| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
andyjade
Akahai
USA
51 Posts |
 Posted - 01/23/2007 : 09:53:32 AM
|
|
So the urge to play some steel has caught up to me. I read Konabob's piece on Walmart finds, but have decided on purchasing a resonator guitar. I dabble in bluegrass as well, so this would be a universal purchase. However, due to rampant GAS/UAS, I don't have a lot to spend. Anyone know of a quality resonator (single or tri-cone)that's priced under 4-5 hundred. I am open to the used market, but thought I'd inquire with ya'all, too........
|
|
|
hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2007 : 11:29:47 AM
|
I bought a Rogue (musiciansfriend.com) squareneck resonator guitar. At the time, it was only $150. It works fine, but if you're interested in Hawaiian music in general, you may tire of the twangy sound. There are several cheap lap steels ($100 or less) on the market to get a more modern sound. Try ebay.
IMO, the tricone has the sweetest sound of all the resonators, but is much more expensive than a single cone. You'll pay $600+ for a Chinese made tricone and $2000+ for a National guitar. This is what Bob Brozman plays and it's a very mellow sound compared with the spider or biscuit style single cone.
Jesse Tinsley |
 |
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2007 : 10:36:11 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by hapakid
I bought a Rogue (musiciansfriend.com) squareneck resonator guitar. At the time, it was only $150. It works fine, but if you're interested in Hawaiian music in general, you may tire of the twangy sound. There are several cheap lap steels ($100 or less) on the market to get a more modern sound. Try ebay.
IMO, the tricone has the sweetest sound of all the resonators, but is much more expensive than a single cone. You'll pay $600+ for a Chinese made tricone and $2000+ for a National guitar. This is what Bob Brozman plays and it's a very mellow sound compared with the spider or biscuit style single cone.
Jesse Tinsley
I love my 8-string Dobro! You've heard it, Jesse. However, it doesn't have the sustain of my electrics, so harmonics are tougher. It's nice, though, in a situation where going electric is out of the question. I fooled around with a few Johnson Mountain 6 string models at the Northwest Folklife Festival a couple of years ago. They run about $250, but quality and sound is not consistent. If you go to a music store that has several of them, or if you shop around, you can get a passible one. I do have a koa 6 string, but I paid $2000 for it. It has no plywood in it, so it still sounds sweet above the 12th fret, where most Dobro's get a little thin. BTW, the Barney Isaacs/George Kuo CD, with Barney playing a 6 string Dobro in C6 tuning, is wonderful! |
keaka |
|
|
|
Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2007 : 8:38:58 PM
|
CAUTION!!!
I paid for a cheap travel lap steel guitar, from a guy who charged $89 for shipping. I paid $0.99, or something like that, for the actual guitar. It was a cheap gimmick, and I was stupid enough to think the seller was bona-fide. I waited after I sent my check, and eventually I received an email telling me his poor brother had suddenly died from cancer, he was spending a lot of time in the hospital, but he would mail me the guitar as soon as he was able. Then he disappeared from eBay... Well, guess what! I was a sucker!!!! 
Happens every now and then, and since it was just a cheapie, I didn't get very upset, but you know, you take a risk sometimes...
Anyway, it makes me sick, the excuses some people use to cheat you.
Julie |
|
|
|
hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2007 : 09:25:35 AM
|
I'm sorry you got ripped off, Julie. Welcome to Ebay.
One of the common cheapies on the market (and Ebay) is the Artisan EA-1 or EA-2. They run $80-150 for a six-string lap steel. Some TP members have one and might comments on it's playability. At one time it sold at Musicians Friend for under $50. Electric is a way to go to get the sound of Hawaiian music from the 1950's through today.
Jesse Tinsley |
|
|
|
andyjade
Akahai
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2007 : 09:58:27 AM
|
Thanks for all of the advice. I'm looking for the traditional resonator guitar (as opposed to a lap steel). I need it to be multi-functional in that it'll play bluegrass, folk, ect. I've fallen in love with the all metal bodies found on the pricier models....
Off to ebay..... |
|
|
|
Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2007 : 2:23:44 PM
|
| Regal makes a nice affordable resonator in round or square neck. If you find a dealer, play several; mine sounds really good, severla others i have played since are not so friendly to the ear |
Karl
Frozen North |
|
|
|
jmk
Lokahi
USA
115 Posts |
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2007 : 08:13:15 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by andyjade
Thanks for all of the advice. I'm looking for the traditional resonator guitar (as opposed to a lap steel). I need it to be multi-functional in that it'll play bluegrass, folk, ect. I've fallen in love with the all metal bodies found on the pricier models....
Off to ebay.....
I own & play 2 resonator guitars: an 8 string Dobro I bought from the factory in Oceanside, CA in 1977 and a custom koa wood 6 string I had made here in Seattle by Dave Krause, an excellent luthier. The 6 string does not have one piece of plywood in it, and its tone is rich and consistent from top to bottom. My 8 string, and other Dobros I have played, gets thin above the neck (and cheap ones are thin all over). This is especially true of inexpensive instruments made in Asia. It takes a lot of trying out of many instruments to find a good one. I did play a Johnson Mountain guitar shown by the Trading Musician at the Northwest Folklife Festival several years ago that sounded as good as my 8 string, but I've tried at least 20 subsequently, looking for a knockabout, but to no avail. One of the reasons that resophonic players sound so good is that they have custom guitars. so ..... look around, try a lot of them out before picking one. I do understand that, for someone getting started, cost is important and investing in an expensive instrument can be hair raising. BTW, both dobros are in C13th tunings - like a C6 but with the lower A raised to Bb. Also, if you want to play both bluegrass & Hawaiian, you'll have to restring the guitar to go from GBDGBD to C6 or A6 (or Jerry Byrd B). One more thought - replacing the cone with a good Quarterman cone will help the sound of any resophonic guitar. |
keaka |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2007 : 05:25:13 AM
|
| At a music store the other day, I found that CFMartin C0 makes a round neck resophonic, single cutaway, aluminum top. Sounded great. |
|
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2007 : 2:21:51 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by thumbstruck
At a music store the other day, I found that CFMartin C0 makes a round neck resophonic, single cutaway, aluminum top. Sounded great.
Yeah, but he cheap???? |
keaka |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 05:35:40 AM
|
| As I remember, the Martin resophonic was less than a grand, more like $700 range. Had a good sound and the neck was that cool laminate style they have been using. The back and sides were a high density laminate material. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
