Turkey Tone Roasting Pan Resonator Guitars
- Thread starter Modern Saint
- Start date
rotflmao
Help!I'maRock!
Mediocringly Derivative
I played a buncha resonators at GC last weekend and they all sounded crappy. It occurred to me today why. Saw a guy in the subway playing a Rogue resonator. It sounded like the same kinda crappy. So my only thought is that they're all rebranded (highly plausible) and that the crappy sound comes from the metal alloy used to make the cones and metal bodies. So the trick is, finding one made from quality materials. Not impossible to do on the import stuff, but would take some doing to figure out which ones aren't just rebrands, like the Rogue.
BoomBoomBigelow
Genius of Love
Accurate-sounding assessment is probably accurate.
Gary Blanchard
beloved, local musician
Funny thing about resonators is that I have owned three or four in the past; the Rogue was the best one.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk.../rogue-triolian-biscuit-cone-resonator-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk.../rogue-triolian-biscuit-cone-resonator-guitar
Pine Apple Slim
Kick Henry Jackassowski
The tonal quality of a reso has a whole lot to do with the quality of the cone, the spider or biscuit, the bridge, and even more importantly the quality of the set up of those things.
The expertise of the set up is why many lower end models sound so different from each other even with basically the same components.
Then comes the method of internal construction, and lastly the materials used in the body.
Even the best wooden resos are usually made form some form of ply so the "tone wood" considerations of an acoustic guitar are way down the totem pole of importance.
As for the OP, its an interesting concept. Id give it a shot. I think it looks better as a sq neck played lap style.
It would be interesting to AB against a conventional metal body with the same set up to see how the shape affects the sound.
The expertise of the set up is why many lower end models sound so different from each other even with basically the same components.
Then comes the method of internal construction, and lastly the materials used in the body.
Even the best wooden resos are usually made form some form of ply so the "tone wood" considerations of an acoustic guitar are way down the totem pole of importance.
As for the OP, its an interesting concept. Id give it a shot. I think it looks better as a sq neck played lap style.
It would be interesting to AB against a conventional metal body with the same set up to see how the shape affects the sound.
Pine Apple Slim
Kick Henry Jackassowski
10-12 yrs ago i bought a basic $350 Regal sq neck from Elderly. Played at home in the bedroom, it had a very pleasing warm tone, but lacked significant volume when it came time to jam. I studied up on it and read Paul Beard and others set up guides. I replaced the thin plastic coated spider with a standard #14 aluminum spider, replaced the low quality all maple bridge inserts with a good quality maple/ebony cap, and replaced the cheap stamped cone with a spun Quarterman. All in all about $100 in upgrades.
I acheived a significant increase in volume, its now loud enough to jam with banjos, etc. But I lost a good bit of the warmth and woodyness. Side by side with a friends Beard Gold Tone import, it was about the same in vol but the Beard Gold Tone was warmer and prettier. Same components basically but the set up by Mr Beard's shop made a world of diff in the overall tonal quality. One of these days I'll find a local reso guru to tweak it some more for me.
I'm of the opinion that when you buy a reso above a certain price point you are paying for the expertise of the assembly probably more than the actual components used. Compare one of Beards basic models with a Gibson assembled Dobro at about the same price point and you will certainly hear the diff. With practically the same components and assembly the Beard will win out every time. The diff being Mr Beard's expertise vs some hourly Gibson wage slave.
When it comes to metal bodies National has the edge. But that edge is mostly in the people building them and you pay for that. A small shop with good ears and decades of experience vs some 3rd world sweatshop.
I acheived a significant increase in volume, its now loud enough to jam with banjos, etc. But I lost a good bit of the warmth and woodyness. Side by side with a friends Beard Gold Tone import, it was about the same in vol but the Beard Gold Tone was warmer and prettier. Same components basically but the set up by Mr Beard's shop made a world of diff in the overall tonal quality. One of these days I'll find a local reso guru to tweak it some more for me.
I'm of the opinion that when you buy a reso above a certain price point you are paying for the expertise of the assembly probably more than the actual components used. Compare one of Beards basic models with a Gibson assembled Dobro at about the same price point and you will certainly hear the diff. With practically the same components and assembly the Beard will win out every time. The diff being Mr Beard's expertise vs some hourly Gibson wage slave.
When it comes to metal bodies National has the edge. But that edge is mostly in the people building them and you pay for that. A small shop with good ears and decades of experience vs some 3rd world sweatshop.
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Terry Allan Hall
Idol Of America's Youth
Even cheap ones are greatly improved by getting them set up properly...most never are before the sale. Merely out of the carton and up onto the wall. Getting a new quality resonator upgrade is a huge help, as well.
Help!I'maRock!
Mediocringly Derivative
Thank you for telling me about the entire guitar market for the past 30 years.
Terry Allan Hall
Idol Of America's Youth
Kinda a snotty response, all things considered. But you're certainly welcome... chears
Setting up a reso is not quite as simple as setting up a flat-top or an electric...
Verne Andru
Multimeh
That Turkey Tone looks . . . interesting.
I got a cheap pac-rim reso-mando a while back. Setup was horrible and sound lack-luster. Replaced the rosewood biscuit with an ebony/maple, bone nut and setup and it sounds great.
While it would be nice to A/B it with another, I've played the new $2,100 Nationals [wood body] and the impression I got was that mine was much louder.
So I would reiterate that a proper setup can go a long way to breathing life into the cheapo's. While there may be some slight difference in cones [which I doubt] there isn't much you can do wrong with rest of a metal resonator - it holds the bits in place and gives the sound a way to escape.
I got a cheap pac-rim reso-mando a while back. Setup was horrible and sound lack-luster. Replaced the rosewood biscuit with an ebony/maple, bone nut and setup and it sounds great.
While it would be nice to A/B it with another, I've played the new $2,100 Nationals [wood body] and the impression I got was that mine was much louder.
So I would reiterate that a proper setup can go a long way to breathing life into the cheapo's. While there may be some slight difference in cones [which I doubt] there isn't much you can do wrong with rest of a metal resonator - it holds the bits in place and gives the sound a way to escape.