# Resonator. $2000 budget



## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Hello folks
Looking for advice on a high quality round neck reonator. But I have a budget unfortunately 

I know the Gretsch honeydrippers and Recording Kings are around for about $1000 and less.

Anyone who knows about a sleeper brand or something I should investigate?

Thoughts welcome and appreciate
Markus V


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

There is a really cool looking make that is totally ornate and relic'd. I will keep looking for it.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Dollar for dollar you are not going to do much better than the Gretsch.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

National NRP Raw Steel is about 2,800. More than your budget but probably worth the extra 800 and comes in 12 and 14 fret models.

Messer Resos are about 1,000 but I don't know much about them.

Search the Reso section at the expensive place on the Danforth.

Also, which cone configuration are you looking for.

Honey Dipper has a brass body (more mid range) and sounds OK for less than a grand and they are well built:


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

compare the two


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

player99 said:


> There is a really cool looking make that is totally ornate and relic'd. I will keep looking for it.


Maybe this one:


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Stephenlouis said:


> compare the two


did he mention in the video that the brown one is probably made of wood.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Pretty sure most will figure that out. But we all know now  I spent hours ( total ) going back and forth between the two in L&M, I went with wood, but Ill get the one you chose too eventually. Too good of a price not too.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Been wondering about putting a pickup and tone/vol pots in mine but most of what I’ve been reading says it’s not always that great. Same with lowering the action; apparently all hell can break loose if you do that with a reso and get it wrong. Might be best to just live with the guitar as is because it was good enough right out of the box. Lolar Charlie Christian pickup sounds good on the Nationals but installing that would be a lot of surgery.


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

player99 said:


> Maybe this one:



Love this thing

What is it??


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Thanks so much folks.
I will check out the Messers. 
Apparently the Beard goldtones are worth investigating. 

Please keep ideas coming


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Markus 1 said:


> Love this thing
> 
> What is it??


The guy is good at making guitars that look like that:









IonoGlobe electric guitar


IonoGlobe electric guitar detail photos & story by Tony Cochran Guitars for sale



www.tonycochranguitars.com














Tony Cochran Guitars for sale


Tony Cochran guitars for sale, Photos, stories



www.tonycochranguitars.com


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Ahhhhhh. Ok. Steampunking


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Wardo said:


> Been wondering about putting a pickup and tone/vol pots in mine but most of what I’ve been reading says it’s not always that great. Same with lowering the action; apparently all hell can break loose if you do that with a reso and get it wrong. Might be best to just live with the guitar as is because it was good enough right out of the box. Lolar Charlie Christian pickup sounds good on the Nationals but installing that would be a lot of surgery.


For a long time there was a pretty strong resistance against the piezoelectric pickups, but this is the cat's ass, and with the right amp, gives perfect plus reproduction. I don't play with people loud enough anymore to justify amplification beyond the cone, but my Fishman pick up is amazing at low volume for just nuances. Only guitar I own with very high action( for slide) and not set up by me... I did dial in the cone, for higher volume, and better contact  

Fishman-Nashville-Resophonic-Pickup-Spider-Style: Look that one up


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Stephenlouis said:


> Fishman-Nashville-Resophonic-Pickup-Spider-Style: Look that one up


Mine is biscuit but I’ve read about the fishman nashvilles.

The way things are with the lucky 19 might be a long time before playing out again so I’ll probably just remain status quo with the Gretsch that I have.

But if I was going to do it I’d probably just get one of these; pay once and it’s done:


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

This one seems to have played every National going; keep meaning to send her an email asking why she switched from the National humbucker to the Charlie Christian pickup on her tri-cone.


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## GeorgeMich (Jun 6, 2013)

I’ve had multiple Nationals and they are hard to beat. If your budget is $2000 I think you should seriously look at their wood body NRP resonators. Excellent sounding and very high quality. I’ve seen a couple under $2000 this year on kijiji. I even think you could probably score one from the US and be around 2K after taxes.


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

GeorgeMich said:


> I’ve had multiple Nationals and they are hard to beat. If your budget is $2000 I think you should seriously look at their wood body NRP resonators. Excellent sounding and very high quality. I’ve seen a couple under $2000 this year on kijiji. I even think you could probably score one from the US and be around 2K after taxes.



