# Anyone here have a resonator guitar?



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

If you do, can you tell us what you have, show us pictures, tell us how you play it, what you play on it and maybe share a recording if you can?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't have one--I have considered it--but maybe one day
I'd like to see some info as well...


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I played a friend's Regal last week at an open mic that he was hosting. Looked like this one:
Saga Music - Tricone Metal Body Resophonic Guitar
But the price he told me he payed was considerably less so it might be a slightly different model.

It was all metal, so it weighed a tonne, but it sounded super smooth and resonated nicely without the harshness that you get with some resonators. He had it tuned to open D and I tried a couple of fingerstyle tunes and it sounded and played great. He used it for some hybrid fretted/slide tunes and it worked very well for that too even with a nice low action..


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

I have owned quite a few and none right now however it is worth it to save up your pennies and buy one made by National Resophonic-they are expensive but worth it.

The one I regret selling most was one of the first they made when the company started up and it was a wood bodied model called the Jazz Blues. I did own a steel bodied one once, but it was so heavy I did not play it much.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

I'm curious too. What's the point of these huge beasts? I have to admit, they look damn cool.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

rollingdam said:


> .... however it is worth it to save up your pennies and buy one made by National Resophonic-they are expensive but worth it.....


I just priced some National Resophonics. It would take me 5 years plus to save up the $$$ to get one of these on retirement income.

Edit: Wait, only 4 years for a National RadioTone Bendaway


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Here is a used one in Ottawa:

National Tricone resonator - Spaceman Music


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I've got one, a bronze coloured tri-cone. Recording King. They are very heavy. I never bonded with it.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Dobro wood body with spider, Regal steel body with biscuit, plus a Kala resonator tenor ukulele, and a Gold Tone resonator bass.

I use therm for whatever might benefit from that tone. The Dobro gets a lot of use backing an Irish-Canadian singer, and is generally my go to resonator. I rather dislike two or more of the same style of guitar at the same time and a resonator fits well with just about anything.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

rollingdam said:


> Here is a used one in Ottawa: National Tricone resonator - Spaceman Music


That would still be 3 years saving. Same would be if I was after higher end Martin, Gibson or Taylor acoustic.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

My studio partner has a vintage one that I have used regularly. I think it's a Regal. Absolutely gorgeous, and not as tinny as an all-metal one; rather rich tone, acoustically and especially plugged in with that humbucker in the neck. Here's an old pic:





  








Reso at the lake




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Granny Gremlin


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Nov 7, 2016








A song we recorded 2 decades ago for shits and giggles, he's playing it with a glass slide: http://grannygremlin.com/dl/Slowhand&Gomer-SpitOn.mp3


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Here's a documentary on National Resophonic....


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Local music shop had 4 different ones sitting on stands in the acoustic room. I tried them all and the National was awesome. It sounded real smooth and like a studio recording compared to the others. That'd be the one I'd get if I wanted one of those.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Here's mine.









Like Mooh said, it adds a really nice "something" when you are playing with other guitars


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Lincoln said:


> Here's mine.
> View attachment 37441
> 
> Like Mooh said, it adds a really nice "something" when you are playing with other guitars


I can see you a very nice tricone steel resonator, but I can't make out the brand. Thanks.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

This is me at House Of Guitars in Rochester a couple of years ago.
I brought that Gretsch Bobtail home with me.





  








It's the shirt




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dodgechargerfan


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Feb 21, 2016


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Robert1950 said:


> I can see you a very nice tricone steel resonator, but I can't make out the brand. Thanks.


It's a Regal.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> I can see you a very nice tricone steel resonator, but I can't make out the brand. Thanks.


It's a Recording King. Looks like a copy of a National.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Lincoln said:


> It's a Recording King. Looks like a copy of a National.


Ooops! First time I've ever been wrong... ;-)


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## Gearhead88 (Nov 7, 2013)

I've got four of them , Two are Dean , one is a Republic , one is a Fender. All are in open tunings , A , D , E & G .

I play blues .

I've had some finger injuries on both hands earlier this year and some signs of arthritis due to my age , between that and being a busy guy , I've not been playing a lot this year .

Winter is almost here , my hands are starting to feel better , time to hunker down and get playing again.


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## Gearhead88 (Nov 7, 2013)

For slides I prefer glass , some I make out of wine bottle necks , some I've bought , I've used bushings out of old transmissions , pieces of copper pipe left over from changing out my water heater.

I've bought several , chromed steel , brass tube , fancy domed / machined & chromed , a re-issued corcidin bottle , I keep going back to the thick glass ones or the home made bottleneck.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Gearhead88 said:


> I've got four of them , Two are Dean , one is a Republic , one is a Fender. All are in open tunings , A , D , E & G . I play blues .


Tell me about the Republic. Is it a Hwy 61? Do any of yours have pickups? Thanks.


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## Gearhead88 (Nov 7, 2013)

The Highway 61 is a sweet little guitar that I bought at Myhres Music in Edmonton .It plays and sounds real nice , the action is a little high , I think it came that way , it is my favourite of the four reso's here.
One of the Dean guitars has a pickup , a Lace sensor , one of those slim ones that has adhesive on the back , I ordered it from Amazon , when it arrived I added volume and tone pots when I installed it. That guitar kicks ass , sounds great but is capable of breaking windows (and eardrums) if you allow it to feedback , some subtle muting keeps it under control .











