Nik:
Best of luck and joy in your new venture. I don't think I agree that a resonator guitar is any more difficult to play than an acoustic guitar. There is one method that I can think of which suits the resonator guitar very well and might give you more immediate gratification as a player and, that is to try some "open" tunings. I never played acoustic guitar and couldn't play a chord if you held a gun to my head, but I did play quite a bit of bottleneck slide in open tunings before I went on to lap style dobro. There's a good book if you can still find it by Arlen Roth called "Slide Guitar", which is a good primer for slide blues playing. If you can find it, I would expect it to bring you some joy as resonator guitars are well-suited to bottleneck playing. Get a thick glass slide. Find one that fits snugly on your ring finger. Of course, eventually you will want to learn some chords and theory but while you're getting started, the method I mentioned will give you the ability to play entire songs. See what turns you on and progress from there.

Really appreciate the thoughtful response, Eric.

When I was listening around, I loved the sound of open G, open D and drop D. Planning to try DADGAD and some other non-Standard tunings too, for finger style in particular. It seems I prefer the sound of everything *but* Standard tuning. Have a feeling I'm gonna go through a lot of strings.

It's awesome that I'll be able to get into slide immediately, though. I thought that I'd need a better foundation in chords and the fretboard before I'd be able to play it. Ordered Arlen's book the minute I read your recommendation, and I've been devouring whatever free instructional stuff is available online from people like Justin Johnson too. It'll be easier to absorb after I have an instrument in front of me and I can put the concepts into practice.

I won't have the funds for a while yet, but man I can't wait to get started. Thanks again.

Welcome, Nik!

Bottleneck tuning (usually open G or open D) and standard tuning can both be used on roundneck resonator guitars, flattop folk guitars, and electric guitars.

To me, open tunings are a lot easier to dig into, especially for a beginner. (My favorite is open G: DGDGBD.) Standard tuning's big advantage: There are exponentially more chords at your, uh, fingertips. Chances are you'll find yourself learning both standard and open. And that's actually a good way to get going, because the longer you wait on either, the stranger and more challenging you're likely to find it.

You certainly can't go wrong with a National or a Mule. What to get? I've found the videos Martin here produces to be hugely instructive:

Beginner's guide

How to choose

Re setup and strings, I'd expect a new National or Mule to be properly set up to begin with, and both companies will gladly tell you what strings they recommend. (I know National's website says Pearse phosphor/bronze twelves. Never looked for it on the Mule site.)

Let us know what you end up with. Pictures are mandatory!

Nik:
If you're waiting for the funds to get a resonator, don't forget that you can get started on any acoustic (aka. cheap) guitar. You might need to raise the action a little bit to play slide but at least you could start practicing things like alternating thumb bass lines. You don't have to read music or have any theory because most instruction is written in tablature which is easy to learn. As Charlie mentioned above, you will certainly want to learn standard tuning and chord structure but, to me, keeping interested and getting some immediate results keeps one more motivated....

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Originally posted by docslyd

Nik:
If you're waiting for the funds to get a resonator, don't forget that you can get started on any acoustic (aka. cheap) guitar. You might need to raise the action a little bit to play slide but at least you could start practicing things like alternating thumb bass lines. You don't have to read music or have any theory because most instruction is written in tablature which is easy to learn. As Charlie mentioned above, you will certainly want to learn standard tuning and chord structure but, to me, keeping interested and getting some immediate results keeps one more motivated....

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Fer sher! My first guitar was a cheap classical, and I played lots of slide on it. Didn't work well, of course, since it was a curved bottleneck on a flat fretboard. But I got the hang of it, and when I finally got a dreadnaught, it was easy to play. 

Actually the classical was worse for non-slide blues, because whenever I tried to bend a string it would roll out from under my fingers.

So yes, why wait? Any guitar is better than no guitar! (I wouldn't raise  the action, though. With low action, fretting strings is easy and in tune.)

I hear you both on the practice and fundamentals, and learning standard. Definitely want to gain a strong understanding of Standard, I just greatly prefer the sound of the other tunings I mentioned.

Should only be a month or two before I have the funds if all goes well. Waited 30ish years to come back to this particular ambition, so a little more time just provides anticipation.

If something falls through, I'll pick up a (much) cheaper learning instrument instead, and likely ask you fine gentlemen for your suggestions should that eventuality come to pass.

I would just grab a cheap Stella or something while you wait to afford a reso, just to get started. You'll always appreciate having a cheapo to drag around.

Per the comment above on Arlen Roth's "Slide Guitar" book- I've had a copy since 1991, and still consult it now and again. I actually got it because no one had any dobro books back then. But Arlen's teachings translated quite well to squareneck.

I already bought Arlen's book! Still waiting for reso money to come in.

Space is more of a concern than funds right now. Kind of a shared living situation so we have just enough room for our stuff. Extra items taking up space *isn't* a luxury I can afford ironically, given that I want to buy a very expensive guitar.

Man, I *wish* a guitar cheaper than the national had anything close to the same sound. They just don't sound good to me or anything like the national to my ear. I'd happily spend less.

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Originally posted by ctrlaltcreate

. . . I'd happily spend less.

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I bought a used National Style 0 in almost-new condition last year for less than half the price of a new one.

Get something to play!

An American guitar will be Likely 6-10x the price of an imported one new.

My first one was the Gretsch Honeydipper. $500 ten years ago. My current American guitar was about $4,000.

Easier or harder. No big deal. Playing open cords is easy. Picking is not so much.

Regardless, it takes a lot of effort to learn. Like bridge. The further you go the more you realize you don’t know.

Started too,late to ever be really good. Don’t care.

tomkatb It doesn’t hurt for him to ask for info. I screwed up and traded for a round neck RC55 (round neck) thinking it was “close enough”. It wasn’t. Between the lighter gauge strings and the profiled bridge and fretboard it was less than ideal to learn on. I sold some gear I was no longer using and bought a Goldtone PBS-M that I like a lot. I kept the Regal and have it tuned DADF#ad.

Yes. Took me two not good choices to find the right guitar.

Well actually a pair. A Regal 37 copy hot rodded by the late Frank Harlow and two of his bluegrass guitars. Loud enough for those pesky banjo’s.

The brass guitars hang on the wall.