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Post by John on Dec 18, 2006 13:52:24 GMT -7
What kind of strings do you use for a Resonator guitar. Standard acoustic strings?
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Post by kruzty on Dec 18, 2006 13:57:07 GMT -7
They make resonator sets. I don't know if they are different, but I'd stick with them because of the higher tension in some tunings. I think they are about the same price as a regular acoustic set, though. That reminds me, I need to put new ones on mine...
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 18, 2006 18:42:09 GMT -7
What kind of strings do you use for a Resonator guitar. Standard acoustic strings? If it's a roundneck you would use acoustic strings. I use heavy electric strings on the resonator you see in my avatar, but only because that one has a magnetic pickup. The bronze strings were louder and better sounding acoustically, but did not work so well with the pickup. The strings you see sold as "resonator" strings are intended mainly for squareneck resonators and typically start with a .016 for the high string. You could use a set like that on a roundneck if you felt the neck was stout enough, but it would probably only make sense if you were only going to use the guitar for slide.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 18, 2006 20:09:49 GMT -7
I think Kruzty is thinking about Dobro strings for an open tuned squareneck as mentioned by swampstomper. I'd suggest some Elixir type strings for long lasting twang.
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Post by mward on Dec 19, 2006 4:34:09 GMT -7
Yeah don't put those dobro strings on a regular resonator. It'll turn the neck into a pretzel. Don't ask me how I know this.
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Post by kruzty on Dec 19, 2006 7:03:57 GMT -7
Yeah, I'm talking about a square neck. I guess it depends what style of reso gtrman3 has.
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Post by John on Dec 19, 2006 7:04:57 GMT -7
Thanks for all the help. I'm cruising flee-bay for a resonator. Get this: My wife was PISSED that I DIDN'T bid higher for a resonator guitar a few weeks ago. Imagine a wife....getting mad because I did NOT spend money on gear. What a woman!
She was also very happy the other day when I purchased (on Flee-bay) a Top Hat open back 1x12 with a greenback....for $165! The seller's got to be pissed. It will look good under my Route 66. (Yeah, I know the greenback's a little under powered, so I'm going to swap the speaker with a V-30....and put the greenback in a closed back cabinet. That will help protect it more)
But back to resonators. I didn't know that square necks were handled differently than round backs. I didn't want to purchase a square neck, only for the reasong that it makes the guitar exclusively a slide guitar. But with such heavy strings (16's to 58's!!) How could you play it normally? Now I know.
I'll still use it mostly for open tuning slide, but I want to be able to use my fingers too.
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Post by mudskipper on Dec 19, 2006 7:16:38 GMT -7
i have a round neck Regal reso from the mid-30's. i use EJ16 Phosphor Bronze 12-53 Light from D'Addario.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 19, 2006 7:46:14 GMT -7
I bought a pretty good resonator about 10 years ago, an OMI Dobro besause I've liked old blues. But that's the problem, that's the only style I like to play with it. Everything else sounds wrong so it mostly sits. A few years ago I was playing in the orchestra pit for a local production of Anything Goes. I don't normally do things like this but my sax player was also the orchestra conductor for that show and he new I like that music so I did it for him. Some of the charts call for tenor banjo which I don't have, so I used my resonator guitar. It worked pretty good for that.
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Post by mward on Dec 19, 2006 10:02:24 GMT -7
gtrman3 - I run my route 66 into a greenback in an avatar cabinet openbacked and .. yeah, it's on the bleeding edge but it doesn't kill it. Sounds pretty good actually. Give it a shot.
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Post by John on Dec 19, 2006 11:05:35 GMT -7
Thanks mward, but I think I'll still make the switch. Especially so I can get a greenback in a closed back cabinet. Trying to go for a mini 4x12 sound.
Realistically, I'll probably try it both ways.
