Resonator Guitar / solidbody

[TroubledTreble]

I've have had an idea to build a solid body resonator guitar for a long time. The first time I saw one was when I saw John Campbell in concert. It was so great!

I have never seen another like it, in person anyway. I would like to build one using a Tele body if it will fit, and a nice thick neck. I have sources for all the parts so that's not a problem. It would be set up like a regular guitar though if I ever figure out how to play slide (not just make noise like I do now  :tard I may throw a tall nut on there and use it for that.

Has anyone here had any experience with one of these or something very similar? Not a hollow acoustic style, but a solid body. I would also love to get a solid resonator cover and cut my own design into it.

 

[Mor Paul]

http://www.guitarattack.com/saga/saga0810_1/saga0810_1.htm

Surprised I remembered that.

 

[CouchSpud]

This could be sweet.
And big +1 on slide difficulties. Tried it for a while and I couldn't help but sound like crap with it, hehe.

 

[tfarny]

They say the majority of the sound is from the cone, not the body, so you might be able to put a piezo of some kind in it and get good resonator sound. I say definitely go for it - you NEED a resocaster telenator. If you had one, you would lose any possible excuse for not learning slide.

 

[TonyW]

I play alot of resonator and have had the urge for a solid body as well and have been eyeing off these as starting point

http://www.nationalguitars.com/instruments/electric/resojr/resojr.html

http://www.nationalguitars.com/instruments/electric/resojrsunburst/resojrsunburst.html

And this one i have played a fair bit on the earlier models. You dont get a true reso sound but it fills the gap

http://www.nationalguitars.com/instruments/electric/resolectric/resolectric.html

This arrived yesterday and i am about to install one of these on my Parlour reso

http://www.lacemusic.com/acoustic_pickups/dobro/dobro_specs.php

 

[Return of Guitlouie]

This guy is a big poster on TDRI, but he stopped by here a long time ago and posted this:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=34.0

He seems like a guy who is very willing to share info, so I would contact him, if it were me.  Sounds like a kick ass project!

 

[TroubledTreble]

I really like those Resolectrics, classy!

Now I'm starting to favor an odd body shape over the Tele, hmmm. I was just thinking about that project idea from long ago today and didn't go back and look around for others. I need to do a reso for sure.

So TonyW I'm not going for true reso sound but I do want to get some funky swampy moss on the trees, mud on my boots feel goin'. Did any of the ones you've  played head in that direction? I could see where a P90 would do well.

Guitlouie, I had forgot about that post, but do remember it now. 

*Idea*!! I wonder how a baritone reso would sound. I don't have a baritone either but want one. ... Oh man!.....

 

[TonyW]

I would go a Piezo right under the biscuit bridge if it were mine (thats if your going to use that type of bridge) and a snappy mid output single coil mounted hard near the cone surround, there,s some vibration at that point which gived the guitar a little bit of reso sound, i dont know why it does it but it does. Personally i would go a brass resonator guitar tailpiece with a 2-1/4" as well, i just feel that this may snap the tone up abit, remembering you dont want it too warm.

 

[TroubledTreble]

Thanks Tony, I do want to go with a biscuit and a piezo. Good suggestion on the other pickup mount, I had wondered why they mounted it there. So you would suggest a pickup closer to a strat type as apposed to a P90 type? 

I may have to track one of these down and give it a good listen before creating it. I hope to make it a late spring / summer project.

 

[TonyW]

I would route for strat, but i am diggoin my new guitar with 90's in it so at the moment these are my fav but i think i would go for the options of a strat mount and maybe try a low output lipstick 1st.

I notice with this Lace Dobro i just bought (havent tried it yet) its resistance is 4.1 K and only 1.5 henries which is well below that of a 57/62 strat at 5.6k resistance and 3.5 henries, there has to be a reason for such a low reading pickup seeing as it was designed in association with Dobro a few years ago.

Another reason for the pickup being back near the cone means the pickup wont be as dark as near the neck.

 

[TroubledTreble]

The low resistance could be so that it blends well with the piezo. I don't go by resistance as a rule. The ratio of resistance to inductance and Q mean a great deal more, and even a pickup with low ohms can still put out quite well.

I thought about the neck pickup placement and can see how putting closer to the cone it will sound more like the resonator and less like the neck wood. Makes sense.

Thanks for the input.. hey do you  have any sound clips?!

 

[TonyW]

Yep resistance aint output thats why i staed henries I dont use DC resistance to rate a pickup, i actually cringe abit when winders use it as a measure as its a false reading of the pickupas its only the resistance in the wire at 0 hertz and has nothing to do with the output or the tone.

Tunes on my resonator yes but not online, playing slide yes and online.


http://myspace.com/tonywatkinsmusic

http://soundclick.com/tonywatkins

 

[Mor Paul]

Don't remember the Jwells post, but yeah, she's very well known on the TDPRI. Seems like a great guy.

 

[Finch]

the fender resonator uses a texas tele pickup at the neck and fishman powerchip at the bridge, they were a nice combination (had one up until a few months ago) slide is a very delicate and subtle art, and im about as subtle and delicate as an angry elephant in a house of glass