johnnybub - Posted - 05/06/2009:  14:16:27

ok,, forgive me but I also play banjo,,haha,, there is an item called a banjo tone mate that is used to "enhance" the tone of a banjo,, its placed on the inside of the resonator,,, I read some pretty good things about these at the banjo hang out,,since my banjo is real sweet (1927 mastertone) I figured why not use it in a dobro,,its only $20.00 so I bought one,, and opened up my goldtone paul beard ,, but it inside the chamber and tried it out,,,, very interesting,,, got a pretty good kick on my bass end but lost some on the high end,, so I opened it up again and changed the placement of the tone mate,, now it is a bit more ballanced and definitely helped the sound of this guitar alot!!! maybe a touch louder,not much , but really a much better lower end,, might be worth a try,,

resonator guitars put the "blues" into bluegrass

Square Neck - Posted - 05/06/2009:  14:19:43

Pictures??

Tom Jr. - Posted - 05/08/2009:  09:16:09

I've got a real tone mate and have experimented with it on banjos before. It looks a little like an old cheap ashtray from White Castle. Just twisting it so the orientation with the centerline of the guitar but not moving it in in any other way makes a surprisingly large difference in the tone. Banjo resonators are a lot quicker to get into and fiddle with it on.
I currently have an 18-wheeler round truck mirror stuck in the resonator of my banjo but have not tried it in a dobro yet. If I keep tearing my instruments apart, I'll have to put nut inserts in under the coverplate like Beard does(very nice touch).

Don''t squat with your spurs on.

Slideman1939 - Posted - 05/08/2009:  10:52:04

Congratulations on being innovative and experimenting.I have often wondered about placing a banjo head in the well UNDER the cone and somehow using a much LONGER tension adjusting scew to travel from spider down to and thru the cone and into the center of the banjo head underneath. I have NOT done it nor worked out the details. Obviously the cone would be the main tone but sympathetic vibration (in theory) could and should travel thru the long screw and involve the banjo head adding to the final tone. Long live "nutty ideas".If 5 "bad" ideas lead to even one good idea , then everyone benefits from the innovation.What would have happened if John Paul Quarterman hadn't experimented with different cone ALLOYS and just kept spinning the same old pure aluminum ???

Mule - Posted - 05/09/2009:  03:25:28

This reminds me of the Tornado device for carburators that is supposed to increase fuel effientcency.... It may have some simularities In theory

johnnybub - Posted - 05/11/2009:  07:18:00

tom,,, it is fun playing around with different things to try to make our instruments sound better( to us) the mirror is interesting,, glass/no buzz,, how did it sound?
and yes I also thought about the white castle ashtray when I got it,,,hmmmm belly bomber!!!! nothing better ,,,
It does make a bit of sence to me that the sound can be diverted in different directions from the way the tonemate is made,,I was surprises I didnt get any buzzing,,I did turn it ( clockwise 1/8 at a time) and I really wanted some more bass on my guitar which is what I did get,, so for $20 I am happy,,
sideman,, I couldnt agree with you more, after all tim scheer horn isnt only selling his guitars for thousands just because they look good,,,
you might find an old banjo uke and just put the entire pot inside the reso???


resonator guitars put the "blues" into bluegrass