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 19, 2006 17:13:55 GMT -7
But back to resonators. I didn't know that square necks were handled differently than round backs. I didn't want to purchase a square neck, only for the reasong that it makes the guitar exclusively a slide guitar. But with such heavy strings (16's to 58's!!) How could you play it normally? Now I know. I'll still use it mostly for open tuning slide, but I want to be able to use my fingers too. A squareneck can only be played lap style. It's not just the strings. The action is set up way high, and the reason it's called a "squareneck" is because the back of the neck is like a 2x4. Literally. Good luck in your quest for a resonator. I became fascinated with them a year or two ago and now own two roundnecks and a squareneck. I've read, studied and played a fair amount on them, so if you have any questions fire away. To me they are kind of like the midpoint between an electric and acoustic guitar.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 19, 2006 19:58:24 GMT -7
i know a guy that has an old original square neck resonator with a wooden body. It does have small frets. Sometime in the past someone put a regular nut on it and it's not too hard to play at all.
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Post by John on Dec 20, 2006 4:39:07 GMT -7
Thanks swampstomper...
What about an Oscar Schmidt (supposedly made by Washburn) model?
For about $100 bucks too.
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Post by mward on Dec 20, 2006 5:29:04 GMT -7
For a 100$ can you go wrong? Some of the forum members spend triple that on a tube. Besides, I find slide guitar hard to get my brain around - if I spent a grand on a dobro to figure that out I'd be kind of bummed.
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Post by kruzty on Dec 20, 2006 7:39:14 GMT -7
Hey swampstomper, I have a squareneck. Do you have any recommendations for books with "solo" pieces for it? I have the beginners book and have been through that. But, like all beginners books, half of it is stuff I already know (simple music theory, how to tune, etc.). I've already been through the simple bluegrass melodies, so I'm looking for something a little more complex.
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 20, 2006 15:01:44 GMT -7
Thanks swampstomper... What about an Oscar Schmidt (supposedly made by Washburn) model? For about $100 bucks too. I have never seen one. Among the lower priced models the Regals are pretty cool. I have a reso that I bought from Liberty Guitars. I'll post a pic of it later. It's really a great guitar, especially for slide. Are you thinking metal or wood body? The metal bodies will have a biscuit bridge while most of the wood bodies have a spider bridge. They sound quite different from one another. What kind of sound are you shooting for?
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 20, 2006 15:09:07 GMT -7
Hey swampstomper, I have a squareneck. Do you have any recommendations for books with "solo" pieces for it? I have the beginners book and have been through that. But, like all beginners books, half of it is stuff I already know (simple music theory, how to tune, etc.). I've already been through the simple bluegrass melodies, so I'm looking for something a little more complex. The only instructional materials I have for the squareneck are two DVDs by Cindy Cashdollar. They are both excellent in my opinion. She's an outstanding player and a great teacher as well. Her second DVD deals with some alternate tunings and is a little more advanced. The 6th chord tuning (GBEGBD) is a blast to fool around with. You drop one string a whole step and you are instantly transported to Oahu! <g>
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 20, 2006 15:25:45 GMT -7
For a 100$ can you go wrong? Some of the forum members spend triple that on a tube. Besides, I find slide guitar hard to get my brain around - if I spent a grand on a dobro to figure that out I'd be kind of bummed. Lots of people play slide in open tunings, but I'd recommend learning to play slide in standard tuning first. This way you don't have to commit a guitar to an open tuning and you still have all your knowledge of the fretboard in standard tuning. When playing slide in standard tuning start forming your licks around the triad formed by the D, G and B strings. One of the keys to good slide playing is dampening notes you don't want to sound and noise that's created behind the slide. I pick with my fingers when playing slide as it's much easier to mute strings I don't want to sound. Depending on what finger you put the slide on, you'll want to use the rest to dampen out overtones behind the slide. I've only been playing slide for a little while myself. It can be frustrating at first, but if you stick with it for a while it's really not all that tough.
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Post by John on Dec 23, 2006 13:24:24 GMT -7
It arrived a few hours ago. First thing, change strings.
I won it on ebay for $102.50
Darn good deal for the money. Feels very solid. Rather heavy. Is the action supposed to be so high?
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 23, 2006 19:14:29 GMT -7
First check that the neck is not out of adjustment too far. You can notch the bridge but don't do it if the break angle would then be too shallow. You could also take it apart and using some scissors trim a sliver off the bottom of the cone. My Dobro originally came with the spider bridge. It was too quiet for me and I got a biscuit bridge and cone from Quarterman and I had to trim it to fit. Turned out good.
