Help: New Resonator owner requires help.

Subject: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Green Man
Date: 30 May 02 - 03:57 AM

Greetings Mudcatters,

I have just purchased an Ozark resonator Guitar and would like any ideas and opinions on tunings. Currently am using open D. Any resources that you may know of that could help would be useful and your own preference for tunings and the reason that you like them.

For information I have looked at a good few of this type of instrument and this is the best I have played for tone volume and price. It has a nickel plated brass body and gold plated fittings. A bit fancy for my taste but then its the sound it makes that really got me.

I look forward to hearing from you. D

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 May 02 - 04:39 AM

Until the ones who know something wake-up and post *bg*, you might enjoy reading through some old threads about resonators. If you put just the word "resonator" (without the quotation marks) in the SuperSearch box and hit "go" there are quite a number which come up. Just click on any of them to read the individual messages or the entire thread. I love listening to resonator guitars but don't know a thing about playing them. Congratulations and good luck!

kat

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Mooh
Date: 30 May 02 - 10:22 AM

Without a resonator at the moment, but I keep a flat-top set up for lap-style. I really like open G (DGDGBD), but generally increase the string guages and tune it down to open F (CFCFAC) or open E (BEBEG#B). The lower tunings sound a little "darker" to my ears. The cool things about this tuning are the groups of strings (2,3,4, and 1,5,6) which are still tuned at standard tuning type intervals, so a complete rethink isn't necessary to get started.

I also like D'Addario FlatTop strings for slide because they are slightly flatwound and the slide moves cleaner for me.

Btw, I use the same tuning(s) for regular (non-lap/slide) playing too because, for fingerpicking, I can get timbres and harmonies which wouldn't occur to me in standard tuning.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Áine
Date: 30 May 02 - 09:04 PM

Here's a good resonator and slide forum you could check out.

All the best, Áine

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Tweed
Date: 31 May 02 - 07:37 PM

Here's a link to Brad's Page of Steel you may find very useful as he goes into alterate tunings, history and all the rest in there. A good reso site!

Brad's Page of Steel *click here*

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Bobert
Date: 31 May 02 - 07:54 PM

Yeah, check out Tweed's link, fir sure then, like Mooh suggested, try the G tuning. You can do some wonderfull stuff with G and if you capo up 2 frets you're in A tuning. Simple. Stay away from slinky strings because they will not play bright. The D'Addarios are great overall cheap strings. Also go with the set with the 013 E as opposed to the 012's. Have fun.

Bobert

Subject: RE: Help: New Resonator owner requires help.
From: Green Man
Date: 01 Jun 02 - 05:56 AM

Thanks to eveyone who responded, looks like I have a lot to learn.

GM