I am having trouble with a build and hope some one can give me some suggestions. I built a sweet guitar and went all out. Built my own box using figured maple sides and lace wood back, maple neck with rosewood finger board and rosewood binding. where I think I messed up is I also used figured maple for the top. I was hoping for a bright sound but ended up being way too stiff and has very little volume.
To fix this I figured adding a resonator cone with a stiff top would raise the volume but no such luck, no increase in volume and no real reso sound. I put gitty blues blaster medium strings on it and added a 7" thunder cone. I'm looking for any suggestions to raise the volume and get more reso sound out of this instrument. At this point it's an expensive wall hanger.
Tags:
Hi, The tops of resonator guitars, "Dobro" or National styles, have stiff tops as some have a reinforcing rim sandwiched between the back and the top, looks like a tambourine. So the contribution of the vibrating effect of the top and back is very low.
It could be the size of the box or size of soundholes. A look at the instrument may help identify a cause.
Taff
Hi again, I just reread your post. Depending on the thickness a maple top could be too stiff for an acoustic guitar. Flexibility is the key so thinning it and a brace may have rectified the problem. Providing the soundhole/s are good size.
Taff
The top is 1/8 th. in. thick and I thought it was just too stiff to properly vibrate as an acoustic that was the reason I cut in the thunder cone. I guess I was just expecting more punch out of the cone. I mean it's better than it was just doesn't sound like the videos of reso's I've heard. This is build number 10 and I've built all my own boxes. All the previous ones I used cedar and they are very loud to say the least. lesson learned function over form. I fell into the pretty wood trap.
a 1/8-inch top isn't really thick - no matter the wood - so I suspect there are other issues going on.
I build traditional resonator guitars - incorporating a tone ring or soundwell, a 9 or 9.5-inch biscuit cone, etc. For such instruments, it's not unusual to see 3/16-inch tops (or thin steel - maybe 24 gauge - backed with wood). Thickness is necessary, as down-string pressure for a biscuit cone is often around 30 pounds or more.
You could zap up the volume on a CBG with a traditional biscuit cone, if the body size will allow, but looking at your photo, it doesn't appear to have the needed height, width, and length to make a cone viable
I see a lot of these "cones" that are screwed to the top of the box. They may give you a somewhat twangy, imitation reso sound,, but they really won't increase your volume. To do that, a cone has to float; it never touches the top of the instrument (let alone be glued or screwed) and is in fact inset into the body an inch or some via the tone ring or soundwell
Also, the instrument has to have some resonating volume inside. I wouldn't want to spend the money on cones - or the time building soundwells - unless the body was at least 12" wide x 18" long by 4" deep.
Maybe this will help (wasn't sure I had a photo). This is a steel top, backed with wood. The tone ring is attached to the bottom side of the guitar's top with 3M marine epoxy (can handle the string pressure, and never comes loose). You'll see the lip at the bottom of the tone ring. That's where the cone rests. It touches neither the sides nor the top . . . it just "floats."
To vastly simplify (this is not totally accurate, but will give you a mental image) think of the reso body as a speaker box. The top should maybe flex a tiny bit . . . but mostly you want it to be sturdy
Hope that helps
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray yesterday. 8 Replies 1 Like
Started by Southern Ray in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Southern Ray yesterday. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by BrianQ. on Thursday. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Rich Butters in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Crazed Fandango on Tuesday. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Nomad Jack in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by J. D. Woods Apr 17. 7 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Moritz Voegeli in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 14. 6 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Apr 10. 14 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Tom T in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 9. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 4. 7 Replies 1 Like
Started by Timothy Hunter in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 27. 1 Reply 2 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 10. 1 Reply 3 Likes
Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by BrianQ. Mar 9. 4 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies 1 Like
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Ken I in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Brian partington Mar 8. 8 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 6. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 5. 4 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Carl Floyd Mar 1. 15 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Joe in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Carl Floyd Feb 29. 13 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Chance in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 22. 12 Replies 1 Like
Posted by Vlad on March 31, 2024 at 11:48pm 0 Comments 1 Like
Posted by Vlad on March 6, 2024 at 2:32am 5 Comments 2 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 2:09pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 17, 2024 at 11:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by Vlad on February 11, 2024 at 1:06am 1 Comment 1 Like
May 11, 2024 from 11am to 8pm – Speakeasy Grill
0 Comments 0 LikesMay 30, 2024 from 6:30pm to 10pm – The Casual Pint of Huntsville
0 Comments 0 Likes© 2024 Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker. Powered by
Cigar Box Nation is presented by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!