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Post by murrmac on Jul 27, 2015 17:31:20 GMT
Hoping that those with more experience of resophonics than I can tell me whether anybody has ever experimented with metals other than aluminium for the manufacture of the cones... eg thin sheet steel, or brass.
TIA
Murray
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 27, 2015 20:11:50 GMT
Hello Murrmac,
Welcome to our forum.
Yes, many experiments have been done over the years to make resonators from other materials. The Dopyeras in the 20s tried everything and since then every manufacturer and maker of resonator guitars have looked into using other materials, and none of them, apart from aluminium, are any good.
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by murrmac on Jul 27, 2015 21:07:17 GMT
Thanks Michael.
I would love to read about these experiments ... is there a link to any articles about them, or is there a book available which would detail them ?
I have read the section in Bob Brozemans' book which mentions the cones, but all he says is that John Dopyera experimented with different metals, but doesn't say what they were or why they weren't satisfactory.
The reason I am curious is that as a metal worker myself, I know that if you take a bar of steel and a bar of aluminium , both the same size, and hit them with a hammer, the steel will ring out louder and sustain for longer than the aluminium will.
There is obviously a technical reason why aluminium works better than steel in a cone ... i just would like to know what that reason is .
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 28, 2015 7:59:26 GMT
Hi Murrmac,
The fact that a piece of steel rings more than a piece of aluminium when you ding it, has very little to do with the way a resonator works. It is a loudspeaker and it it has to absorb and transmit the sound. The softness of the material is vital. There is no way that a piece of steel can perform as well as aluminium. They have been the way they are for 90 years, creating an iconic sound that is more popular today than it was in 1920s and 30s. Some of the greatest guitar recordings of all time have been made on them and many of the early resonators are still inside guitars and still making music. I don't really see how anything could out-perform that track record.
The making of resonators is a black art that only a handful of people in the world can do properly. There have been many attempts at making them with the right and the wrong materials, but as I say, there are literally a handful of people who can make a really good resonator. The people who do make them well have a deep understanding of resonator guitars, their history and how and why they work so well. I have seen attempts at spinning resonators by some very skilled metal workers and engineers, but none of them can touch what the few great makers can do.
There are no books on this area of the subject. You have to hunt out old patents and get to know the resonator guitar-making fraternity. I doubt very much that any of the good makers would give you help and advice as they are quite protective of their knowledge.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by Brad Bechtel on Aug 4, 2015 14:47:46 GMT
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