Parlor Reso?

[Deleted]

Hi Michael,
Do you have any plans to bring in a parlor-sized resophonic? Something similar to the Republic Resolian, for example.

Thanks, Mickey

[Michael Messer]

Hi Mickey,

Thank you for your interest and enquiry about MM guitars.

I have no plans to create a parlour-size MM model.

The whole idea of the MM range is to base it on what the original National and Dobro companies were doing and there were no parlour models made by them. I am not trying to re-invent the wheel, just re-creating 1920s & 30s style resonator guitars that retail at a fraction of the price of the originals.

National and National-style guitars are pretty much classical guitar size, so they are already quite small compared to a full size acoustic guitar.

The MM Blues '28 is the closest I intend to get to a parlour size guitar.

I hope that is helpful.

Thanks for your enquiry.

Shine On
Michael.

[kristo]

Hello Mickey,
I'm probably going to be selling my Busker Cannon in the next few weeks in you're interested. If so PM me.
Cheers,
Kris

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2015 12:08:08 GMT Michael Messer said:

The whole idea of the MM range is to base it on what the original National and Dobro companies were doing and there were no parlour models made by them. I am not trying to re-invent the wheel, just re-creating 1920s & 30s style resonator guitars that retail at a fraction of the price of the originals.

Well, it makes sense when you put it that way! A bit of a disappointment still... Thanks for the reply.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Mickey,

I wasn't trying to be negative or put you off a parlour resonator guitar, but that is where I am coming from regarding new shapes and types of resonator instruments.

I love the originals and they are my benchmark. By keeping my range small and not going into vast mass production, I can make guitars that for the price are pretty darn close to the real thing. The whole reason I started the MM Guitars business was to achieve that, not to push out as many reinventions of the original concept as possible. I believe that the Dopyera brothers and the original National and Dobro factories got it absolutely right.

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2015 15:41:29 GMT Michael Messer said:

Hi Mickey,

I wasn't trying to be negative or put you off a parlour resonator guitar, but that is where I am coming from regarding new shapes and types of resonator instruments.

I love the originals and they are my benchmark. By keeping my range small and not going into vast mass production, I can make guitars that for the price are pretty darn close to the real thing. The whole reason I started the MM Guitars business was to achieve that, not to push out as many reinventions of the original concept as possible. I believe that the Dopyera brothers and the original National and Dobro factories got it absolutely right.

Shine On
Michael

No worries! I agree with your quest for quality -- it's a shame National never made a parlor (oops, you can tell I'm American...) size! Maybe I'll have to relook at the dimensions of your other models.

[pete1951]

It could be said that the late `50s 1133 was a parlour reso.......
PT

[Michael Messer]

Pete, I was thinking that too when I replied to Mickey, but it's not really what people think of as a parlour /parlor guitar.

1133s were marketed as student guitars. I never quite worked out why students would need a smaller guitar than experienced players. A guitar for children, I get that, but I don't get the concept of a student model.

Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

I guess the NRP `Resolectic` is sort of based on the 1133, (though it`s a full scale/ standard cone) I might make one myself (short scale but 9 1/2" cone and the body 1" thicker) but I can`t be bothered to make a neck, and odd short scale necks are rare in these parts.
PT

[Deleted]

An 1133 with a full scale neck (at a nice price) would be a great product. The resolectrics are a bit pricey, though I understand why NRPs prices are high with all of the overhead of running a shop in California USA. It woul not be too difficult to fit a standard scale donor neck to an 1133 or homemade body. I have been thinking about making up one by finding a suitable body blank and neck, and routing out a cone well...

Presently I have a highway66 body that I installed a 14 fret NRP neck and thin pickup that makes a pretty raging reso phonic electric noise ( thru Marshall amp of course).

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2015 18:52:24 GMT Michael Messer said:

Pete, I was thinking that too when I replied to Mickey, but it's not really what people think of as a parlour /parlor guitar.

1133s were marketed as student guitars. I never quite worked out why students would need a smaller guitar than experienced players. A guitar for children, I get that, but I don't get the concept of a student model.

Shine On
Michael

I'm going to guess that "student" models were lower-priced entry-level guitars -- cheaper components, cheaper builds, less materials, no frills. Maybe the idea behind the short neck was that, as a student, they just didn't need all those extra frets?

But yes, the parlo(u)r I'm looking for has the full-scale neck, just a smaller body -- I just like the fit. The larger bodies wear on my shoulder too much. I started playing a parlor (I have a Washburn with an excelent V neck) after noticing Ian Anderson playing them.

I have a Johnson resonator, which is actually a pretty fine guitar considering it was an early Chinese model. Nowadays, of course, the Chinese are making some great guitars (the Washburn, for example).

[Michael Messer]

Student models were low priced, but they did not use cheap materials, they used cheap production methods to create a functional instrument. The 'student' is also because 1133s & 1033s are not really guitars for gigs as they are relatively quiet instruments. That is the main reason for being student models. They have the same amount of frets as a proper one.

Shine On
Michael