Subject: resonator guitars
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:34:35 -0500

Hi Mick

I'm still loving my Phantom of the Opry mando more each day. I'm interested in getting a resonator guitar. My questions are:

What kind of a difference in sound is there between a wood body and a metal body?

To me, the metal body has a sheen of overtones that does not come with wood bodies...they also have a colder more metallic sound...whereas, the wood body would have a warmer tone.

How is a tricone different in sound from a single cone resonator?

A Tricone offers three smaller cones to redistribute the vibration from the strings...I believe they have a more trebly tone with more nasal overtones (very desirable for blues)...a single cone 10.5" would have a slightly bassier tone with less nasal overtones...probably more versatile for many genres of music.

Do the "entry level" metal bodies sound much different than the hi-end ones?

It does take a discerning ear to tell the difference...there are many other construction features that come with higher end models: better cast metal parts, better overall construction, etc. I certainly can tell the difference myself...such as more resonance and usually better playability from the factory...usually better dressed frets with nicely tapered necks are more common on high-end models...we do set up every instrument before it leaves our shop and feel that we can, at the very least, enhance the playability of lower end models.

I assume I'll be flatpicking or fingerpicking the guitar. I'm not so sure about doing any slide work.

Both flatpicking and fingerpicking would work well on either the metal body or wood body dobros...

Hope this helps, Mickey

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I make my choice.

I'm putting an Allen tailpiece on my mando, so I'll let you know how that works out.

Take care and Merry Christmas

Ray Silva