Where to buy metal bodies?

[redding]

Hello!

I'm a luthier interested in playing around with building biscuit resonators. I was wondering if there was somewhere where I could buy a few duolian/triolian metal bodies? Just the bodies, and replicas obviously, I'm not interested in desecrating relics with my experiments!

I tried a few companies in china already, but they only sell in quantity and they don't accept payment through credit card or paypal. I was wondering if there isn't a parts supplier or even a fellow luthier that wouldn't mind selling this kind of thing and shipping internationally... maybe even a factory that can sell blemished or second-hand bodies.

I should also note that I'm not really capable of building a metal body and that it's being incredibly hard to find a local metal worker that is both willing and capable to do it.

Many thanks in advance for the help!

[Michael Messer]

Hi Redding,

Welcome to our forum.

I am sorry but I cannot help you. Someone else on the forum might be able to, but I cannot

Shine On
Michael.

[andys]

The word is already getting out about the quality and value of Busker and MM guitars, so it wont be long before you will be able to pick up unwanted low end resonators for little money.

In fact I saw a cheap metal bodied reso go for less than £130 on ebay the other week.

[Deleted]

Stewmac used to sell them, but I think they are now discontinued.

[steverino]

There have been a few surplus brass bodies from the old OMI company in California popping up here and there. I bought a few from an ebay seller, but these are in poor condition as they were apparently rejects in the factory that were used to teach welding and sandblasting to the workers there. These have their cone wells crudely cut out, so making guitars from them won't be easy. I value them mostly because they were pressed from the same tooling that was used to make the prewar 14 fret Nationals.

A fellow named Bryan England in Kentucky has a quantity of OMI bodies that are in much better shape than the ones I bought. He occasionally offers one on ebay using his seller name "bryanengland." At least some of these appear to have a 10.5" diameter cone well. You might try contacting him at the web site of his company, Custom Inlay. BTW this is a fun site in general for guitar junkies to visit.

www.custominlay.com/

[subtoxin]

I was going to say, I often see them on ebay (US). Not now unfortunately but keep checking, something is bound to pop up eventually.

[pete1951]

Making your own is not imposible,but you will have to be happy with a less ` crisp` finish unless you spend a lot on molds etc. or are a skilled metal worker. Your best bet is to use brass and soft solder. I`ve only made a metal Dobro so I`ve never had the cone-well to deal with , but this could be pressed with a pair of steel rings. The National style back can be made with a hardwood carved `plug` and a `rubber press` Good luck. Pete T.