# Resonator guitars; best bang for the buck.



## nbs2005 (Mar 21, 2018)

Hi all,

Been thinking about adding a resonator. There seems to be 3 distinct price points; the $800 or so, the $1200-2000, and the Nationals $3K and up.

I've listened to all 3 extensively online. The Nationals seem to be in their own league and clearly sound better. But the lower to mid-range is less clear cut. I played a Epiphone at LM that was disappointing. I hear good things about the honey dipper. And of course the big resonator shop is not open to the public at the moment to try them out.

Thoughts from the group? Particularly those who have owned or played from all 3 price points I outlined? Many thanks.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I've played some Nationals and a few others.

As I'm really not a slide player, I bought this Epiphone a few years back.

It was less than the prices you've stated above, but I honestly can't remember what I paid.

I do know I was shocked at how nice the tones are. It really does resonate. At the time I tried four or five different makes and models. Some of them were quite dull and lifeless. This one felt very lively.

For me, this was good.

Epi MD-100 NA








MD-100 Gibson Epiphone Resonator Guitar - Reviews Epiphone MD-100


User review from Mike D about Epiphone MD-100 : MD-100 Gibson Epiphone Resonator Guitar




en.audiofanzine.com


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## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

I've played a Dobro brand dobro for 45 years -- the build quality was awful and it took years to get the neck right. But it sounds wonderful. On occasion, I've tried others. The big differences are in the style of resonator: spider, puck, or tri-cone. All very different. I'm not convinced brand makes much sound difference but neck quality (if it's a round neck) is still important.

The other thing, if you ever want to plug it in, is the electric sound. They're hard as hell to amplify because the sound comes from a variety places. After-market pickups are hit-and-miss. All of the ones I've tried were miss and I've basically given up and just play it acoustically.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I got a Gretsch honey dipper. Ordered it online from L&M and it arrived at my office exactly one year ago today. I was playing it last night. After a year I still think it’s a really good guitar. Fit and finish is good, neck is good, intonation is about as good as it’s going to get for one of these. It’s a biscuit cone which has more bark in mid range and it’s also a brass body which is more mid range than the steel body. I find that it works really well for vocal and most of my songs transitioned to this guitar pretty easily. I don’t play slide and have no intention of going that route because I would only have maybe one song and it would be in open G or something like that which would mean that I only use that guitar once in a while. As it is I can take this guitar to a jam and use it for the stuff that I ordinarily play. I considered putting a pickup into it but after a lot of research I decided to scrap the idea because pretty much everything I’ve ever read about pick ups in resonators was negative. There was one national that I was interested in because it had a Charlie Christian pick up but that guitar is like four grand. Anyway, the Gretsch is about $800 and you can return it in 30 days if you don’t like it. So it might be a good way to deal with the resonator issue. There’s also a lengthy article by Bob Womack who bought one of these for his recording studio and decided that it was as good as it needed to be for what he does. Check YouTube videos by Martin Swamps for how this guitar sounds.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

One thing I will say, is that I'm glad I went with a round neck style. I have the conversion nut for when I want to play it as a Dobro but it really has a pleasing tone just playing it as a conventional guitar.


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## NashvilleDeluxe (Feb 7, 2018)

I've worked on/own a lot in that price point. The Paul Beard Goldtone series (round-neck or square-neck) are the best bang for the buck. If you're lucky enough to find one used, they typically drop quickly in value because people buy them and quit when they find out slide technique is another 10,000 hours to master! 
Will at La Grange Guitar Workshop (St-Lazare, QC)


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I've had a Recording King tri-cone, round neck, for over 10 years now. It's been a solid instrument. I think it sounds better than the typical Fender or Epiphone you normally find in music stores. Very pretty, quite heavy.


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## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

A bit OT but useful if you want to record one: Recording Resonator Guitars


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## brucew (Dec 30, 2017)

I have the honeydipper and the wood body Gretsch G9200. Generally keep the honeydipper in G and the wood body one in D(generally). I'm really happy with both. They're both great for playing slide, I like the wood body one more for fingerpicking, smaller body, shorter scale length and more subdued sounding than the metal one.
I did try a couple other brands(sorry, don't remember what they were, both were random finds in stores), but they simply didn't compare at a similar price point. (one was at LM the other a small music store).

If remember correctly the wood one was under 500.00 which IMPO is a lot of resonator for that price. I believe I paid more like 800 with hard case for the honeydipper.

Were I to have to choose only one between the two? I'd take the wood one but that's not a mark against the honeydipper, just personal playing preference.

Hope that helps??


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## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

... a big +1 on the Beard Gold Tone PBRs!! 
I've had a PBR-D for over 15 years -- wonderful resonator guitar!


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

National is the pioneer and unbeatable but quite expensive.
I had first got an original Gibson Hound Dog Dobro from a Nashville pro : strung with 0,016" gauge, the action was high enough to throw arrows and its 1 5/8" nut width was too narrow for me. It was a spider type (see below*). I sold it.
I now own a Hot Rod tricone. Unfortunately Lenny Gerthoffer is not selling them anymore.
It has 1 3/4" nut width and could be either 12 or 14 fretter. 0,013" string gauge. They sold some 1000$ then. If you could ever find one used...

You have to know the best are tricone but some brands (made overseas) have problems with loose cones that rattles, etc. *Besides tricones are two single cone models : spider and biscuit. Spider are apparently preferred by country players. The spider is sitting on the large opened side of the cone. Biscuit have a problem with the saddle sitting on top of the cone so that string pressure will eventually lower as it squeezes the cone and so hamper the sound.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Lincoln said:


> I've had a Recording King tri-cone, round neck, for over 10 years now. It's been a solid instrument. I think it sounds better than the typical Fender or Epiphone you normally find in music stores. Very pretty, quite heavy.
> View attachment 340304


That's a gorgeous reso. I've never seen one like ----- which is probably good because I woulda bought it no matter what it sounds like. LOL


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

+1 for the Gold Tone Paul Beard. I was in the market for a reso about 10 years ago. I researched and researched. There were the $300-ish Fender, Epiphones, Gretsh, and (even) low end "Dobro". I found a Washburn that I really liked, but did not love. I made the jump to the $600 (at the time) to the Gold Tone and it compared very well to the $2000 Nationals. I have never, ever regretted a thing about this Paul Beard GT! Hands down the best for the buck!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I kind of regret selling my Regal steel body resonator, but at least it went to a friend. I still have a round neck Dobro, I assume it’s Asian made, and it’s pretty good. Also have a Kala resonator tenor ukulele, and a Gold Tone resonator bass. Though the Dobro was a gift from my enabling bride, I think it was under a grand, and well worth it.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

That expensive place place on the Danforth just got an NRP TriCone in a few days ago.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

I play squareneck, but when I was trying roundnecks I found the Gretsch models to be waaaayy too narrow at the nut. It felt cramped like a mandolin.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

cboutilier said:


> I play squareneck, but when I was trying roundnecks I found the Gretsch models to be waaaayy too narrow at the nut. It felt cramped like a mandolin.


The Honey Dipper that I have is 1&3/4 nut but the neck is a tad thin although not too bad - they could have put a fatter neck on it but it's not that bad and I wear a size large glove.


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