Dobro, anyone?

[shaman]

ha...thanks guys-it has a Les Paul like neck....think it is about the same as a slim taper 60's neck at the nut!some don't like that, but I do...I play occasional slide,but I wanted to play traditional solo work as well-it is cool-I will be trying the biscuit cone out soon..it def. has some serious MOJO

[FernandoDuarte]

They look bloody cool, but i don't think i have ever heard one :(

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=lwTpGRMYZ70

[opprobrium_9]

That is beautiful.  Thank you Fernando

[Sollophonic]

I have a Vintage VM400, it was my first resonator, and has had some serious upgrades, like a bone nut, a Quarterman cone, and big strings over a National bridge. It is loud, brash and great fun.

I usually have a solid bodied reso under construction or just finished, like the ones in my Avatar

Finally I have an old battered Spider cone dobro style, which hangs on my wall at work, and gets used for lunchtime noodling.

Resonators are great fun, and can open up a completely new style of playing, which can often be brought back to have an influence on the way you play other guitars, including electrics.

Finally I have played a couple of the new Busker Michael Messer guitars, and they are really good for the money. Well set up, and very good authentic versions of 1930s Nationals.

[AndyR]

Oh dear Sollophonic - you got me going with those Busker Michael Messers! :lol:

I only got a 14 fretter Republic a month ago, and now you point me at these... sigh...

Interesting that they're both made in the same workshop in China though.

Have you seen Michael Messer live by the way? - what a stunning guitarist.

[ToneMonkey]

Check if these links still works:

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/ninefingers_2007/Dob1.jpg
http://www.michaelmesser.co.uk/MM%20IMAGES%20DELTA%203.jpg

And I still can't see the picture in the original post  :(

[TheDev01dOne]

Oh dear Sollophonic - you got me going with those Busker Michael Messers! :lol:

I only got a 14 fretter Republic a month ago, and now you point me at these... sigh...

Interesting that they're both made in the same workshop in China though.

Have you seen Michael Messer live by the way? - what a stunning guitarist.

AFAIK, 'Republic' and 'Busker' are both exactly the same guitars, made in exactly the same factory, they are just set up by different people and therefore have different brand names.. I think Republic are for US and Busker are for UK, generally.

Michael Messer are made in a different place and are a bit more authentic with closer attention to sticking with vintage national specs.

All are great guitars though and the best quality:cost ratio, my resonator obsessed friend tells me.

[Ted 'N' Leo]

They look bloody cool, but i don't think i have ever heard one :(

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=lwTpGRMYZ70

Such a good video that. Apparently its quite a cheapo one hes using aswell.

[38thBeatle]

Resonators are fantastic-I have hankered after one for years.The Missus loves the look of them and really wants me to get one. I borrowed one a while back and she loved the sound and, oddly enough, my slide playing. I was aware of Republic guitars but not the Busker brand- thanks for the heads up.

[AndyR]

Oh dear Sollophonic - you got me going with those Busker Michael Messers! :lol:

I only got a 14 fretter Republic a month ago, and now you point me at these... sigh...

Interesting that they're both made in the same workshop in China though.

Have you seen Michael Messer live by the way? - what a stunning guitarist.

AFAIK, 'Republic' and 'Busker' are both exactly the same guitars, made in exactly the same factory, they are just set up by different people and therefore have different brand names.. I think Republic are for US and Busker are for UK, generally.

Michael Messer are made in a different place and are a bit more authentic with closer attention to sticking with vintage national specs.

All are great guitars though and the best quality:cost ratio, my resonator obsessed friend tells me.

As far as I can make out (I ended up doing a load of surfing yesterday - Michael Messer's site, the Busker site) it seems the MMs are made in the same workshop, but to his specs, and he has his own quality control team (which appears to be Busker). There are loads of pictures of the workshop where they're getting made.

I'd definitely recommend the Republics, so it looks like I'd recommend the Buskers as well :D. And I'd like to get my hands on a MM to try - everything he says about what he's trying to achieve makes me think that they might be just a tiny bit "more" (mojo-wise) and for the same price!!.

38th - V&R in Denmark St stock the Republics, and the Busker site says Wunjo across the road is an outlet for them. I might have to make a little trip to the latter (but leave the wallet at home :lol:). You're looking at around the £500 mark depending on what the model is, whether it's engraved, etc...

[Sollophonic]

I teach a bit of guitar to someone who has just bought one of the Michael Messer approved Buskers, and it is a great guitar. His is the 12 fret to the body model with the sunbursty colouring on. I have to say though when he first got it, the strings that were on it were a bit on the light side, and putting a set of 15-58s made the thing come alive. The other small point I noticed about his was that although it had a nice wide fingerboard like the old Nationals, the string spacing at the nut was a bit narrow, ie it could use more of the fingerboard width. However that could be just me, I widen string spacing on all guitars I own, because I like a bit more room. Heck I can get 38mm string width out of a Tele neck.
But for the money, it was a superb guitar and really nice to play. I think the next batch of these that are coming in will be even more difficult for me to resist as they are 14 frets to the body, which I prefer.
Well done to Michael for putting the time in to get these guitars, and I'd recommend them.

[FernandoDuarte]

How much is one from the Messing guy? :D

[ToneMonkey]

Are the MM's steelies or wood?

I had a fiddle with a Tanglewood Steel one a while back and it seemed fairly nice.  Weighed a tonne and a half though, I think a lot of the budget steel ones are made using too thick metal.  Ozark also make a steel one but I've heard they need a fair bit of fiddling to get them set up right.

I've got a 6 inch cone here (from a tri-cone) to make a little Cigar Box Guitar resonator.  Going to be a cute  :lol:  I've also decided that I'm going to set up my firebird for slide guitar, for no other reason other than I can't be arsed to refret it  :?

As far as slides go, I've met a bloke called Ian (through my reso building buddy) who does some really nice slides... not that I'm experianced in slide in the slightest.  But when I set my Firebird up for slide, I'll be getting one off him.
http://www.diamondbottlenecks.com

I love reso's, me.

[AndyR]

The websites say the MM "Blue" is Steel, and the "Lightning" is plated brass.

Both are under £500 !!!!

[FernandoDuarte]

No dobro for me, I think :(
£500 is much money when your currency value is about a quarter part than pounds...