1930s Spec Reissue Resonator Guitars

[zheek]

1930s Spec Reissue Resonator Guitars www.deltabluesguitar.com/universal/ these guitars are not branded, they are made in china and produced in limited quantities, so guys i need yor opinion please.
Thanx & God Bless<><

[Michael Messer]

These are unbranded Republic Guitars. DeltaBluesGuitar is based in Texas, so I guess there is possibly a connection with Republic, but I doubt it. They are made in the same workshop as Michael Messer MM guitars, but not to the same spec or with the same quality control. The body depth, neck shape, neck width, headstock shape and one or two other design features, are different to MM guitars.

As you are asking for my opinion and advice - my advice would be to buy a branded Republic Guitar, or a branded Busker guitar. I would like you to buy a Michael Messer MM guitar, but if you cannot afford one, buy a Busker Cannon, or a Republic parlor size resonator guitar - (fantastic resonator guitars for the price). These instruments are way better than anything in your original list.

I think that since Republic, Busker and Michael Messer MM Resonator Guitars have been on the market, that the whole budget-priced-resonator-guitar-market has changed and the majority of far eastern resonator instruments can no longer compete with these new brands. I agree they are a little more expensive, but perhaps the problem with the other brands is that they are a little too cheap.

I cannot recommend you to buy an unbranded guitar.

Good luck,

Shine On
Michael

[zheek]

Ok, thank you, and regarding my list, these guitars on my list are not guitars that i definitely decide to "must have"(to buy), they are only there because i just wanted your opinion about them and then to see to buy or not, and now something about your MM guitars, the only thing that stop me to buy on of the MM's is not the price(i suceed to raise up my budget, now is 800$, it's your signature, because i don't like signature models, i like Busker Delta but Robin says that he don't have any Busker Delta guitars at present and will not have any more for some months.
Thanx & God Bless<><

[robn]

Hi Zheek,

That is an interesting perspective about signature guitars.

I have to say the Michael Messer guitars are not signature guitars, they are a brand in their own right. And they follow in the tradition of guitar makers though out history of using the brand owner's name as the brand:

Leo Fender
Orville Gibson
CF Martin
Adolf Rickenbacker
Bob Taylor
Jim Burns

The list goes on...

It has been interesting to watch how the Michael Messer brand guitars have already become commonly referred to as "MM..." (MM Blues, MM Lightning). This is the sign of just how much these great guitars are a brand, with a clearly identifiable brand logo (MM), rather than simply signature models from an established company.

I can understand your feelings about signature models, the guitar industry has often abused them as a sales technique. But I expect you, like most of us, would be quite happy owning an early version of the most famous signature guitar in the world - the Gibson "Les Paul"

Robin

[zheek]

Gibson ooouyeah:) for my taste, the best guitar ever made. I don't wanna MM logo on headstock because i'm not a Michael Messer fan, i don't listen his music, i very respect him, he is very very good musician, but i just don't listen Michael Messer(sorry Michael but i am just honest)
P.S: MM fan's please don't get angry
Thanx & God Bless<><

[clarke111]

That is an interesting perspective Zheek and one that of course you are welcome to, I'm sure nobody on this site would begrudge you that, or be angry.

My only point would be this; like you, and most guitarists, I love the Les Paul, but I have not heard much music by Les Paul himself and could certainly not call myself a fan, however I would still happily own the guitar with his name on it, because the quality of it is good. It is the same with the MM guitars in my opinion. The instruments are such great quality in there own right, from what I have heard, that the name shouldn't matter, It's the tone and playability that are important, and it is difficult to find a rival for that at this price point.

I should be getting my MM blues this week, I have never played the instument and am buying on faith because of the excellent reviews and a great deal of respect for Michael and Robin at Busker guitars, I am sure it will be money well spent. I haven't heard all of michael's music by any means and have never had the chance to see him play live, but I have heard a lot about his guitars and can't wait to get mine.

In my opinion you make an instument your own with your own style and sound, each player gets something different from a guitar, and the better the guitar the better the result. I think I am right in saying that Robin isn't getting in any more Deltas because he is so confident in the standard of the MM Blues model. At this price point, if you look past the name, I really don't think you will find a better Resonator... anywhere. Many people believe they are worth a good deal more money in fact.

