Showing posts with label resonator guitar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resonator guitar. Show all posts

7/01/2012

Johnson Swamp Stomper Resonator Guitar with Pickup Review

Johnson Swamp Stomper Resonator Guitar with Pickup
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I've been shopping for a resonator for a long time, but I really wanted one that would plug in without alteration. For only 300 hundred bucks, this is a good quality and great sounding resonator. I plugged this in and it sounds great. It is not as brassy and twangy as the metal body models, but I like that. A great instrument which has already given me hours of pleasure and renewed my energy and interest in writing and performing traditional music. I haven't actually held and played the Jay Turser, the Oscar Schmidt, or Fender models. One thing is, those other models are hard to find in guitar stores, a limited market for resonators. I don't like the way the Jay Turser and Fender models look. The lines on the Turser are too hinky and the Fender looks too much like a cheap cigar box. This guitar is very understated and elegant, but will scream if you put a slide on it. I play with a 30 watt Line 6 spider 3 amp and there are some great warm or sleazy crunches you can get! Fun fun fun. I played one of these at an awesome guitar store in Ellensburg, Washington and I fell in love. Just didn't want to make the hour and a half drive back to Ellensburg to buy it. The quality and finish of this instrument are excellent.

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6/21/2012

Johnson Delta Blues Resonator Guitar, Roundneck Review

Johnson Delta Blues Resonator Guitar, Roundneck
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Very well built, its a delta blues, adjust the bridge, put grover tuning keys on it, mine sounds and plays FANTASTIC

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2/22/2012

Dean Resonator Cutaway/Electric Natural Mahogany Guitar Review

Dean Resonator Cutaway/Electric Natural Mahogany Guitar
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This is not a guitar, it's a case, so the title and description is incorrect. Nor is it a hard case, it's a tan "semi-hard case covered with a gig bag type material", so the image is incorrect as well.
So why is it listed on Amazon? Because Woodwind and Brasswind 'has no control over what's listed' or something like that.
In Amazon we trust. That's why we order through Amazon and not directly from the seller (at first, at least). This is one of those times where you should pay close attention to the feedback and not order from either one.
Don't order ANYTHING from "Woodwind and Brasswind". Buy from someone else.

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12/28/2011

Jay Turser Resonator Guitars jt-900res-cs Acoustic-electric Guitar, Cherry Sunburst Review

Jay Turser Resonator Guitars jt-900res-cs  Acoustic-electric Guitar, Cherry Sunburst
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Since Amazon doesn't give many details, here are a few:
Most importantly, this guitar has a spider cone (like a Dobro), not a biscuit cone (like a National). The wood is heavy plywood on the top, and feels heavy all around. The back and sides have a mahogany looking grain, altho they're probably one of those many tropical lookalikes. The back is arched! The tone is fairly mellow, as would be expected.
It's made in China, for what it's worth. Not necessarily a bad thing, in my experience. But don't expect National/Dobro/Taylor/Martin tone and quality, of course. It's an inexpensive (but not "cheap") guitar.
The two pickups have VERY different characters and relative volume, and the infinite blend control gives the player many options for sound. The other two controls are standard volume and tone, which affect both pickups. Sounds fine when not plugged in.
The finish is a very thick heavy plastic (urethane?) much more like an electric guitar than an acoustic. The cherry red sunburst is pretty good looking to my eyes. Not as garish as it appears on the computer-- more dark red, less orange.
The fretboard appears to be rosewood. It has nice (plastic?) binding, and the frets are well finished. The neck has an adjustable truss rod. The neck is 1 11/16", but for some reason they installed a 1 5/8" nut with very narrow string spacing. I've noticed a lot of Chinese guitars are coming with abnormally narrow string spacing these days. I immediately replaced mine with a Tusq nut. One other oddity is that it's a 14 fret neck, BUT the 14th fret is not at the juncture with the body but slightly overlapping. I guess that makes it a 13 7/8 fret neck! It's noticeable when you're playing up there.
The general fit and finish is excellent, altho mine was (and still is) missing one tiny chromed screw attaching the resonator cover to the body (there are 12). The cutouts for the f-holes are raw, unsanded and sloppily finished, and there are some shreds of wood visible on the inside of the holes. Not a big deal, but a noticeable detail. The holes, however, are precisely cut by computer, so they look fine unless you look at them closely. The tuning machines are decent.
The neck was straight and the action very low. It came with light or extra light nickel strings. Played fast. I installed medium/heavy nickel strings which brought up the action a little. Feels better for bottleneck now, but it was set up great for shredding right out of the box. The heavier strings put a slight bow into the neck, but it's ok for the way I play, and can be corrected with the truss rod.
All in all, I am tickled with this guitar, especially since Amazon sold it to me for only [...] with free shipping, and it was in stock. I see that the price has now increased to [...], so it's no longer as much of a steal, but still a good value. All in all it's a more than decent low end acoustic-electric resonator guitar.

