ibanezrocks
New member
Just a quick question here about resonators, what is the difference between a metal-body resonator and a wood one?
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
Tone and about 15 pounds.
ibanezrocks
New member
I know they differ in tone, thats pretty obvious, what I want to know is how they sound different.
B
boingoman
New member
I look for warmth, be it wood or metal. Even then some not awesome ones sound great plugged into an amp. Any resonator is a different beast plugged in.
Metal ones seem to be fuller in the low end, but can get mushy and inarticulate down there. The word brittle has crossed my mind playing metal ones as well, in the high end. Wood ones are pretty articulate, but can sound thin, with a piercing high end, rather than a nice present high end that makes you sit up and listen. Wooden bodies don't seem to ring like metal ones, but can growl really nice in the middle of the neck.
The sound of wooden ones doesn't seem to depend so much on nice woods like an acoustic. One of my faves, long since stolen, was this little plywood dealie I just happened to pick up in a store. It had "it", you know?
Resonators, even more than acoustics, seem to be luck of the draw as far as tone quality, no matter the brand or quality. In any case, if new, they are worth a trip to a guy who knows how to set them up. $35 or $50 into setting one up can make a huge difference in tone.
Metal ones seem to be fuller in the low end, but can get mushy and inarticulate down there. The word brittle has crossed my mind playing metal ones as well, in the high end. Wood ones are pretty articulate, but can sound thin, with a piercing high end, rather than a nice present high end that makes you sit up and listen. Wooden bodies don't seem to ring like metal ones, but can growl really nice in the middle of the neck.
The sound of wooden ones doesn't seem to depend so much on nice woods like an acoustic. One of my faves, long since stolen, was this little plywood dealie I just happened to pick up in a store. It had "it", you know?
Resonators, even more than acoustics, seem to be luck of the draw as far as tone quality, no matter the brand or quality. In any case, if new, they are worth a trip to a guy who knows how to set them up. $35 or $50 into setting one up can make a huge difference in tone.
ibanezrocks
New member
Thanks for the links, those pages answered all my questions. I'll probably look into a roundneck tri-cone or spider with a metal body, that should suit me. Does anyone know of some examples of those? (relatively cheap)
lpdeluxe
The Precision Bass Guy
Try it. If it's good, buy it. If it's not, don't buy it.
They all sound different. Even within the range of wood or metal bodies, some will be the sound you want, and some will not. Would you buy a Les Paul unseen? OK, but I wouldn't. Nor a resonator. Walk into a well-stocked music store and play two Martins: one might be a cannon, and the next a wimp. Generalizations are good for cars or refrigerators, but we're talking about your VOICE here.
They all sound different. Even within the range of wood or metal bodies, some will be the sound you want, and some will not. Would you buy a Les Paul unseen? OK, but I wouldn't. Nor a resonator. Walk into a well-stocked music store and play two Martins: one might be a cannon, and the next a wimp. Generalizations are good for cars or refrigerators, but we're talking about your VOICE here.
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
I just got a Dean for Christmas. It's pretty cool. This is the model I have.
http://www.bill-lewington.com/Dean/acoustics/chrome_g.htm
http://www.bill-lewington.com/Dean/acoustics/chrome_g.htm
hixmix
Halibut, North Dakota
Wooden resonators will tend to have a warmer, boxy sound while the metal ones will tend to have sharper, brighter, well....more metallic sound.
ch2os7
New member
resonator
I was thinking about getting a Rogue last year but they raised the price so
I bought a Dean mahogany squareneck off ebay. I figured it'd be decent to learn on. It's much better than I expected. I guess I got lucky.
I was thinking about getting a Rogue last year but they raised the price so
I bought a Dean mahogany squareneck off ebay. I figured it'd be decent to learn on. It's much better than I expected. I guess I got lucky.
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Middleman
Professional Amateur
I have a metal one, from Fender. It works great for slide but for regular guitar work it sounds to banjoey. Hey I made up a word!
The wooden ones work better when your in the mood for a different sounding instrument using guitar picking methods.
The wooden ones work better when your in the mood for a different sounding instrument using guitar picking methods.
T
TexasMusicForge
New member
Make sure you check out e-bay. There are some smaller manufacturers of resonator guitars that have their own "shops" there. Here's a good-looking example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2385&item=3775903766&rd=1
Also, Johnson makes some very good entry-level metal body resonators. Guitar Center and other large box retailers carry them. I like them better than any of the Dean or other Korean and Chinese-made resonators I've played.
With occasional exceptions, wood will give you a little more "warmth" and "air" in the sound than metal will. If you like the sound that the dobro player for Alison Krauss gets, stick with wood. If you're a blues player, metal gives you an edge when you fingerpick hard and spank the strings.
For y'all still investigating resonators, the roundneck models are meant to be played while holding it like a regular guitar (like all blues players I've ever seen). The squareneck models are played more like a pedal steel with the top facing the ceiling and either set on the player's lap or held against the body with a special strap (you see the bluegrass and country pickers playing this way).
Of course, this opens the highly-individual subject of what kind of slide to you use for what kind of tone, but *that* is a whole other can of worms...
Best regards,
Tio Ed
Austin, TX
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2385&item=3775903766&rd=1
Also, Johnson makes some very good entry-level metal body resonators. Guitar Center and other large box retailers carry them. I like them better than any of the Dean or other Korean and Chinese-made resonators I've played.
With occasional exceptions, wood will give you a little more "warmth" and "air" in the sound than metal will. If you like the sound that the dobro player for Alison Krauss gets, stick with wood. If you're a blues player, metal gives you an edge when you fingerpick hard and spank the strings.
