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I have an opportunity to build a reso for someone - so id like to do a little research first. I have been reading a guitarmaker mag, summer 2000 issue and Mike Dotson built a reso that is sort of a hybrid reso/acoustic - there is no soundwell inside, he goes on to say that the top and back are joined using standard kerfing, this is the way id like to proceed with my reso.

I am considering using Cocobolo, with a spruce top, maybe Carpathian, this is yet to be determined.

Body size? It seems there mostly Dreadnought in shape, Id like to look into my E2 shape to see if it would accomade the spider and cone. Is there any paticalr reason for a large body box?

Another thing Mike mentions is the use of soundposts, since there is no soundwell to connect the top to the back, he uses sound posts simular to whats used in violins. I assume placement off these posts is VERY important.


Anyway - any info into building this style would be very helpful. My knowledge of reso's starts and ends with this post. So any tid bit of info would be great. Maybe Mike would like to chime in here?

Thanks All -

Lance

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

i've never built a reso but most of the dobro styles i've seen are more 000 in size. my '31-'32 vintage national duolian is even smaller, about the size of a classical, but it is metal bodied..

resonation

You have to register to see the attachments. This is a guitar construction article in parts as attachments to posts. I had trouble registering, because they wouldn't use my yahoo or gmail accounts. Had to register with my school account.

You could always ask Mike directly for his thoughts.

http://www.maricopaguitarco.com/

He's on www.steelguitarforum.com and http://www.guitarseminars.com/cgi-bin/forumdisplay.cgi?actio n=topics&forum=The+Guitar+Forum&number=1 pretty regularly.

www.maricopaguitarco.com/



www.steelguitarforum.com

guitar seminars forum

as long as I had to cut and paste those links, thought I might as well make them live for everyone elseEricKeller38486.8307060185

Lance,
Welcome to the New World of Resonator guitars.

DanielD.L.Huskey38488.006412037

Lance, I built one a few years ago of cocobolo and spruce and did not use a sound well (lots of tips from Mike), so the back is ladder braced in the usual way. One important thing to remember is that the top has to be rigid, as you want the cone to make all the sound. So a 1/4" thick top would be far better than 0.110".

The structure is maintained by a strut running from headblock to tailblock and the posts attach the top to the dowel.

For what it's worth:



I'm mostly treveling for the next two weeks, but happy to help when I can. Also, Mike's a helpful guy (and has done this reso thing way mre than me) so you might invite him here...

Lance,
Are you going to build a Square-neck or Round-neck?

As you journey into this adventure, I think you will find as many opinions on resonators as there are builders.

Many folks like the traditional Nasal, Honking, Tinny sound(as described by some)of the old dobros.

There are a lot of folk now days in favor of the Modern Resonator such as you would hear from Jerry Douglas's playing.

The Modern resonators use Support Posts(sometime called sound posts) and Baffels, some are a completly open body design with no baffels. My preference of the modern resonator is the support post and baffel design.

If you go to Paul Beard's web site you will be able to see a simple exploded view of a resonator guitar and it's components. Like wise you can also see some of Mr. Brad Harpers guitars under construction at Harper Resophonics. Mr Harper is the owner of the Reso-Nation forum and builds the modern post/baffel guitars.

I have also seen Mr.Pete Woodman aka Lousiana Gray here at the OLF. I have never played one of his guitars but hear good things about him and seems like a nice fellow. Maybe he will kick in some info.
He can be found at http://www.petewoodmanguitars.com

Happy Hunting
D.L.

D.L.Huskey38488.0153703704

Wow! Thanks Guys! Thats enought reading to last me a few weeks! I would like to hear from Lousiana Gray though -- you there?

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Sorry, Lance, I was tied up all weekend playing and generally hanging out at our blues festival.

There's been lots of good advice so far. On spider bridge instruments I use the support post construction and brace the body, especially the top, pretty heavily rather than use the strut that Bob shows. The strut shown in his photo is much more like the traditional biscuit bridge construction method, although there's absolutely nothing wrong with it for spider bridges.

The use of the term "sound post" is confusing - they are there to brace the body, not to transmit sound from the front to the back, so their placement isn't really that important. Usually the back braces are flat-topped and the support posts stand on them.

I get good results with a standard 000 size and a body that's around 3 3/4 inches at the tail and 3 1/2 at the neck, or a little deeper all over.

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Pete
http://www.petewoodmanguitars.com

Lance,
One thing I have noticed in resonator construction, is woods with open grain such as Walnut, Mahogany seem to produce a more mellow tone and a better bass responce.
Closed grain woods like Maple and Cherry produce a brighter more treble sound.

Another thing is I don't use a really nice well quartered top set. To me it is just a waste of good wood as most of it is cut away, and by the time all of the other re-enforcement and braces are added it will be very rigid. Off quartered top sets are fine for this as long as they look good.

Someone posted some photos of some off-quarter Redwood a couple of weeks ago that would have been Jim-Dandy for a resonator top.


D.L.