....so given my relative inexperience...
I'm not purely aiming at slide playing. I also finger pick and would aim for a design that encompasses both easily.
In your experience is a wood or metal body best or is it more to do with biscuit vs. Spider?

Markus


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Markus 1 said:


> Hello folks
> Looking for advice on a high quality round neck reonator. But I have a budget unfortunately
> 
> I know the Gretsch honeydrippers and Recording Kings are around for about $1000 and less.
> ...


Check out Beard and Gold Tone.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Markus 1 said:


> ....so given my relative inexperience...
> I'm not purely aiming at slide playing. I also finger pick and would aim for a design that encompasses both easily.
> In your experience is a wood or metal body best or is it more to do with biscuit vs. Spider?
> 
> Markus


For me fingerpicking is the wood guitar, still slides nice, but the steel sounds better on the slide but the sound from fingerpicking is just not that pleasant to me on steel. SO this is my personal opinion only and may only apply to me LOL!


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

If you could find a used "Hot Rod" (Lenny Gerthoffer is not selling these anymore)...


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## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

I've had a National Duolian that I bough forget about using a pickup. Never sounds quite right. Much bigger gap with pickups than other acoustics


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## GeorgeMich (Jun 6, 2013)

Markus 1 said:


> ....so given my relative inexperience...
> I'm not purely aiming at slide playing. I also finger pick and would aim for a design that encompasses both easily.
> In your experience is a wood or metal body best or is it more to do with biscuit vs. Spider?
> 
> Markus


If you want to fingerpick as well I believe the wood body NRP is your best bet. It still sounds excellent with a slide and you get the volume with fingerpicking. The wood lends itself to a more forgiving sound and isn't as brash as a metal resonator. I've had both, and enjoyed both but I found the wood body NRP the most versatile. I've always enjoyed biscuits over spider. I find they project better and sound better overall.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

There’s a used National Delphi in Toronto for 1,900 and I saw another one about the same price but it’s on reverb. Not sure if that’s a good price for that model; Delphi preceded the NRP model and supposedly sounds different.

If I was gonna spend 2k on one of these I’d want to try a few of them out.

Metal or wood, brass or steel, biscuit, spider, single cone, tri-cone.

I ended up not using mine for slide because I’d have like one song in an open tuning and the guitar wouldn’t get much use. Turns out that a lot of my songs work well played on the resonator; not all but quite a few and I’ve taken this guitar to a few jams just played my regular stuff about broken motors and busted lives.


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## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

ccuwan said:


> I've had a National Duolian that I bough forget about using a pickup. Never sounds quite right. Much bigger gap with pickups than other acoustics


I've had a National Duolian, that I bought here for $1400, for about 10 years. Never regretted the choice. 
But about using a pickup? Never sounds quite right. Much bigger gap with pickups than other acoustics
I tried quite a few and aways been disappointed


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## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

ccuwan said:


> I've had a National Duolian, that I bought here for $1400, for about 10 years. Never regretted the choice.
> But about using a pickup? Never sounds quite right. Much bigger gap with pickups than other acoustics
> I tried quite a few and aways been disappointed


...... I always finger pick....and it sounds quite sweet. All in your taste


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

GeorgeMich said:


> If you want to fingerpick as well I believe the wood body NRP is your best bet. It still sounds excellent with a slide and you get the volume with fingerpicking. The wood lends itself to a more forgiving sound and isn't as brash as a metal resonator. I've had both, and enjoyed both but I found the wood body NRP the most versatile. I've always enjoyed biscuits over spider. I find they project better and sound better overall.



Great info and perspective thanks!


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Wardo said:


> There’s a used National Delphi in Toronto for 1,900 and I saw another one about the same price but it’s on reverb. Not sure if that’s a good price for that model; Delphi preceded the NRP model and supposedly sounds different.
> 
> If I was gonna spend 2k on one of these I’d want to try a few of them out.
> 
> ...


Gonna check it out


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Markus 1 said:


> Gonna check it out


Blue / Green colour in the High Park area. Not sure how National SN#s go but as I recall it started with 12 maybe; and comes with a National case.


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

I am gravitating toward Paul Beard Goldtone. I realize these are made in China, but they seem to have really good reviews. And cones can be upgraded etc. Unless someone hits me with an offer I cannot refuse.... I dare ya! - C'mon!! 

