Low budget spider-bridge resonator guitars

[pete1951]

The cone you have would have been made by John Quaterman. I don't know whether they were replacements for old guitars, or if they fitted them in new guitars.

Shine On
Michael

[/quote]


At the time this was the only cone featured in the Dobro catalog, so I guess that many Dobros of this age were fitted with them??
Pete

[Michael Messer]

Pete, I am not sure about that. Unless I am having a grey moment, I don't recall seeing 70s OMI Dobros with those cones, only with regular Dobro cones and 10.5" National-style cones.

Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

Just had a look at some old Dobro catalogs, no sign of any holes! I am hoping to get my hands on a Dobro style guitar soon, and will put it in and see what it sounds like.
Pete

[Love Style O]

Hello again Michael,

Thanks for the info on budget spider-bridge resonators. Sorry for my absence. Pressing chores like getting and cutting wood, and pruning the vineyard have kept me away.

Here’s a bit more about my quest and circumstances.

I live near Vila Real in the north of Portugal. There aren’t any music instrument shops around here where I can try out resonator guitars. The upshot is I rely on whatever I find on the web and, not least, what I read on this forum.

Budget bell brass body resonators are beyond what I can afford now, so I gazed at those with wood bodies. While browsing, I came across videos of Mark Knopfler playing one (e.g., below).

A member of our forum noted he plays a Beard Deco Phonic, a roundneck spider-bridge. Is it a Model 27 or Model 37? I havenʼt found details of their differences. Here is Tommy Emmanuel playing a Beard Deco Phonic Model 37 roundneck.

Yet, why did Knopfler switch from his iconic National Style-O to a wood resonator. My hunch is it’s about two things: weight and the pickup. The Beard Deco Phonic Model 27 weighs 5 lb 10 oz (2.55 kg). A National Style-O 14 Fret is 8 lb 14 oz (4.026 kg). As for the pickup, it must be a Fishman Nashville Series Spider-Style Resophonic Pickup PRO-RES-SPI. Feed the output to a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI Preamp and I imagine Knopfler could make it sound like a National Style-O when he performs.

After watching Knopfler play the Beard Deco Phonic Model 27 (?), my focus shifted to budget spider-bridge wood resonators. These are among ones I can afford: Recording King RR-36 (£313/€371/$424) and Dobro Hound Dog (£367/€435/$497), both roundnecks. Pricier ones include the Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Roundneck (£597/€711/$787) and Gold Tone Paul Beard Signature Model Squareneck (£858/€1022/$1131). Glancing at metal, there isthea Gretsch G9221 Bobtail Steel RN AE (£796/€948/$1049). Prices are from Thomann’s resonator guitars web page. I exchange messages with the company’s guitar department, but have no other connection.

Then I watched Jon Rauhouse playing the Gretsch G9220 spider-bridge,

as well as a Gretsch G9240 biscuit-bridge.

Same musician, same company, similar resonator bodies, but the G9240 biscuit-bridge sounds better. Thomann’s price for the Gretsch G9240 is £453/€539/$597. As the Gretsch G9220 has a Fishman Nashville PRO-RES-SPI pickup, a better price comparison is the Gretsch G9241 biscuit-bridge (£559/€666/$737), which has a Fishman Nashville Series Biscuit-Style Resophonic Pickup PRO-RES-BIS. You commented on this pickup on 13 October 2021. Musician Jack Fossett said he was pleasantly surprised when he reviewed it on 10 November 2020.

Well, my quest may be over. All the squareneck resonators on Thomann’s resonator web page have spider-bridges. Squarenecks are not my scene. Do point out if any of the stuff in this post is not worthwhile. When it comes to roundneck resonators, I wonder if it’s best to stick with biscuit-bridges.

All the best,

Love Style O

[Pickers Ditch]

Well, having read through all that, I don't understand why you haven't ordered a MM Blues '28 yet.

Wooden body, biscuit bridge, phenomenal value for money, customer service and backup (which you won't get with a Gretsch!).

[bonzo]

Wow style 0, you've certainly done your research!
Like PD I would also recommend the MM.
Good guitar, not loads of money and terrific customer service 👍.
IMHO it will be a better buy than the ones you have been looking at.
If you need a pickup I think MM mentioned recently he has a few of his branded Sixtus pu's left that can be installed in new guitars.
Worth checking out.

Good luck with your search.

Best wishes to you all, John

[pete1951]

The MM 28 would seem the best option. New ‘ Dobros*’ ( the 2or 3 I have tried) are not well made and don’t sound good. The Gretsch guitars can sound ok, but there seems to be no after sales service, so if something goes wrong you will have to mend it your self. ( there are several with damaged cones, possibly because of the way they were designed that are on some threads on this forum)

Pete
*Dobro is now a Gibson brand name and has little connection with pre 80s Guitars with Dobro on the headstock

[Love Style O]

Hello MM, slide496, leeophonic, pete1951, pascal, mendax, Pickers Ditch, and bonzo,

Thanks for your contributions to the thread—much appreciated.

Links in my last post didn’t show up, so they are below along with video URIs. I am including a related breadcrumb that points to our forum member who notes Mark Knopfler plays a Beard Deco Phonic [roundneck model 27 or 37?]. Well, that forum member is MM!

About the MM Blues '28. In my first post on 1 January 2022 at 03:03, I wrote “I am saving up for a MM Lightning” (https://michaelmesser.proboards.com/post/104404). A MM Lightning is £639 inc. case + £65 shipping to Portugal = £704/€838. A MM Blues '28 is £585 inc. case + £65 shipping to Portugal = £650/€774. £704/€838 - £650/€774 = £54/€64. As it is only £54/€64 more, I’d rather get a MM Lightning. If available (doubtful), a MM Classic Sixtus pickup is £65; fitting, another £35. That comes to £100. So, MM Lightning (£639) + EU shipping (£65) + MM pickup and fitting (£100) = £804/€957. There’s only €700 in my piggy bank. Arranging payment is another issue. To be honest, I need cash on delivery. Companies like UPS limit this to €500.

