Who makes the loudest reso?

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 26 Jul 2009 7:32 pm

Its not easy to be heard sometimes when I'm playing acoustically in jam circles with the old Regal I own. I'd love to own a loud resonator guitar. If you have a loud used reso for sale, email me please. Who makes loud resos? Thanks, Don

Ben Sims · Post by **Ben Sims** » 26 Jul 2009 7:58 pm

Don,

Do you have a vintage Regal, or a more recent import Regal? The import Regals, unmodified, tend to not cut through very well. Almost any reso will be much louder with a good quality cone, spider, and bridge. One option would be to simply have those parts upgraded. Guitars one step up from the basic imports - e.g. Goldtone/Beard, or Wechter/Scheerhorn guitars, which have all good quality parts - should cut through pretty well. The Wechter/Scheerhorns (and the high-end Scheerhorns) have an open soundwell and use a unique internal baffle system that may make them a little louder than the others. Contemporary builders have put a lot of emphasis on improving volume and projection, especially with instruments with open-soundwell designs, so there are a lot of good instruments out there. Though I have a mid-80s Dobro that is a completely traditional design, and it cuts through really well. A lot of it is just having those good quality components.

Ben

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 26 Jul 2009 8:33 pm

Thanks Ben, I'll do that.Don

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 27 Jul 2009 2:09 am

In the early 70's, when I was in Nashville, Brother Oswald played a "Dobro" brand Dobro and had played one for years. Sho-Bud started making the "Shobro" and since Shot Jackson and Roy Acuff were old friends Roy made Brother Oswald play one on the Opry. Oswald hated the Shobro and complained that he couldn't be heard with the Shobro. He always wanted to go back to the "Dobro" but Roy wouldn't let him.

There is a guy that comes to our steel club jams with an old "Dobro" brand and it is by far the loudest and best sounding Dobro that has been at the club.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 27 Jul 2009 6:32 am

Most of the new custom builts are loud. I have a walnut Harlow that will hang with most of them. The "loudness" really comes from a good setup with
the proper components. Also, you just have play it really hard. I use Bobby Wright to do my work because he is one of the best and he is nearby enough that I can take it to him personally.
www.customresosetup.com

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 27 Jul 2009 8:51 am

I agree the new makers have increased the volume a lot with improved overall designs and better quality parts. Some of these are Beard, Wechter/Scheerhorn, Benoit and Fluger. The economy Beard Goldtones are almost as loud as the high end customs. Beard has licensed a foreign company to mass produce the Goldtones, and Beard does the final setup in this country.

Some of the old vintage Dobros and Regals have pretty good zing in the highs, but the new designs really bump up the mids and lows.

Because of the Vintage collectors market, I would hesitate to put modern parts in an old reso (pre '70s). But the newer economy models made in Asia and Western Europe can definitely benefit from a better quality cone (such as the Waterman), a bone nut, an ebony capped saddle, and maybe a new spider. But the cone may be bigger and require triming the flange, or routing out the hole. It can be very tricky to do this without creating buzzes and rattles. You can send the instrument to Beard for all these upgrades, but the shipping from Hawaii might not make this practical.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 27 Jul 2009 12:41 pm

Floyd Jasper

Lynn Oliver · Post by **Lynn Oliver** » 27 Jul 2009 12:54 pm

I think cutting power is a function of both loudness and voicing. My vote would go to the Clinesmith resos.

Gold Tone/Beard resos are set up by Gold Tone in the U.S. except for those set up by and sold by Beard.

Don Barnhardt · Post by **Don Barnhardt** » 27 Jul 2009 3:19 pm

I find that eliminating all but one banjo helps my volume.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 27 Jul 2009 3:33 pm

Biggest cannons out there? Probably the Tooter Meredith and Todd Clinesmith resos.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 27 Jul 2009 6:54 pm

The loudest reso I have ever played was a Beard E body at the Dallas show a couple of years ago.....it was actually too loud for me.....

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jul 2009 7:26 am

How about a metal bodied tri-cone?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Jul 2009 9:39 am

Metal body biscuit bridge resos are louder than spider bridge resos. But they have less sustain, and have a different tone. Seems like a tricone is somewhere in between.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jul 2009 9:45 am

I have a Republic metal tri-cone and it is LOUD!
Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 28 Jul 2009 11:00 am

WHAT?

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 28 Jul 2009 2:04 pm

the thing is, its interacting of parts, i'd say,, good cone, then setup, especially guages is of most importance, then wood type and port design etc.

then theres freak guitars, I have a '27 national spider-bridge wood body thats just a canon, its louder than my 8 string Benoit, but the Benoit is more balanced and tone-yummy. Old National honks like a goose. I think 8-strings damp the cone vibration more than 6.

Setup is VOODOO

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 28 Jul 2009 6:54 pm

My three best that have volume and great tone are:
Tut Taylor Virginian (Maple), Floyd Jasper Rosewood (Indian and Brazil), and the Wolfe (Mahogany). The Taylor uses the old soundwell design, and the Jasper and Wolfe use versions of baffle designs.

Of course on stage I always use a mike, NEVER a pickup.

Another factor is how much is the guitar played along with how loud do you play it. Both Bobby Wolfe and Mike Auldrige told me "the louder you play it, the louder it gets". I also have a Guernsey guitar that has a tremendous full and bass tone, but I haven't had the chance to play it enough to bring out the loudness yet.

Thanx,
Jim

Jim Mathis · Post by **Jim Mathis** » 29 Jul 2009 1:14 pm

I have a 1975 OMI Dobro. I upgraded it with a Sheerhorn cone. That didn't make it louder, but it made it a whole lot sweeter. It was an amazing improvement which I would recommend to anyone. The Dobro has both a magnetic Lace PU and a Fishman. Neither sound the same as miked.

I also have a National metal body Tri-cone which is a lot louder than the Dobro. With Highland pick-up it sounds the same as it does accoustically, except I can play as loud as I want, easily keeping up with my electric blues band.

After playing the Dobro, the National has so much power and bite it is scary. Obviously, I choose my weapon based on the situation.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 29 Jul 2009 1:17 pm

Jim,
I put a Highlander pickup on my tri-cone also.

Billy Gilbert · Post by **Billy Gilbert** » 29 Jul 2009 6:15 pm

Dick DeNeve makes a good quality instrument with lots of volume. Priced somewhere between the Goldtone and the lower level Beards.

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Who makes the loudest reso?

Who makes the loudest reso?

loudest

loud dobro??