Thanks for all your inputs
Markus


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## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

Wardo said:


> Been wondering about putting a pickup and tone/vol pots in mine but most of what I’ve been reading says it’s not always that great. Same with lowering the action; apparently all hell can break loose if you do that with a reso and get it wrong. Might be best to just live with the guitar as is because it was good enough right out of the box. Lolar Charlie Christian pickup sounds good on the Nationals but installing that would be a lot of surgery.


I've had my wood body Dobro 48 years and have tried about five different pickup systems. I hate them all. Learn to mic it. Here's a good article on recording -- not sure how that translates to on stage. A magnetic pickup works okay if you don't mind sounding like an electric and using electric strings.





__





Recording Resonator Guitars


Part six-string, part speaker cabinet, resonator guitars are like no other instruments. Here’s how to capture their distinctive sound.




www.soundonsound.com


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Waldo97 said:


> I've had my wood body Dobro 48 years and have tried about five different pickup systems. I hate them all. Learn to mic it. Here's a good article on recording -- not sure how that translates to on stage. A magnetic pickup works okay if you don't mind sounding like an electric and using electric strings.


Yeah, I agree with what you’re saying and I didn’t like electric strings on my reso when I tried them. Where I’m playing though it’s up and about a minute to dial in your sound so you pretty much need a pickup and on-board tone and volume. The Lace Sensor pickup is supposed to work with bronze strings but I’ve never tried one.

All this could be moot though as I think the 19 is gonna put an end to playing out for the next few years. So do I cough the cash and buy a National or just be happy with what I’ve got. I’m thinking be happy with what I’ve got… lol

I like how this rig sounds but a lot of it is the guy playing it:


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

I went shopping for a reso last summer. I was very impressed by the concept and reviews of the Michael Messer guitars. They sound good, too. I tried the Gretsch models and my dad has the wooden one (biscuit). Those also sound good and, had I not made the “mistake” of playing a National, I’d probably have a Messer right now. 

I went the 12th Fret and tried the steel Messer, which was good. I wanted to try the nickel-plated brass Messer, but there wasn’t one available. I then thought “what the hell?” And grabbed a National NRP Steel. I compared the 12 and 14 fret models and they were special. Even though I’m no resonator pro, I could hear the difference and they really do sound amazing. More open and a fuller sound than the Messer. I also wanted to try the classic Style 0, but none were available at the 12th Fret and I didn’t make it out to Folkway. I spent a lot of time reading reviews learning about National and about different body materials and such. I would have liked to have tried an Estralita Deluxe at the time. I think the wood body sounds pretty good for all kinds of playing, slide, fingers or even pick. I didn’t mind the Thunderbox, but the steel continued to haunt me. 

I ended up going back and playing a few more Nationals, but finally decided on the 12 feet steel NRP with the rubbed nickel finish. I spent quite a bit of time in the little room at the back of the 12th Fret with the 12 and 14 feet NRP models. The 12 won out by a hair. It’s outstanding and I enjoy it every time I play it. Anyway, when GAS struck again not too long ago, I snagged a 14-fret Estralita Deluxe. I must say, there’s not a ton of difference between the two from the front when I pluck the strings, although you can hear the warmth and softness of the wood vs. the brashness of the steel if you listen carefully. When playing them with picks and a slide, it’s there, but it’s not a huge difference. I don’t know if I’ll end up keeping both, but for now I am enjoying them.

Also, I should add, I agree with the “buy once, cry once” philosophy (or buy twice, in my case LOL)


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

NRP has been bothering me since the beginning of this wretched year ... lol

About 5 years ago they and a bunch of resos out in the acoustic room at Cosmo; I tried all of them and when I got to the Nationals it was yeah, that’s how they are supposed to sound. Just play 3 notes on one; that’s all it takes.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Wardo said:


> NRP has been bothering me since the beginning of this wretched year ... lol
> 
> About 5 years ago they and a bunch of resos out in the acoustic room at Cosmo; I tried all of them and when I got to the Nationals it was yeah, that’s how they are supposed to sound. Just play 3 notes on one; that’s all it takes.


They are phenomenal instruments, no doubt.


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