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Well, we don't get into resonator talk much around here, but I thought I'd post this anyway.

I'm going to be building myself a "large body" style resonator to learn to play on. I have some questions if anyone out here builds them.

Typically, I hear they are 25" scale? Any reason why not 24.9", or 25.4"...? Is this just the industry standard?

How deep do these boxes generally go? I'm thinking similar to a J-45 here...is that about right?

Thanks...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

BEAT IT BUDDY! this is an acoustic guitar forum --   

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I built mine on a 25.5" scale. I think J-45 woould be about perfect. Are you doing the National style or the Dobro style resonator?

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hi John,

I'm doing a spider bridge, so I guess that's a Dobro style.

Lance,

A resonator IS an acoustic instrument. Duh!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

My experience has been with the national type but actually the dobro's tend to have a much nicer (more tonefull) sound in my opinion My reso sounds like a train wreck, or mayhaps that's just my playing. Good luck and post lots of pics when you get under way.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hello Don,
            The resophonics I have built have all been national type, the scale length has been 25" on all as used by the National company. I think they used this lentgh as it seems about the right string tention so as to make the cone work but not collapse it.
Most Nationals were quite shallow because the cone projets most of the sound,this is my opinion anyway.
The one Tricone I made of black walnut has a much sweeter tone than the single cone ones. I also believe the neck pole constuction on Nationals adds to the tone and volume.
I converted a cheap D type guitar to a resophonic with a cheap national cone and cover plate for a relative
it sounded quite resonable.
good luck

Don,
I tinker around with resonators a little.
The small body resonators I build are 24.5" scale and join at the 12th fret. They are all square-neck

My large body, post and baffel, is a 25" scale and also joins at the 12th fret.

I think the 25" scale has just become the standard for most builders.

I use the 24.5" scale in the R-body because I want that extra 1/4" of wood on the top. at the tail-piece without making the body any longer.

The inside depth in the large bodies that I use are 4", the small bodies are 3.5" inside. The top thickness on both are 3/16".

I posted some of my R body guitars on here a couple of weeks ago. I don't know much but will be glad to help when I can.

Mr.Gregg McKenna or Mr.Gary Dusina are both very knowledgeable in resonator guitar construction.
DanielD.L.Huskey38475.6976851852

Don,
25" just seems to have evolved as the standard scale length for both biscuit and spider bridges. There's no technical reason why this has to be so. I've built resonators of various types at 23", 24", 25" and 25.5" scales, and 32" for my resonator bass.

I assume you've seen Gary Dusina's set of articles over on www.reso-nation.org/? There are two different internal constructions, the post & baffle and the soundwell. Gary's is the former, Gregg McKenna favours the latter.

The body depths for my full size dobros are around the same as Daniel's. Older dobros tended to be shallower, and have a different tonal quality as a consequence.

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Pete
http://www.petewoodmanguitars.com

Hi Don,
Glad to hear you are getting under way.
Where did you get the parts from?

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Hi Wade,
Almost under way. Design stage is where I'm at. I thought the parts would arrive today, but no such luck. I ordered them from Resophonic Outfitters (Beard Guitars). The general consensus seems to be that these parts are very very good. But I have to get a ukelele built before I can really do anything with the reso...
See you at the uke-a-palooza!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Sounds great Don!
Please post some pics of this Reso build when you get a chance. I'd be interested in your progress.
It looks like I should be ready for uke-a-palooza too.
I'm just putting the frets in the Mandolele this week!
and the body is about done.

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

I met Paul Beard (I think that was his name) last year. He a couple of his builders came by a the World Guitar Congress show that I was set-up at. His sales guy was set-up there too. Paul is a really nice guy and his guitars (is that what you call those things??) were really nice too. I don't know what a "good" tone from a resonator really is, but these seemed "musical." I assume that the cone would be an important part to getting a good sound, so you may be on the right path ordering your stuff from him.

I haven't started my Uke yet....D'Oh! I hope I can get it done. It won't be what you're expecting from me though.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Why not do a resonator Uke?    I've seen a couple of really nice ones.

I have been building a Beard kit for my sponsored player Stephen Couch. This is a dobro style with a round neck. Im using some of the killer Sapele I got from Steve at Colonial.

I have swaped out the top,back, and sides, and have changed the neck from a simple but join to a M+T with better hardware.

I too have decided to use the 25.4 scale instead of the 25 scale that it comes with... I hope that is OK, and dosent mess up the tension or anything.

I was inspired by Dan`s pics a few week ago, and did a breedlove style cutaway on it.
Steven is really psyched to have the extra clearence to get all the up the board.



Matt

Tis a good lookin guitar there Matt. One of these days I'll finish the reso I started about 8 years ago.

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

actually today I am looking at the neck set angle.

I`m not sure what to shoot for,

is a tall saddle desireable? or do I need to down close to brackett on the spider.

I am picking up that break angle is critcal to the tone of the instrument so I thought I`d ask around a bit.
thanks for any in put you can give me.

Matt

Matt, I have a book on setting up the style of reso you are building. I'd be glad to put it in the mail to you if you'd like, then you can pass it on to Don when your done. I'll try to remember to check the saddle recomendations tonight.John How38476.4306944444

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

In the squareneck spider bridge world these days a number of builders are moving to the idea of having the saddle as high as possible, i.e. that the tops of the bridge pieces should be very close to the underside of the handrest, so close in fact that the coverplate won't go on until the strings have been brought to pitch (which makes the spider settle). Import spiders tend to have shallow slots so if you try it with those you'll get too much bridge showing above the spider.

Biscuit bridges are different - there you're looking for an angle of 5 or 6 degrees, and too much down pressure will kill the sound of the cone.

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Pete
http://www.petewoodmanguitars.com

Matt is doing a round neck, not a square neck, so his setup is going to be different. Still, it's a different world than what we're used to.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Thanks very much John, I would love to have a look at that book.

Thanks for the info Pete, I will set my neck so the bridge hight is right up there just under the palm rest.

This makes sence to me now that I think about it, under the palm rest would be the maximum hight, thus maximum down pressure and proper loading of the spider.

This has been a fun learning experience so far, thanks again for the help.

Hijacker....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Matt,
Thats a nice looking resonator.
Would there be any issues to the size of the single F-hole being too small to allow enough air flow into the box for the cone to function at it's peak.

Daniel

Thats a good question, Thanks for asking it.

I had the same concerns actually,
My customer dosent like the round screens and asked me to use an f-hole instead.
Then I asked him if could add a sound port in the upper bout, and he didnt go for that either.

The good news is that he most often will be playing it on stage with a pick up installed. so I hope that will make up for the air volume loss.

I am also doing some unusual things to the finger board on this one per customer request.....its very cool.

thanks again for asking.

[QUOTE=John How] Matt, I have a book on setting up the style of reso you are building. [/QUOTE]

John, May I ask what book you have on this subject?

Daniel