Resonator Questions

Anyone know of a maker and model of:

1. resonator baritone uke? (not looking at other sizes of reso uke just now)

2. resonator tenor guitar? (steel string yes)

3. resonator in the mando family?

4. nylon-string resonator anything?

Please advise...Mahalo :music:

National and Recording King both currently make resonator mandolins. Dobro also made them back in the day, and you can often find vintage models available.

RichM said:

National and Recording King both currently make resonator mandolins. Dobro also made them back in the day, and you can often find vintage models available.

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Thanks Rich. I will go research those now.

I peruse tenor guitars on ebay periodically and I know there are some amazing vintage tenor resos showing up semi-regularly. Look at this one with the busted side they classify as "excellent" condition for $1299 http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GUI...745027?hash=item41a8419703:g:Ct4AAMXQt~hSK0gW

I'd tend to go with this Goldtone, preferably during a sale, or for a second at a reduced price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-Tone-M...255065?hash=item25b0b225d9:g:vGYAAOSwo6lWOSsA

Love this cutaway model: https://www.goldtone.com/product/mbtplus/

Hmmmm, never heard of these: http://www.bytowninstruments.com/products/carnival-baritone-resonator

Steve Evans of Beltona makes a baritone scale ukulele on the Songster body and makes resonator mandolins and guitars.

http://www.beltona.net/wordpress/profile/

Republic Guitars has a steel body reso tenor guitar. Seriously jonesing for one!

EDIT: Just looked at Republic's website and I guess they no longer have the tenor guitar! Boo hiss!

Scroll down to #18 for Russ Morin's bari reso: http://www.russmorin.com/

I have a 1929 Dobro mandolin with a claro walnut body--a huge single cone reso cover which has an engraved snowflake as well as the engraved DOBRO on the tail piece cover--an inlaid DOBRO on the peghead and the National black heart inlay on the heel of the neck....and it is in its original case. It was bought in 1931 in Bend, Oregon, and played by the grandfather of the man who sold it to me. I also have the first DonMo Galvo concert ukulele to come to the USA. It is made of galvanized metal..except for the neck. It is strung Aquila red linear.

I was hankering for a baritone resonator uke but couldn't find one. I bought the Kala tenor resonator and strung it with d'Addario baritone pro arte blacks at EAC#F#, thus retaining the tension for which they were designed. Here's what it sounds like.
https://soundcloud.com/user-385159541/kala-resonator-ka-res-chr-sound-test

Thanks for all the suggestions but still not exactly what I'm looking for...

Seems like I'm gonna be getting a neck and some other parts from CB Gitty now that they have reso cones and other reso parts...

and also have to add a circle-cutter to my toolbox since the hole-saw set I have maxes out @ 3.5" diameter and need to cut like a 6" hole...

Including the added tool(s), I can build it myself for less than $150 this way, and still have a fine playable instrument that I can hack and tweak as needed down the road...(yes the ability to hack and tweak is important to ME, YMMV )

So thanks again for all the info! :music:

Hi Booli, Thought you might like to see my first attempt at making an instrument. This is a baritone resonator ukulele. The 18.75" scale was a result of purchasing a ready made fingerboard via ebay. A groove runs the length of the saddle to hold a undersaddle piezo strip. I learned a lot on this project and the only power tool used was a hand held drill.

grandpag123.com

Check with this guy if you haven't already: http://mattsenguitars.co.nz/guitars/

studemobile said:

Hi Booli, Thought you might like to see my first attempt at making an instrument. This is a baritone resonator ukulele. The 18.75" scale was a result of purchasing a ready made fingerboard via ebay. A groove runs the length of the saddle to hold a undersaddle piezo strip. I learned a lot on this project and the only power tool used was a hand held drill.

grandpag123.com

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Sorry I missed this when you posted it. Looks great and gives me some ideas too. Thanks for sharing!

PhilUSAFRet said:

Check with this guy if you haven't already: http://mattsenguitars.co.nz/guitars/

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Thanks for the info, however when I saw the following on his web site:

"Prices range from $US4000-$7000."

I was quite discouraged as I do not have that kind of budget, nor interest in spending more than maybe $200 total on this project.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic about price, but this is a small curiosity as of now, and not something I can spend lots of money on right now, so a home-made CBG-type solution is likely going to be my best option.

Also, I am wanting to have an instrument in linear CGDAE (C2-G2-D3-A3-E4) 5ths tuning with NYLON-type strings, so this means a nut width that is greater than 1.5" for me for 5 strings, so I'm still trying to figure that out, and once I can see which strings will work at various scale lengths, I will know what size instrument to be thinking about.

I may just combine both projects. I already have a few necks, tuners, bridges, saddles and various materials for making a nut. A dog-bowl resonator seems the simplest way to go and CB Gitty has a 5-string tailpiece that will do nicely for ~$15.



Gitty also sells a nice large un-assembled 9"x12" wood box for $10 that would be great for a body....

I'm building one very similar to studemobile's. Having a hard time deciding between a 3 string and a short scale tenor guitar. I have the dish and a box I bought at Michael's crafts.

PhilUSAFRet said:

I'm building one very similar to studemobile's. Having a hard time deciding between a 3 string and a short scale tenor guitar. I have the dish and a box I bought at Michael's crafts.

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Maybe start with the 3-string, and see how it goes.

A little simpler build, more space betw the strings on a 1.5" neck....

I feel I would be missing out with a 3-stringer, unless maybe is a was a bass, but I already have bass covered and no need to duplicate...

What is your interest in the 3-stringer? How will you tune it?

I want it to be primarily a slide guitar and I see a 3 stringer as an easy intro. Would probably tune gDG or something similar. I have a Merlin tuned dADD.