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Post by geoff on Mar 21, 2010 18:48:31 GMT
My reso g.a.s. is back.
A National reso is quite expensive ofcourse, and there are many El Cheapos.
I have been warned against going to cheap; a very bad sound and truss rod problems are not uncommon.
There are also the medium priced brands. Can anyone tell me with hands on experience, if national resos are just top of the bill or are medium priced resos just as good, SOUND WISE.
It seems getting hold of a used national reso can be done at the same price as a new medium brand would cost. I just want to know if a National is so much better or not.
It seems Johnson is a very cheap brand. Some say they can't hear the difference between a Johnson and the same kind of reso by national. Anyone heard of Johnson?
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Post by andys on Mar 21, 2010 20:52:40 GMT
I'm sure others will chip in, but for mid priced resonators you just cant beat Busker guitars. Check out the rest of this forum for a lot of great regard for Busker resonators, in particular the MM range. I own two, an MM Blues, and also a Busker Cannon parlour resonator Both are superb guitars and IMO are the the best mid priced resonators on the market. Some gigging musicians are retiring their old Nationals and using these instead
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Post by geoff on Mar 21, 2010 20:58:20 GMT
Okay, the Busker and MM guitars are the ones I would expect to come up in this post. It's only logical. I have my eye on them for quite some years now. It would be nice to hear if more people can tell me whether they sound as good or even better than National instruments. Or how a dirt cheap Johnson compares to them.
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Post by thebluesbear( al) on Mar 21, 2010 21:03:33 GMT
Hi
well i have 4 MM resos...2 nrp s and a vintage national.............i find my self reaching for my MM blues or LIghtning mostly ....and i do not feel for one second that im dumbing it down or taking 2nd best i dont know if im wording the best way bust it will have to do
Al
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Post by geoff on Mar 21, 2010 21:30:36 GMT
I'm in doubt about body material too.
From what I can hear, steel seems to sound more like an ordinary guitar, and brass sounds more like the typical raw nasal slide sound.
Then there is wood. It's not clear to me how it compares with metal...
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Post by Michael Messer on Mar 21, 2010 21:55:22 GMT
Hi Geoff,
I think you should try out some guitars and form your own opinion.
Didn't you & I have a discussion a year or so ago about Hound Dog Dobros. I can't remember the details, but I am sure we did?
The only claim I make about my own range of MM guitars is that they are the best resonator guitars in the world for their price. I have never said that they compare to National Reso-Phonic guitars, but some people have and I am very grateful.
Shine On Michael.
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Post by gouranga on Mar 21, 2010 22:14:08 GMT
Hi Geoff. As you said, you can expect that folks on this forum are gonna say that MM/Busker reso's are great. I am no expert in the matter, but have owned many guitars and a couple of Nationals, originals.. but I have tried others, thought they were nice, you know, nice, but just nice, some to me were not even nice, but to me, my Busker Deco Tricone takes a lot of beating and MM Blues is very nice. While busking, which I do most days in life, I find people really like the sound of both the resos I use. I even had a couple of Guys today tell me that the big tricone I play is one of the nicest things they have heard. Another old blues busker, likes the MM Blues so much and he uses a Vintage. He just wishes he had the cash to buy an MM. If I were not going overseas, I would be in the market for buying an MM Lightning or Special. They just hit the mark with me and I use Resos for all kinds of music, I don't even own a wooden acoustic, But have had many in the past 55 years. The MM/Buskers are me for life now as far as I can see. Them and a couple of Tele's and my Erlewine Lazer. No Hype!! Just my own opinion. But go out and get your own experience by trying them out. Idid. As did many others on the forum. Ie. Bluesbear/Al,
Hope you find the one that hits your spot. Take care and best wishes. Each to his own.
Gouranga
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Post by washboardchris on Mar 21, 2010 22:29:42 GMT
Hi,I hade a MM Blues for a little while & thought It sounded very nice indeed (only sold it cos the paint reacted with my skin) I have a National resophonic wood body, a 1934 National style O, and a 30's steel body'd Dobro& the Blues was not out of place amongst them.They all have there own sound.I found that the MM blues didnt sound like an old National & it didnt sound like a National resophonic ,it sounded like itself(what more can you ask)A freind of mine makes hand made resophonic guitars & when I showed the blues to him he said it was the best reasonably priced reso he had tried (his go for around £2000) hope this helps
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Post by geoff on Mar 21, 2010 22:54:40 GMT
I thank you all for the swift answers. So far, I get the impression, the MM/Busker resos do not sound like a NRP product but they seem to sound like themselves and are soundwise on the same level as an NRP instrument. Am I getting in the right direction? Yes Michael, you have a excellent memory! I am known for my teadious questioning... I have since remembered the modern Dobros/Gibsons are not very good. I think I am starting to like the nasal brass sound the most. Does brass have the most characteristic reso sound? Are wood and steel not a bit more like a "normal" guitar? You may know Steven Finn, Michael. I met him at the TV station where I work. He gave me his album and let me pluck his National Reso. It brought me back here... I have owned two Gretsch guitars for a year now. My very first guitars. I seem to have very little talent, but I think it's fun. Steven told me I might just as well get a reso straight away in stead of mastering the"normal" guitar first. One should not say such things to me... Any advice to make me do another another purchase has no meaning in terms of wise decisions in my case, but it may just keep me from buying something really bad
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2010 1:16:39 GMT
I don't believe at all that the brass bodied resos are the most nasal.
I have the various forms plus a Larrivee acoustic. In order of nasal sound to wood bodied accoustic sound mine go - Steel bodied biscuit < brass bodied biscuit < wood bodied spider < wooden acoustic .(the spider reso actually has the most sustain)
I'd think a Tricone would fit somewhere between the brass bodied biscuit and the wood bodied spider bridge as far as sound and sustain are concerned, but I don't own one of these.
If you want maximum attack and minimal sustain (nasal sound) go for a steel bodied biscuit bridge reso.
If you want a mellow sound with lots of sustain go for a wood bodied spider bridge.
It's easy to kill sustain with damping but you can only add it electronically.
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Post by geoff on Mar 23, 2010 7:20:39 GMT
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Post by steadyrollinman on Mar 23, 2010 8:41:39 GMT
Since Busker and MM guitars are chinese, is it true that after you've played one, twenty minutes later you need another one? :-)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2010 9:02:52 GMT
IT MIGHT BE MY EARS BUT THEY BOTH SOUND THE SAME TO ME. I RECKON THEY ARE BOTH BRASS. THEY ARE NOT NASAL ENOUGH FOR A STEEL BODY! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2010 9:46:35 GMT
IT MIGHT BE MY EARS BUT THEY BOTH SOUND THE SAME TO ME. I RECKON THEY ARE BOTH BRASS. THEY ARE NOT NASAL ENOUGH FOR A STEEL BODY! ;D
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Post by geoff on Mar 23, 2010 11:54:57 GMT
Okay Bluebottle, you say they sound alike. Well that gives me an impression about your opinion. Thank you for that. I think they do sound different, but hey, opinions aren't facts. Then I found this Youtube movie. It may not be a top notch recording, but I think it is good enough to hear the differences between a "real style O" and a Lightning. The style O sounds dryer to me with a cleaner attack and somewhat better separation of the individual notes. More balanced so to say. The Lightning sounds a tiny bit more "sloppy" but still very nice. If only there was a Delphi versus Lightning movie, then I could judge the nasal bluesy difference. I seem to be the only person in the world who thinks brass has a smaller spectrum. I'm having a hard time deciding between a used NRP or new Lightning, that's how good I think it is...
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