geister - Posted - 05/06/2009:  01:03:37

---

Just today I took possession of a resonator whose cone is made entirely of wood. I joined this forum for the purpose of finding out whether the builder who made mine is the only one to have solved the problem of how to do this. He has made three such instruments; he made the other two twenty years ago. I heard about him through a mutual friend, asked to play his original instrument and commissioned him to make one for me. If anyone else has a wooden-coned resonator, or knows about the existence of one other than mine (and the one belonging to this particular builder) I'd love to hear about it. (I am not writing about an aluminum-coned resonator with a wooden body. I am writing about a resonator guitar whose cone is made entirely of wood.) Thanks to anyone who has any info about the existence of any other guitars that fit this description.

Thanks

phil dean - Posted - 05/06/2009:  05:29:02

---

IT would be interesting to hear a sound byte from that one, what do you all say?

masteresoguitars.com

joebiker - Posted - 05/06/2009:  05:31:26

---

I'm pretty new to the Reso hangout, but a long time member of the Banjo Hangout...The are turning wood tone rings for banjos that work every bit as well as a brass tone ring for tonal quality and it produces a nice light banjo...Time will tell if the tone rings will warp over the years, or worse yet, split from dryness...so far, they work well. I suspect an open face lathe and good hardwood will produce a very nice warmer mellow sounding cone...I'd love to have one!
My neighbour was also a world class carver and carved life sized birds and such..He made a white swan with it's wing extended and in the possition of preening it's flight feathers, all from a solid block of basswood...It was perfect in every way and fully life sized at about 3 feet, but the amazing thing to me was that the wing feathers were perfect in veining and thickness and they were so thin that light shone through the feathers themselves...That statue is now 25 years old or better and that open wing is still just as perfect as the day he finished it...So, my point here is that wood cured properly before shaping will be more than stable enough to make a nice cone.

Sorry for the long windedness...but I suppose you guys will get used to that from me..



Some things never change with time, there`s nothing better than a lick!

Joebiker

meldooby - Posted - 05/06/2009:  07:12:39

---

The cone in a Dobro is more like the banjo's head than
the tone ring. A world of difference.

Mel

geister - Posted - 05/06/2009:  11:32:59

---

Right you are, Mel.
phil dean: sound clips and pics will be coming eventually. I wrote a longish post about putting out info about this guitar at Mule's topic post called "Thinking out of the box" on cone materials. (It's at resohangout.com/forum/topic.as...C_ID=8300)

Tom Jr. - Posted - 05/06/2009:  11:48:57

---

I have toyed with the idea of trying that but lack the technical expertise and tools at the moment. I don't think I can chuck up a piece of wood in a drill press and hold a pocketknife to it until I produce a cone. I would also like to make a cover plate out of wood.

Don''t squat with your spurs on.

Mule - Posted - 05/06/2009:  16:47:13

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by joebiker

I'm pretty new to the Reso hangout, but a long time member of the Banjo Hangout...The are turning wood tone rings for banjos that work every bit as well as a brass tone ring for tonal quality and it produces a nice light banjo...Time will tell if the tone rings will warp over the years, or worse yet, split from dryness...so far, they work well. I suspect an open face lathe and good hardwood will produce a very nice warmer mellow sounding cone...I'd love to have one!
My neighbour was also a world class carver and carved life sized birds and such..He made a white swan with it's wing extended and in the possition of preening it's flight feathers, all from a solid block of basswood...It was perfect in every way and fully life sized at about 3 feet, but the amazing thing to me was that the wing feathers were perfect in veining and thickness and they were so thin that light shone through the feathers themselves...That statue is now 25 years old or better and that open wing is still just as perfect as the day he finished it...So, my point here is that wood cured properly before shaping will be more than stable enough to make a nice cone.

Sorry for the long windedness...but I suppose you guys will get used to that from me..



Some things never change with time, there`s nothing better than a lick!

Joebiker

---

Just thinking out loud here.....

If someone could make a male and female two part mold of a cone, and form a steam softened 3ply layer of maple/spruce/maple and sandwich that turkey under alot of pressure.....Anyway Id like to hear it...then try different thicknesses of materials, or perhaps mix aluminum and spruce, but then you would coffientcy problems (never said I could Spell haha) ....or perhaps a High pressure carbonfiber cone? I've played a carbon fiber guitar and it was different but lvery loud and soulfull...

Square Neck - Posted - 05/06/2009:  22:04:22

---

bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewto...wood+cone