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Resonators?

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(@amakely)
Active Member
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 6
Topic starter  

Anyone have any good pointers to who makes a decent, yet affordable roundneck resonator? Like in the $300 range?

Every time I play one in the store, the cone is all buzzy so I don't have a good idea how well they are put together.

The new Gretsch Roots collection looks nice.

Andy Makely, Atlanta blues guitarist, and co-founder of
Take It From The Top: http://www.tifttop.com
The best place to learn about the best guitar players.


   
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(@s1120)
Prominent Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 848
 

Good sounding and 300 bucks doesnt realy go too well together. there are some good lower cost ones out there.. but also a lot of junk, so its normaly a matter of playing a lot of them, and being prepared to eather pay for a reso guy to set it up, or learn to work on them. There are also two diferent types. Spider bridge,or biscit bridge. easy way to eyeball the diference is that the spider bridge reso's have a little screw hole in the cover that goes over the bridge. They sound a little diferent, so might want to find out what sound your looking for. Personaly I was on the same road as you. I didnt have a ton of cash, but have wanted a resonator guitar sence day one. I ended up finding a nice regal duolian used. It had good bones, but still needed some work. It sat in its case for almost a year, hardly ever getting played, till I broke it out and got to work. I replaced the tuners, pulled it apart, recut the nut, lowerd the bridge a bit, and set it up as best as I could. Now its a much better player, and I play it all the time! Still needs a little fidling.. Im going to try a new cone one day. See if it will wake up a little more, and I want to replace the nut and bridge to adjust the string spacing a little. Strings are quite a bit in from the edge of the finger board, and if I can find a little extra space, it will be nice.. but Im happy with it. All in all I have under 500 bucks in it... but quite a few hours of work. its not a National... But I like it. A lot of people like the Hot Rod Steel resonators. they are pretty much tuned up import resonators. And some love and some hate the Republic resonators. they are probably the top of the import brands, but still way over your 300 buck level.

Good luck, and happy shopping!!!!!

Paul B


   
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(@ezraplaysezra)
Honorable Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 484
 

Gibson bulldog used.


   
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(@tinsmith)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 830
 

I have a Jay Turser, but it seriously needs to be amplied....You could almost just use a guitar, except it does sound a bit like one thru the piezio....I call it my el cheapo reso....


   
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