I don't mean to go on, I'm probably just excited about getting hold of mine, but I think you might be missing out on a great guitar here just because of the name and that seems a shame.

Good luck with your search

Chris

[Deleted]

Leo Fender
Orville Gibson
CF Martin
Adolf Rickenbacker
Bob Taylor
Jim Burns


Is there not a slight difference here ? The above people all made something and put there name on the product that they had made themselves. With their own sweet hands. :-)

So we now have £500 resos that sound as good as the real thing and Mr Messers name in with the likes of Leo Fender,,, errrrr OK

[clarke111]

I'm not sure that Robin was trying to sugest that the MM guitars can be considered in the same league as the guitars mentioned... (yet!?) but these had to start somewhere as well. They simply put there name to a product, who made them originally is largelly irrelevant surely, Mr Leo Fender certainly does not build Strats any more bearing the Fender name, and I doubt he hand builds the G&L ones either, but good guitars they remain. The name is just that, a brand name, if it was any more than that then I would be sticking Aston Martain badges on my Fiesta...

[zheek]

Yes, we all have our own personal taste, hundred people-hunred different tastes,
let's say that i must choose between two guitars, first is JImi Hendrix scorched 1965 Fender Stratocaster(sold at auction for £280,000), and the second one is Zakk Wylde Gibson Les Paul Custom"The Rebel", i would choose "The Rebel", but that's just me
I think i'm gonna follow Michael's advice and for my budget try to find good wooden dobro, or some of Republic
Thank u All & God Bless<><

[Deleted]

Leo Fender did most certainly not just put his name to his guitars, you seem to be forgetting the years he spent working in shed at the bottom of his garden struggling,,, along I would guess with most of the other names mentioned. I guess Leo Fender does not build strats any more,, I think youll find hes dead

"I'm not sure that Robin was trying to sugest that the MM guitars can be considered in the same league as the guitars mentioned... (yet!?)"

"Yet ?" what do mean ? these are mass produced Chinese guitars,,,, Has the Reso world got some sort of strange MM fog round their heads ?

[Gerry C]

This is a rather odd debate, and I'm an odd kind of guy so I'll pitch in with my 2 cents.

First of all, the "yet?" matter. I think the point being made was that MM Guitars are at the very beginning of what I hope will be a a long and illustrious career. I'm sure the guys at Martin and Gibson had the same sort of reaction when Bob Taylor started making and selling acoustic guitars when the other two firms were the market leaders in mass-produced high-quality instruments. I'm pretty sure that BT felt the same: "I'm not up there with these guys...yet!" Few would dispute that today Taylors are one of the 'big three' of acoustic guitar manufacturers. And they are mass-produced guitars, just like Yamaha, Freshman and Crafter.

Next: the real issue is not whether they are made in China (or Korea or Mexico or Outer Mongolia) but whether the level of quality-control from the MM-making factory is up to scratch. Well, if you look at the history and photos of the ways in which the guitars developed (all on Michael's website and this forum) you'll get a good picture. You'll see necks being hand-carved and other such activities not normally associated with the rather sneering expression 'mass-produced Chinese guitars'. 5fingers, have you, um, actually played one of the MM guitars...??

Finally the acid test is: how do the guitars play? What do they sound like? Are they good to have and hold? Answers: superbly, brilliant and yes. I've played quite a few resonator guitars in my time, highlights being a 1930s National Style O, a Gretsch Sho-Bro, the prototype Beltona 'Les Paul' style 'resolectric' owned by Steve Phillips and various-quality Regals, Ozarks, Moondogs, Johnsons and Vintages (I won't mention the Fender reso...oops!) I will say this in all honesty, hand on heart: there is not one of them which I would swap for my MM Lightning (serial 0016). I've only had it about seven weeks - and the guitars have only been available for a few days longer - but I already regard it as a guitar I would not part with in any circumstances, just like my Martin 000-28 and "oldest companion" Yamaha FG. MM Guitars compare very favourably with high-price, hand-built resos; and they blow every other 'budget' reso out of the water by any criterion you could dream up.

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[Michael Messer]

I had decided not to get involved with this debate, but then I think my absence would have been a comment in itself .

I have no need to justify myself, but I do have some thoughts about this morning’s ‘odd’ debate. Thank you Gerry, your words are very much appreciated.

