay an awful lot for a National, or you get a little Gretsch that doesn’t play or sound particularly brilliant. I’d suggest you have a look at Michael Messer guitars. I ended up getting a lightning - I reckon they’re very close to a high end reso for about a quarter of the cost - and they leave the lower end stuff way behind. Plus - it looks fantastic and Michael is a lovely chap to deal with. Peter
|
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 33,694
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Feb 26, 2019 19:17:50 GMT
The best advice would come from Martin - slidingwolfKeith
|
|
|
Post by lavaman on Feb 26, 2019 22:51:09 GMT
Choices - Steel body or a wooden body?? Wooden bodies are lighter and, for me, sound less brash. Choices - Single cone or tricone?? As a general rule, most people use tricones with a slide, and pick and/or slide with a single cone. Choices - Biscuit bridge or spider bridge?? Biscuits tend to be used for blues, spiders for bluegrass / country.
The above is a gross over-simplification but should help you decide where to start. Nationals have become a bit expensive these days so I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
I've had two wooden body single cone Nationals and sold them both. Now I have a Gretsch G9241 - single cone wooden body with a pickup. Very pleased with it. Very well made and inexpensive. A good gigging guitar.
good luck Iain
|
|
|
Post by andyhowell on Feb 27, 2019 8:57:43 GMT
Have a look at Ozark. You might be pleasantly surprised.
|
|
|
Post by cottonopolis on Feb 27, 2019 9:41:17 GMT
In the mid price range and for service, Michael Messer take some beating. He also has a resonator forum as well as a website.
|
|
|
Post by PistolPete on Feb 27, 2019 10:11:21 GMT
I've owned a steel bodied single cone Ozark for around 15 years. On the day it came home it was the best sounding resonator in Cardiff, whether I'd still reach that same conclusion I don't know as there's a lot more around in the cost-less-than-a-National range than there used to be. It hasn't been out much of late, but there are a few older videos where you can hear it in action.
I used to have a really inexpensive Chinese made Jay Turser with a spider cone and a humbucker. The workmanship was pretty shoddy (the f-holes were slightly different sizes) but it served the purpose of giving me a resonator I could plug in and did 200+ gigs with me in both 'electric' and 'electro-acoustic' settings. This is it in a full electric band (btw please don't judge my singing too harshly in these old videos I've got better & in this one I seem to remember we were recording straight to a desk with no monitors):
I've played a couple of the Gretsches and really wanted to like them, but just felt they were lacking sound-wise.
I've never heard anything but good things about Micheal Messer instruments and been impressed with the one or two I've managed to get my hands on briefly. One very hard gigging musician I know had one, bought a contemporary National and felt it didn't measure up, so sold it to get a second Micheal Messer.
Depending on how much you want to spend Mule seem to be doing some lovely work at the minute & if I was still in the reso market I'd probably be looking at trying to find the funds for one of theirs, or else a vintage National.
|
|
|
Post by scorpiodog on Feb 27, 2019 10:57:34 GMT
This one?Sorry, not helpful unless the strat you're selling is Eric Clapton's Blackie!
|
|
|
Post by slidingwolf on Mar 3, 2019 18:40:05 GMT
There's a lot of good advice on here, flashart, and yes, a Michael Messer reso is a very good bet. The most important thing with a reso is the set up and a lot of the off the shelf factory ones fail on that score. The Michale Messer ones will avoid that problem. On the practical side, tricones are quite heavy and cumbersome so I would try some different types before you buy, if at all possible, to make sure it's what you really want.
Also, are you looking to play slide or standard fingerpick? if you want the former then you need the strings set higher than standard to avoid neck rattle and I would also advise heavier gauge strings to make the cone(s)work hard. The factory set up will not normally have heavier strings.
And no, I'm not going to talk you out of buying one!
|
|
|
Post by malcolm on Mar 5, 2019 11:37:35 GMT
I have owned several resonators over the years and eventually sold them all. Does that help talk you out of it?
Seriously, I owned an old metal bodied Dobro for years, then a mahogany bodied national, and a squareneck regal, which was the cheapest by far and actually very good. I just didn't play them enough. I think I know how you feel, you are drawn to that haunting blues sound and you can imagine the pleasure you will get from producing it. However they are very heavy, they are a bugger to set up correctly, and unless you are a really dedicated slide player I don't think you'll get the value out of one.
Ocassionaly I come across a national from the thirties, it sounds gorgeous and I'm tempted, but they always need a load of work, or if the work has been done, they are very expensive.
Having said all that, if I haven't put you off, I would definitely try Michael Messer for quality and value.
|
|
|
Post by flashart on Mar 5, 2019 15:29:26 GMT
Thanks for the advice so far, any opinions always welcome. I'm a 50/50 slide player but none of my current guitars are "dedicated" to slide. I also wondered about those recent Epiphone arch top thingies. One other factor, is that I may have a project coming up that requires something "old time" looking/sounding.
|
|
|
Post by PistolPete on Mar 6, 2019 1:44:00 GMT
I also wondered about those recent Epiphone arch top thingies.[ I've played a few of those and not been blown away by them. Godin or Loar both make decent budget 'acoustic' archtops if that's what you fancy. My frustration with the one-trick-ness of resos led to me swapping to archtops for slide (via a Gretsch Jim Dandy which is a cracking little instrument. There are some very good inexpensive parlours around if all you want is something old-timey.) I currently play a Gibson L50, but if you are taking the archtop route vintage Harmony/Kay/Framus can sometimes be found for similar money to the new Epiphones if you don't mind them perhaps needing a little work.
|
|
|
Post by andyhowell on Mar 6, 2019 14:57:45 GMT
Now it has been said, why indeed buy a resonator? Horrible things that just clunk ...
|
|
|
Post by cottonopolis on Mar 6, 2019 16:35:19 GMT
Now it has been said, why indeed buy a resonator? Horrible things that just clunk ... Is the wrong answer.
|
|
Riverman
Artist / Performer
Posts: 7,345
|
Post by Riverman on Mar 6, 2019 17:07:07 GMT
Now it has been said, why indeed buy a resonator? Horrible things that just clunk ... Ahem...
|
|