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Post by John on Dec 24, 2006 9:17:28 GMT -7
The neck is straight, so it doesn't look like I can make a truss rod adjustment to bring the string height down. But I've got some room to play with on the bridge. Looking down on top of the bridge area, there is a small hole on the metal resonator that leads to a small screw inbetween the D and G strings.
Is it adjusting the screw (with the strings loosened or off the guitar) or do I have to take the two pieces of wood (that make up the bridge) and shave them down? If it's shaving down the wood, what's the screw for? Does it help that this is a 'spider' type of resonator?
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 24, 2006 9:55:44 GMT -7
Okay. the spider bridge has a screw just to change the tension on the cone. I tried on a 1930a fiddle edge that a guy loaned me and on mine before I changed to a biscuit. It didn't improve things, just kind of constipated the sound. It is not a heighth adjustment. The bridge is glued to the other part isn't it? It should be so just notch the wood to where the heigth is passable then you can trim it if you want. theorrtically you are reducing the down pressure on the bridge by doing this to you may lose volume. these kind of guitars are usually set with the strings a little high so you can use a big brass slide and not bottom out. it's a compromise.
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 24, 2006 19:10:02 GMT -7
Is it adjusting the screw (with the strings loosened or off the guitar) or do I have to take the two pieces of wood (that make up the bridge) and shave them down? If it's shaving down the wood, what's the screw for? Does it help that this is a 'spider' type of resonator? Spider bridges are more troublesome than biscuit bridges. The screw holds the spider bridge down to the cone, but you don't want to make it any tighter than is necessary to prevent buzzing or rattles. Adjusting the action is similar to that of any acoustic guitar; you don't have that much range available depending on how the neck is set. I wouldn't mess with it too much for now unless it's unbearable. If it's just a little high I would recommend that you just play it for a while. The best sounding reso I have felt too high at first, but in time I'm glad I didn't try to change it.
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Post by skydog958 on Dec 24, 2006 20:06:51 GMT -7
I've wanted a reso for a while. I really liked the round-neck Gibson Hounddog, which has a wood body. Can wood bodied reso have a biscuit bridge?
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Post by John on Dec 24, 2006 21:12:53 GMT -7
Unfortunately, I keep the action on my electrics (which I play 99% of the time) VERY low. Pretty much as low as I can get it. But I have large frets (not jumbo) so I can still dig in. So when I play an acoustic...with it's heavier strings and higher action, it just drives me crazy and makes me feel like I should be lowering the action.
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 25, 2006 5:17:54 GMT -7
I've wanted a reso for a while. I really liked the round-neck Gibson Hounddog, which has a wood body. Can wood bodied reso have a biscuit bridge? There are some. The guitar you see in my avatar is a wood body with a biscuit bridge. National makes some, but they are pretty expensive. Liberty Guitars offers a biscuit bridge guitar with a mahogany body. Those are pretty affordable. This is the Liberty spider bridge guitar that started my infatuation with resonators: I played a Gibson Houndog at GC once and I was not that impressed with it. It may have just been the particular piece I played, but the workmanship was not all that great and it just didn't feel or sound that pleasing to me. There are a number of choices available in that price range.
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swampstomper
Full Member
The only thing that really worried me was the ether.
Posts: 136
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Post by swampstomper on Dec 25, 2006 5:42:23 GMT -7
Unfortunately, I keep the action on my electrics (which I play 99% of the time) VERY low. Pretty much as low as I can get it. But I have large frets (not jumbo) so I can still dig in. So when I play an acoustic...with it's heavier strings and higher action, it just drives me crazy and makes me feel like I should be lowering the action. You can try lowering the action by shaving down the underside of the bridge inserts. Obviously you'd want to take it down slowly. Also, as mentioned by billyguitar you'll want to pay attention to the break angle going over the bridge to the tailpiece. There's generally not much angle there to begin with. There is some good resonator set-up information available here: www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-4006.html
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 25, 2006 8:48:45 GMT -7
Good info. With an acoustic instrument strings can only have a bit of buzz at the most or you lose volume. I've played some new ones that compare pretty well with the old ones but there are rare old ones that can't be matched. Better cone I guess.
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