5fingers, welcome to our forum. I actually agree with you about the names in that list. All those people did originally build instruments themselves and create companies that built guitars in small numbers. These days all but one of those names mass produce instruments with CNC equipment in various parts of the world in absolutely vast quantities. I think as Gerry says, Robin’s comparison was more related to how they started as small brands and grew into giants of the music industry.

Michael Messer guitars are certainly not mass-produced. They are made in a small workshop with a staff of ten or so people. They do not have any CNC machines and all the work is done by hand. They are made in China, but by today’s standards in the guitar industry, they are definitely not mass-produced.

Although I did not actually hand-build the first one; I did spend a year designing, testing and creating these guitars. Without going into detail as it is not necessary, I feel as qualified as anybody to put my name on the headstock of my own brand of guitars.

In this crazy world of mass-production of an endless supply of poor quality products, I for one always try to support the smaller business that is giving the customer a better product than the mass-produced version. We are trying to offer a great product at a sensible affordable price. To do this we are not running our business like most people these days; we are trying to give the most for the price, rather than the opposite. I doubt if any other budget-priced resonator guitar on the market today has had the amount of time, experience and money invested in them as MM guitars have.

In my capacity as the main reviewer of resonator guitars in the UK in recent years, I can tell you that most of the companies with their names on the headstocks of budget-priced resonator guitars don’t know what metal they are made of and don’t know the difference between a National & a Dobro. 5fingers, would you rather buy a guitar from a company like that?

I am not aware of the MM fog as you sarcastically call it. If there is a buzz in the reso world about them, it is a genuine enthusiasm for an affordable quality product that has been created with real passion and care.

By putting my name on the headstock I am making a statement that could make or break my reputation & career. I could have called them by an anonymous company name and not worried about the quality as nobody would know who was behind the brand name, much like you have done by joining this forum and communicating with us under the name of 5fingers .

Shine On
Michael.

[clarke111]

I think 5fingers may have missed the sarcasim in my reply, and then mis-quoted to boot! ; ) Anyway just to clarify in what is a very odd debate as Gerry points out, I was indeed merely suggesting tn the 'yet' that all guitar companies, and all brands in general have to start somewhere, and it is impossible to predict the way they may well grow.

Any one who comes up with a product like this spends a lot of time and effort in putting it together, I wasn't aware that this only counted as credible if it took place in a shed?!...

Anyhow, you keep going on about the £500 price tag and the mass produced nonsense, If you have a few thousand in your pocket to buy a 1930's national then good for you, however I, like a lot of players appreciate getting a good guitar at an affordable price. My Busker is great and gets more time than my Gretsch or Taylor (great guitars, and mass produced..).

An MM fog? maybe 5fingers needs to except that they may just be good guitars... hmmm

Anyway rant over!

Chris ; )

[wolvoboy]

Hi everyone
The way i see it is the mm resonators are not actual copy's of old Nationals i think Michael has created a new resonator guitar based on the features that made the old Duolians so good ,they are a new guitar in their own right , in the end it does not matter what is stamped on the guitar or if the paint is falling of what we are after is the sound and the playability of the guitar,
my advice to anyone buying a new reso, is get the best one you can,i have had every chinese resonator guitar you can think of hoping that the next one will better,in the end i bought an old 1931 Duolian,but if i didnt manage to find one i would have bought one of each of mm resonator guitars, hopefully one day i will get me a lightning
wolvoboy

[SoloBill]

Hi Zheek and all,
It never even occurred to me that I have an MM signature model!

As Robin said, it isn't really a signature model in the usual use of that term.

Nevertheless, I can understand Zheek's feelings. As a big fan of Hank Marvin (and I know others who do the exact opposite) I would never dream of buying a Fiesta Red Stratocaster, I would be too embarassed.

Perhaps it's because I also am not a fan of Michael Messer's music (through not hearing it, if I manage to get to one of his gigs that might change, might not) that I am not embarassed or bothered in any way in owning an MM Lightning. It is a similar situation to my owning a Brian May electric; I am not a great fan of him either but I bought the guitar because I like the wide fingerboard.

To digress slightly, the signature guitar that always makes me smile is the Rory Gallagher Strat - take a perfectly good guitar and remove it's finish!

Bill