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11/12/2011

Johnson Bottle Slide Triolian Resonator Guitar Review

Johnson Bottle Slide Triolian Resonator Guitar
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I read decent reviews of this guitar on other sites and decided to give it a try. I ordered the JR-550-FEN version - same guitar but (allegedly) has a Fishman pickup installed. (Another online sells this same guitar branded Rogue. They are made by Axl in China.) I know my way around resonator guitars - I own a couple of National Resophonics, and a Regal tri-cone and Duolian have been playing more than 30 years. I have owned many similar guitars including a '33 National Duolian. I play mainly fingerstyle and slide and was looking for a lighter, softer sounding resonator. Sadly, I'm still looking.
Out of the box it looked okay. A little minor QC oversights but finish was decent. Most guitars come with cheap strings installed (the manufacturer assumes players will change to their favorite strings) but those on this guitar set a new low. Tarnished in the box, I never could get them to play in tune. New strings helped a little. The mahogany body has a thick, shiny finish but they wisely gave the neck a lighter satin finish. I like the old-fashioned slotted headstock and that the neck joins the body at the 12th fret like the old guitars. So far, so good...
The first and worst thing wrong was the pickup. 60 cycle hum blasted from the amp the instant I cracked the volume knob above zero. The "Fishman" pickup is shorted right out of the box! It could not have been tested at the factory. I have genuine Fishman pickups on other guitars and have never had a problem so I question if it's a real Fishman pickup. But I'm not about to take a brand new guitar apart to find out!
I sent the seller a note about this and they replied that they would contact the QC department of the factory and let me know what they said. So much for standing by what you sell! Caveat emptor!!!
Tuned up to Open D (6th, 5th, and 1st strings a full step low) the action at the 5th fret was uncomfortably high and really bad at the 7th fret. Tuned to concert pitch it was unplayable at or above the 7th fret. The JR-550 uses a National-style cone and biscuit bridge but the bridge saddle is much taller than needed. If you are patient and know how it's not terribly difficult to sand it down but, because the strings pass through the cover plate, getting it right is a tedious process.
The neck is reasonably straight and the body-neck angle isn't bad so the terrible action out of the box is poor design and/or QC. Other Johnson owners tell me the best thing they did was replace the cone with one from National. The 9.5" National cone comes with a bridge that uses a thinner, stiffer biscuit which makes the action lower and the tone better. I wasn't expecting the quality of a National but the stock action was worse than expected.
The tone is okay but not as rich or as loud as you would expect from a resonator. It's also much less "woody" sounding than a Dobro but that may have more to do with the biscuit bridge instead of the spider bridge and inverted cone on wood body Dobro's.
If you want a light resonator, only play slide (i.e., never make a chord above the 3rd fret), and get a great deal this may not be a bad guitar for you. If you get one for next to nothing and are after a cool-looking "wall hanger" then go for it. But if you actually want to play the thing I strongly recommend you try one before ordering online. I have played metal body resonators (single- and tri-cone) made in the same factory and they were passable. This guitar leaves a lot to be desired.

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10/16/2011

Regal Traditional Series Studio Dobros Guitar with Power Reflex Sound Chamber (Vintage Sunburst) Review

Regal Traditional Series Studio Dobros Guitar with Power Reflex Sound Chamber (Vintage Sunburst)
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Great guitar! I compared this to the Paul Beard Signature model at my local shop and couldn't notice much of a difference. This is a great Reso for any level player. Good build quality and setup right out of the box.

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10/12/2011

Luna Steel Magnolia Resonator Review

Luna Steel Magnolia Resonator
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Been playing for 48 years, many of them as a semi-professional. Own 4 high end acoustics (Santa Cruz and Huss+Dalton). Bought this guitar on a whim and hope that it would be a fun, very inexpensive new sound to play around with. So, let me tell you:
This Luna Stell Magnolia plays as well as any of my guitars in terms of playability ;i.e., the neck is superb for this price range. The guitar was perfectly set up out of the shipping box (beware - a case is not included; too bad). Unplugged, the guitar sounds pretty bad, which I expected due to its shallow depth. However, plugged in, it is truly wonderful and surpasses all expectations. Through a Fender Princeton Reverb, it has a very good acoustic tone. And, through a Fishman Loudbox 100, it also sounds great, a somewhat different acoustic sound. The Steel Magnolia sounds almost as good as a National Resoelectric which sells for 3 X's the price.
So, if you are a finger picking style guitarist,you can't go wrong. The pick ups are truly very solid sounding.I would not advise getting it as a strumming instrument and I don't think it is well suited for slide. All in all, a very fun guitar and well made. You can't go wrong for this price.

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10/05/2011

Regal Black Lightning Squareneck Dobro Guitar (Black) Review

Regal Black Lightning Squareneck Dobro Guitar (Black)
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If you like the beautiful tone of a quality Dobro, you cannot beat this Regal better for the money. I have a resonator guitar I purchased in the early 70's called a Mobro and I thought it had quality Dobro sound until purchasing this Regal. I am not a professional muscian but even I can can appreciate the tone this instrument puts out when playing it.
I am sure there are higher quality Dobros but you can't beat this Regal for the money in my opinion.

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