electric resonator guitars

[6120]

Who makes electric resonator guitars? I saw an old Farm Aid clip with John Mellancamps guitarist(Andy York?) playing a nice electric resonator. Anybody have any idea who made it?

[decay-o-caster]

National / Dobro makes the "real" one. I had one - great guitar, but a little on the niche-y side for me and I couldn't justify keeping it at the time.

[Robertito]

I made one that turned out very well, and for little money. Bought a black single-cutaway Danelectro with two pickups, cut a 10" hole in the top, set a Dobro resonator cone against the back, screwed a chrome cover over it, trimmed the pickguard, and it was pretty much done. It uses a Dobro tailpiece, still has the Dano neck pickup, and I installed a piezo under the biscuit, a three-way switch in the LP position (bass side upper bout), Gotoh tuners, a bone nut, and one volume control. Sounds great, cost me about 200.00 total.

[GAT]

National / Dobro makes the "real" one. I had one - great guitar, but a little on the niche-y side for me and I couldn't justify keeping it at the time.

A friend of mine has one here in Reno, sounds really good. I don't think I would get much use out of one, but he makes it work for him. Cool, greasy, earthy tone.

[Pa'ani]

National Reso Phonic, Dobro, Tut Taylor just a few that come to mind.

[Bludave]

http://www.chandlerguitars.com/lectraslide.html

These are pretty awesome sounding and playing slides. I like em' Hard to find but they play really well.

[MusicGearGuys]

Check out the Eastwood Delta 6
http://eastwoodguitars.com/
I cant keep them in stock.
Killer tones with the blend knob, including huge Jazz Box tones too.
Very cool. Check one out.
Gregory

[SwirlCrazy]

James Trussart makes one as well.

[urizen]

http://www.chandlerguitars.com/lectraslide.html

These are pretty awesome sounding and playing slides. I like em' Hard to find but they play really well.

I've got one of the first iterations. The pickguard is misleading;looks like a reso but it's not (i.e., no resonator single cone w/"biscuit" bridge transferring energy to the mechanically amplifying cone) so it doesn't sound anything like a reso----although (w/a compensated and adjustable bridge, the only mod I had done....really improves playabilty and intonation, and I think Chandler came to that conclusion too in the last few years, since they swapped the bridge to that style) it is a great "greasy" blues/rocker (except for positions 2 & 3 on the 6 way pup config switch, which come close to a nice single coil tone, "thinner"/more detailed/articulate w/ some "jangle")---nails Elmore James tones through an overdriven tweed or Vox style amp.

But it most emphatically is NOT an electric-reso.

Aside from Nat'l-Reso, check out Beltona Resophonic or Fine Resophonic---and I think Specimen makes one (great freakshow guitars):

http://www.fineresophonic.com/resolectrics.htm

http://www.beltona.net/electro.htm

http://www.specimenproducts.com/instru/index.html

[urizen]

Specimen would build an electroreso for you that I imagine could be truly interesting----I REALLY like several of the Pippin styles, and the Singletons, particularly the Luddite, Indian Corn and Montessori

[urizen]

"Fine" work (albeit not an electro):

http://www.fineresophonic.com/triplate3.htm

[B Vance]

http://www.beltona.net/electro.htm

Yep

[zombywoof]

You could always buy an acoustic resonator and slap a Highlander pickup on it.

[suttree]

jay turser makes a really cheap-o version. mellencamp's guitar player does use the national. i played one once, it was brilliant.. but a lot lot lot of money for a guitar i'd use a couple times a night...

[urizen]

If you can find one, you could get a used Nat'l-Reso Resolectric Jr. (they've been discontinued)---1 P-90 near the neck, no piezo/Highlander/bridge p'up---you still get the sound of the cone, and, considering the design re: the bridge, intonation is really pretty good---lots of character and several hundred less than the "full-on" current Resolectric.

http://www.gbase.com/Stores/Gear/GearDetails.aspx?Item=1703623

[urizen]

There was a fella that did resos, using vintage wheel covers in lieu of a "standard" single-cone cover plate, but I disremember his name. His resos got good reviews, but I don't know if he made resolectrics.

Anybody he'p a brother out on this one?

[Rusty G.]

I don't know anything about the cost. . .But these are pretty cool Reso-electrics!

http://www.customguitars.com/resolec.htm

[clemduolian]

There was a fella that did resos, using vintage wheel covers in lieu of a "standard" single-cone cover plate, but I disremember his name. His resos got good reviews, but I don't know if he made resolectrics.

Anybody he'p a brother out on this one?


That would be Larry Pogreba. I think he's in Colorado.

[decay-o-caster]

Paul Beard makes an electric resonator lap steel that is pretty sweet. Much droolage on my end just thinking about it....