Resonator Guitar
Resonator Guitar is a guitar variant that has a very unique sound characteristic. Instead of using wooden soundboard this acoustic guitar uses one or more metal cones (resonators) to produce sound. These guitars are originally designed to have louder sound than conventional acoustic guitars.
Resonator guitar is available with either metal or wooden body. This instrument has two types of neck, square and rounded. Square necked resonator guitar is played similar to the steel guitar (very common in hawaiian music style). Since this instrument is played horizontally the players use steel bar to change chords or notes. The action or strings to the guitar fretboard distance is elevated higher than the conventional acoustic guitar. Because the neck is thick and square this guitar resonator can’t be played Spanish styled.
Although they look similar to conventional guitars actually resonator guitars use different tuning, in example open G tuning: G-B-D-G-B-D (low to high) or D-G-D-G-B-D (low to high). Note that the first setting creates more strings tension. Blues player may vote for open E7 tuning.
Here is a video example of my favorite artist Bob Brozman playing a square necked resonator guitar:
Round necked resonator guitar is played Spanish style. This instrument is commonly found in blues and bluegrass genres and can be play with or without a slide. There are two types of slide: still tube and bottle neck, both types should be put on the player’s pinkie finger.
Here is a video example of my favorite artist Bob Brozman playing a round necked resonator guitar:
It is amazing to see how one can explore his instrument in such a way we’ve never thought before and Bob really gave me some inspiration about what I can do with my guitars. We don’t need to play the resonator guitar if we don’t have it but at least we know there is no limit in the guitar realm. Just when we thought we have reached ‘something’ in our guitar playing people like Bob wake us up and tell us to practice more…
To Your Guitar Success,
-TJ-
Beginner Guitar Lessons Admin
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