The reflection on the guitar is the textured ceiling , it kinda looks like engraving in this picture .


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## BobMacLean (May 30, 2015)

I own a Gold Tone PBR-CA - Paul Beard cone inside an offshore-made cutaway body. An awesome guitar - it is not the National cone style, its the dobro style cone with the spider to transfer sound to the outer edge of cone. I love it. I accompany acoustic musicians/singers and play lots of celtic stuff on it...


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

I am new to resonators and know very little about them. But this is what I've learned in the past few days : it's a 1994 OMI pre-Gibson round neck Dobro model 33 D. Brass with etching. I don't do it much justice when I play it, but it sure is purdy to look at. BTW, it's really hard to photograph a steel resonator


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## kitkatjoe (Jan 16, 2017)

I like them square neck or round. I still call them dobros.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Mine... hardly ever play it.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Swervin55 said:


> Mine... hardly ever play it.
> View attachment 53073


I love those--cool for slide & stuff like that.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The aforementioned Regal, Dobro, Gold Tone, and Kala.


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

Ok, yes this thread is old. But so am I. LOL. I thought I would pitch in as this is my favourite Canadian site. I like Mississippi Delta Blues. I like Robert Johnson. Sun House. Tampa Red has his own unique sound too, that I enjoy. I have been thinking about buying a resonator for some time now. Why did I buy one? To try something new. To challenge myself to learn new techniques.

I like old instruments and would prefer to invest in an old vintage National or Dobro from the 30's. However, common sense says I should invest less and see how I make out with learning the resonator guitar. I looked at and considered modern guitars by Regal, Fender, Epiphone, Recording King, and Gold Tone. I considered wood, brass, metal, bodies. Single cone and tricone too. Square and round neck. I like the sound from the bass/nickel plated body resonators best. Resonators do not appear to be all that popular. There a deals to be had at least at half of new prices. many are barely played a people give up it seems.

I ended up buying a Gretsch Honey Dripper single cone biscuit type for $500 at L&M yesterday. Round neck. It came with a nice original Gretsch hard shell case. I have read lots of good comments and reviews. It rings well and sounds pretty darn good. Made in China. If I get any good at this, then I'll consider a vintage resonator.

I've put in about 4 hours on it so far. My fret hand fingers are getting a whole new workout. My brain is challenged learning new finger picking techniques. New muscle memory development is taking place and I'm having fun. I have been focusing mainly on "Romeo & Juliet" so far. I am a big Knopfler fan and the song is unique and sounds awesome. My fingers are damn sore. Like "30 years ago when I started playing", sore. Yet I have been playing, electric, & acoustics guitars and a mandolin regularly for decades. My stubborn pinky is being for forced to develop further by playing the resonator!

I like the tone from my Gretsch. I love what I am hearing. A unique sound not often heard these days it seems. I doubt I'll be performing any Robert Johnson songs at a gig anytime soon. However playing it for my own satisfaction is fun and very rewarding. Here it is:


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

I do own a "Hot Rod" tricone, steel body (Lenny is not selling them anymore he told me).

BTW, I discovered a few years ago there is a lot of resonator players in Europe (France).


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

While we're talking resonators......anybody have a string composition/brand/gauge in mind that works extra well on resonators?


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

I have a limited experience...
D'Addario seems right and they have a set with third plain string to reduce the rattling effet with slide.

John Hammond Jr uses d'Addario as they have 0,014 gauge set (because he broke 0,013 too often he said).

I once got a great Dobro Hound dog original from a Nashville player : It came with John Pearse 0,016 !
Was used only for slide with a quite bowed neck with these heavy strings. I changed for 0,013.

I tried d'Addario flat tops (jazz) but the sound appeared muffled.

As usual, your taste need some string tries to be met.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

On my wood body round neck Dobro I use D'Addario Flattops EFT16, sometimes EJ16 if I'm out of Flattops. Great for slide and fingers.

Acoustic Strings | Flat Top Phosphor Bronze Wound | D'Addario

From the D'Addario website:

"D'Addario Flat Tops are round wound, then precision ground, leaving the outer surface smooth and "semi-flat." This produces a smooth, flattened playing surface, but does not sacrifice the superb tone and sustain associated with phosphor bronze strings. Flat Tops greatly reduce finger noise and are excellent for recording and flat-picking."


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

@Lincoln how are you liking your Tricone? I had my sights sets on one just like yours. It would have had to be shipped. Bought unseen. I opted not to.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

keithb7 said:


> @Lincoln how are you liking your Tricone? I had my sights sets on one just like yours. It would have had to be shipped. Bought unseen. I opted not to.


Well....
It came with sh1tty totally dead strings, and no setup. I've had it all apart, seems to be built alright, just no care & attention put into any sort of setup. Slap it together, package it up, send it out the door.
The more I mess with it, the better I like it, and the more I play it. Holds tune just fine, the neck as stayed nice & straight. I've had it about 10 years. It sounds better with heavier strings, very top end oriented, the bass strings don't come through as loud as the top 4 do. And it's heavy, but they're all heavy. Quite a thick neck, not that wide, just thick.
For the money, I think they are ok, just be prepared to set it up after you get it. Sustain is excellent. 

The first one came broken, right at the neck heel. I contacted the vendor, sent it back and got another one, no hassles.


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