For y'all still investigating resonators, the roundneck models are meant to be played while holding it like a regular guitar (like all blues players I've ever seen). The squareneck models are played more like a pedal steel with the top facing the ceiling and either set on the player's lap or held against the body with a special strap (you see the bluegrass and country pickers playing this way).
Of course, this opens the highly-individual subject of what kind of slide to you use for what kind of tone, but *that* is a whole other can of worms...
Best regards,
Tio Ed
Austin, TX
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Did you get it yet? How does it play and sound? I just ordered one too, but it's still on its way.arcaxis said:
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Yeah, mine was on backorder too but just for a couple of days - it must have shipped when yours did, so we'll be getting them at about the same time. Hope we didn't screw up. 
Just what's on the MF site, but they seem to be pretty honest. I've seen some really bad ones on other gear there (like "the guitar broke in half during the night")arcaxis said:
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Man, what a fucking disappointment!!!
UPS truck pulled up yesterday just as I was on my way out the door to work. So I hauled it inside, told my wife and mother-in-law who were looking on "man, this is going to be great!" I grabbed it out by the neck, which was round. I thought to myself "this is awfully light" as I looked down at the body - no resonator. It was a fucking cheap acoustic guitar. I'm afraid I said a few things my mother-in-law had never heard me say before.
Anyhow, I called MF a bunch of MF's, then I called them on the phone. Told me I'd have to send it back, then take 4-5 days to process, then send me the right one. So we were talking about two weeks, though they did agree to send the new one express.
So I just ordered another one which they are supposed to send two day shipping on their dime, and I'm sending the POS they sent me back for credit. I hope they don't screw that up.
UPS truck pulled up yesterday just as I was on my way out the door to work. So I hauled it inside, told my wife and mother-in-law who were looking on "man, this is going to be great!" I grabbed it out by the neck, which was round. I thought to myself "this is awfully light" as I looked down at the body - no resonator. It was a fucking cheap acoustic guitar. I'm afraid I said a few things my mother-in-law had never heard me say before.
Anyhow, I called MF a bunch of MF's, then I called them on the phone. Told me I'd have to send it back, then take 4-5 days to process, then send me the right one. So we were talking about two weeks, though they did agree to send the new one express.
So I just ordered another one which they are supposed to send two day shipping on their dime, and I'm sending the POS they sent me back for credit. I hope they don't screw that up.
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Yes, they sent me Fedex shipping lables. I hope I get the $180 credited back to my credit card account without undue bullshit, as I've now paid for a second guitar.
crazydoc
Master Baiter
I got it yesterday, as promised. One of the screens had fallen out, but easy to put back in. I hope it's not indicative of the glue job on the rest of the instrument.
I don't know how to judge its quality (low, I'm sure) as I have nothing to compare it to. I fingerpick acoustic guitar and pedal steel without picks, but can't get enough volume out of this without picks, so I guess it's 10 steps backwards to learn to use them.
Someone mentioned setup on these - what's to set up? Nothing buzzes, strings sit level in the nut. I know I'm going to take it apart anyway - what should I look for?
And by the way, what's with the frets? - about as useful as tits on a man as far as I can tell. Why don't they just paint 'em on for visual reference like other steel guitars?
I don't know how to judge its quality (low, I'm sure) as I have nothing to compare it to. I fingerpick acoustic guitar and pedal steel without picks, but can't get enough volume out of this without picks, so I guess it's 10 steps backwards to learn to use them.
Someone mentioned setup on these - what's to set up? Nothing buzzes, strings sit level in the nut. I know I'm going to take it apart anyway - what should I look for?
And by the way, what's with the frets? - about as useful as tits on a man as far as I can tell. Why don't they just paint 'em on for visual reference like other steel guitars?
crazydoc
Master Baiter
arcaxis said:Other than the screen falling out, what do you think of the build quality considering the price? The only other resonator I actually held in my hands was a Samick for about $300. Finish and hardware wise the Rogue seems comparable. Only time will tell how durable it is. Did the strings bind in the nut as you were bringing it into tune?
Now I gotta get a grip on playing in an open tuning and finger picking.
Thanks for the link - looks like lots of good DIY type stuff there. I'll be taking mine apart this weekend - I'll take some pics and post them here.
The thing feels like a brick shithouse, and has a nice finish. I think durability is going to be the key - I hope they used a long-lived glue.
My wound strings groaned at the nut as I tuned it up too, but didn't really bind. I think this will work out with a few tunings. I tuned it to open G (GBDGBD) but I think I'll try C6 when I get some appropriate gauge strings.
Here's some related sites I have found:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/
Lots of info on acoustic instruments and instruction in playing, including the squareneck Dobro.
http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/tuning.html
Tunings - and other stuff on the site, including history of the Dobro.
http://steelguitarforum.com/
Enter and go to No Peddlers - lots of interesting threads to read through.
http://www.homestead.com/dennysguitars/lessonsindex1.html
For geniuses - beyond me (but the site has other interesting info).
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Here's the pics. It seems to be well constructed as far as the fit of the wood pieces. Again, it will be the glue that makes the difference in the long run.The spider is of cast aluminum and the cone is spun aluminum, and both seem to be flat and true. The saddle is of some dark, hard wood and fits well in the holder, with the strings just clearing the cover plate when tightened.
It sounds fine, but again, I don't have any other instrument for comparison.
It sounds fine, but again, I don't have any other instrument for comparison.
Attachments
hixmix
Halibut, North Dakota
Another good Dobro link: http://www.mphase.com/planetd2.htm