How to reconcile such snags? I may settle for a Recording King RR-41E-VS Resonator Rattlesnake (£413/€492/$541), which includes shipping. It’s not a Beard Deco Phonic Model roundneck, which has a Fishman Nashville PRO-RES-SPI pickup ($2549 CAD/€1813). Yet, the RR-41-VS guitar looks quite good (five customer reviews, all 5-star) and the RR-41E-VS has a Fishman Nashville PRO-RES-BIS pickup. See first links below.

Regrets or doubts, I have a few. Too few to mention? I’ll let you know.

All the best,

Love Style O

——

Recording King RR-41E-VS with Fishman PRO-RES-BIS (£413/€492/$540)
www.recordingking.com/rr41vs

www.thomann.de/intl/recording_king_rr_41e_vs_resonatorrattlesnake.htm

Recording King RR-41-VS, no pickup (£311/€371/$407)
www.recordingking.com/rr41vs


www.thomann.de/intl/recording_king_rr_41_vs_resonator_rattlesnake.htm

Fishman Nashville Series Biscuit-Style Resophonic Pickup PRO-RES-BIS
www.fishman.com/portfolio/nashville-series-biscuit-style-resophonic-pickup/
michaelmesser.proboards.com/thread/7537

Deco Phonic Model 27 Roundneck ($2549 CAD/€1813)
www.beardguitars.com/deco-phonic-model-27-roundneck
www.12fret.com/instruments/beard-deco-phonic-model-27-round-neck-single-cone-sunburst/

Pickup on the Beard Deco Phonic
Fishman Nashville Series Spider-Style Resophonic Pickup PRO-RES-SPI (£159/€190/$209)
www.fishman.com/portfolio/nashville-series-spider-style-resophonic-pickup/
www.thomann.de/intl/fishman_resophonic_spider.htm
michaelmesser.proboards.com/thread/12706

Search for posts with the phrase Fishman Nashville (19 results)
michaelmesser.proboards.com/search

——————————

On 2 November 2018 at 09:52, Silly Moustache, a charter member of the Acoustic Guitar Forum, created a thread entitled “Help me identify this Resonator (Mark Knopfler content!) re”.
acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=526946

A bit later in the AG forum at 11:19 jansch wrote “This was actually discussed on the Michael Messer Forum, …” (link to the thread entitled “Halloween Horror” follows below).

On 31 October 2018 at 13:15, MM wrote “The guitar is a Beard Deco Phonic and was a gift from Jerry Douglas.” Two of the videos in this thread are the same as those I posted.
michaelmesser.proboards.com/thread/10835

Mark Knopfler playing Beard Deco Phonic Model 27 (or Model 37) roundneck


Tommy Emmanuel Plays his new Beard Deco Phonic Model 37 roundneck


Feed the output to a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI Preamp…
www.fishman.com/portfolio/aura-spectrum-di-preamp/

Recording King RR-36 roundneck (£313/€371/$424)
www.recordingking.com/rr36vs
www.thomann.de/intl/recording_king_rr_36_squareneck.htm

Dobro Hound Dog roundneck (£367/€435/$497)
epiphonewiki.org/index/Hound_Dog.php
www.thomann.de/intl/dobro_hound_dog_round_neck.htm

Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Roundneck (£597/€711/$787)
gretschguitars.com/gear/collection/roots/g9220-bobtail-round-neck-resonator-guitar-padauk/2716013503
www.thomann.de/intl/gretsch_g9220_bobtail_roundneck.htm

Gold Tone Paul Beard Signature Model Squareneck (£858/€1022/$1131)
goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/instruments/pbs
www.thomann.de/intl/gold_tone_pbs.htm

Gretsch G9221 Bobtail Steel RN AE (£796/€948/$1049)
gretschguitars.com/gear/collection/roots/g9221-bobtail-round-neck-acoustic-electric-steel-body-resonator-guitar/2716015000
www.thomann.de/intl/gretsch_g9221_bobtail_steel_round_neck.htm

Thomann’s resonator guitars web page
www.thomann.de/intl/resonator_guitars.html

Jon Rauhouse playing a Gretsch G9220 spider-bridge


Jon Rauhouse playing a Gretsch G9240 biscuit-bridge


Gretsch G9240 biscuit-bridge (£453/€539/$597)
gretschguitars.com/gear/collection/roots/g9240-alligator-round-neck-resonator-guitar/2718013503
www.thomann.de/intl/gretsch_g9240_alligator_biscuit.htm

Gretsch G9241 biscuit-bridge (£559/€666/$737)
gretschguitars.com/gear/collection/roots/g9241-alligator-round-neck-acoustic-electric-resonator-guitar-padauk/2718015503
www.thomann.de/intl/gretsch_g9241_alligator_biscuit_rn_sb.htm

[Love Style O]

Hmm, our forum website automatically embeds video links

[Love Style O]

Hello Forum folk,

I am thinking of starting another more general thread on low budget resonator guitars. The idea is to arrive at a “white list”, and tackle issues and solutions. Even so, a  search for posts with the phrase low budget resonator returns 30 pages of posts. Is such a thread redundant? That reminds me of a joke: “I used to be into flagellation, necrophilia and bestiality. Then I realized I was flogging a dead horse.”!

Love Style O