Budget Metal Reso?

[Andy S]

As I have mentioned before, I am a recent convert to resonator guitars, having purchased a Vintage VR800, which I love and is being played on a very regular basis. I think it is a good entry level guitar, and with a bit of work on it by myself, it plays and sounds great (I set up and fettle all my guitars anyway, its almost as much fun as playing them too).javascript:add("%20;)")
Wink

The thing is I have also got guitar acquisition syndrome, and I am looking for an all metal bodied or a spider bridged reso to widen my tonal palette. I am looking at another budget instrument, and I would welcome opinions on which to go for, if at all.

There is an online company that are selling Collins metal bodied biscuit cone instruments for approx £160. There is also another company selling wood body spider bridge Dimaverys for less that £120! Are these worth the money, considering that I will be buying to pull apart, upgrade, set up and rebuild to my needs, so I dont mind having to work on them.

Would the metal bodied one sound too similar to my Vintage? Would the spider cone wood body sound that different? Which one would give the most difference in sound?

I know that they will both be made in China, but even top flight companies now have much of their production there. I cant afford to justify the cost of mid range gear, for myself who plays purely for my own pleasure and the joy of collecting and repairing. Cant help thinking that back in the 1930s poor blues musicians wouldnt have been playing £2K guitars, they would have been playing catalogue cheapies too.

Yours

Andy S

[Michael Messer]

Hi Andy,

Good to hear from you. I don't know Collins or Dimaverys, so I cannot comment on those instruments. There are so many brand names on resophonic guitars these days, I just can't keep up! I still reckon that Vintage, Regal, Ozark and one or two others are the leaders in the budget marketplace. Hopefully one or two ther forum members will give you their thoughts on this subject.

If you already have a single cone National style guitar, you would probably notice more difference in tone and feel with a spider bridge Dobro style guitar. They really are very different and will give you a whole different sound & feel.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Andy S]

Dear Michael,

Thanks for this, I appreciate your advice. Personally I think that most of these guitars are made in the same factory, but have different transfers stuck on to order. Its like Vauxhall cars having Opel badges on, or Daewoo having Chrysler badges on too. Apparently, Phillips electrical goods were labelled as such because initially their parent company, Matsui, didnt think us western folk would trust goods with a far eastern label on them and thought we would be more likely to buy something with a more "western" title . I wonder what a Chinese reso player has on the headstock of their guitar, then?

I think I will go for a spider cone, as it will give me the tonal difference. I love the sound of the biscuit cone, its attack and brashness really appeal, but sometimes sounds a bit banjoish, if that is a correct adjective. The thing is that a metal bodied guitar looks so awesome. I think Mike Harding once referred to his as a "Barnsley Fighting Guitar". The good thing about my Vintage is that it gives me high fret access, especially when using a capo, even though it looks less than "authentic". Its humbucker pickup takes it into wilder pastures too. Like you I love it in minor tunings, G Minor is a real peach, sounds almost other worldly. A spider bridge one will be cheaper too and may well leave me a bit of spare cash as well as a different sounding box, as I need to also purchase a drum machine for recording some of my music onto my digital recorder (Boss BR900CD, great recorder, but naff/unusable drum sounds;- but thats another story....!). I think i'll get a Dimavery and hot-rod it in my own unique way. If I had less limited funds, I'd have a stable of resos, as well as a bakers dozen of other guitars. As it is, my family make other demands on my time as well as my funds. I'm off to France with them next week, I'll be spending my money at Parc Asterix rather than Fine Resophonics!!!!

I guess that 15 years ago, a budget way into resophonics didnt exist, now it is a symptom of globalisation that something so iconic has come down in price that for some folk, they are almost cheap enough to be wall-hangings, and may not even be played. Yet the vintage market is full of overpriced unplayables, and theres some silly prices for guitars that are complete dogs, and some even sillier prices for guitars that should continue to be played, but instead will reside in bank vaults. £400 for a Watkins Rapier, five figure sums for a Les Paul Junior!!! I rest my case.

I'll keep up my contributions to your wonderful website. With yours and other associated reso sites, I feel I have joined a community of sound, talented and friendly people.

Yours

Andy S