Resophonic Mandolins

[JiminRussia]

What do you do with a resophonic or dobro mandolin? Is it played with a slide like a dobro or is it fretted like a mandolin? Do you use a "bottle top" type slide on your little finger like the blues players use or is it something completely diferent? If you were to use a slide, would you tune it to an open chord or leave the tuning alone?

[grsnovi]

Jim,

I have never heard a slide mando part - that doesn't mean there isn't somebody playing that way someplace.

The whole aluminum cone idea was originally a simple way to get more VOLUME.

So, whats good for the goose is good for the gander so to speak. I'd assume the experiment was to see what such a construction did for volume on a mandolin. Since the number of instruments built this way appears to be relatively small, I'd say the general concensus was: interesting idea, but so what?

Grisman plays one on one of the TONE POEM releases as I recall.

[mandoJeremy]

Sam Bush has played slide resophonic mandolin since the 70's.

[M. Hollen]

Sam Bush plays it on a track on the album he made with David Grisman. "Hold on we're strummin'"

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

I play one. Just a funky looking and sounding mandolin. Many have good tone - defying all understanding. Usually tuned EADG and played the same as any other mandolin.
They work well volume wise. They can sound suprisingly mandolinlike one moment and then get very funky and blueslike at other (and sometimes unexpected) moments. Sort of a challenge. I kept one close at hand for a month straight so it got played alot. I overcame my original dislike for the beast in the process.
But be prepared to have some choice phrase come out sounding like John Hurt licks now and again.

[grsnovi]

OK, I take it back then...

If Sam is playing slide mando on HOLD ON... #I've heard one.

It must not have left much of an impression. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[garyblanchard]

I play a round-neck resonator guitar as my main guitar, tune it regular with no slide. It does have a little more volume and gives a slight "metallic" edge to my playing. Since I do a lot of jug band, blues, etc. it works out nicely.

I have toyed with the idea of getting a resonator mandolin, but find that I like the "wooden" tone of the conventional mandolin too much to switch over. Maybe some day when the money is there I'll get a resonator mando. (More low-budget MAS. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif )

[Bob DeVellis]

I haven't warmed to the few I've tried. I played a couple of nationals that looked beyond cool. One was also in great shape -- minimal plating wear, nice frets, really straight neck, everthing just as it should be. But the tone was piercing. My wife, normally extremely supportive of my playing, said that the National might put her over the edge. I also played a couple of wood-bodied Dobros. They were less harsh, perhaps, but intonation is a real problem on them. I gather, from people I've talked to, that it's a consistent problem on old Dobros and not peculiar to the instruments I tried. But despite all these negatives, I still find my self attracted to their uniqueness. For better or worse, the prices I've seen for good examples have consistently exceed my "that might be interesting to have" level, and I've walked away. I think some of their appeal might be the same thing that once had me in possession of 3 mandolin banjos. They were great fun for about 5 minutes. I wound up with 3 because the first had shortcomings that I thought the second would avoid, which had shortcomings that... you get the picture. I worry that resonator mandolins might have me re-living that experience if I ever bought one.

[Joe F]

I had an opportunity to try out a Rigel resophonic mandolin this past weekend. #Very loud, with that ringy metallic sound typical of instruments with hubcaps, and it played like butter. #It has no chop, but then it isn't intended to be a bluegrass instrument.

[Lee]

The few number of resophonic mandos is not so much because of a small limited "interesting idea" niche, but more so because of the staid conservative nature of the general mando player population.
My old wood body Dobro mandolin sounds fantastic; wonderful singing sustain and a tinkly sparkle to the tone. With a set of plastic or metal finger picks it opens up a whole new world (that I haven't begun to scratch). Just because it's not another Loar-wannabe doesn't mean it should be relegated to the sidelines.

[Lee]

Oh; to address the original question: Do whatever you want to with them!

[garyblanchard]

The few number of resophonic mandos is not so much because of a small limited "interesting idea" niche, but more so because of the staid conservative nature of the general mando player population.
I don't think this is just mandolin players. Resonator guitars can be just as rare, though I've seen more in music stores lately. When most people see a resonator guitar they expect either dobro-style playing or slide blues guitar. People are often freaked out that I just "play regular" on mine.

I agree that a resonator mandolin doesn't have to have a limited scope. Unfortunately, most of the ones that might come close to my price range are metal bodies, which would probably have some effect. The metal-bodied resonator guitars I've tried out aren't as versatile as my wood-bodied one.

[Lee]

Gary, certainly this isn't a black and white issue, but on the whole I think mando players are quite a conservative lot. The mandolin is versatile enough to cross musical genres much more than it has. Some of this is due to the players, with some notable and welcome exceptions. Some of this also has to do with a more narrow selection of "alternative" instuments than you'll find in the guitar world. Although this has been changing rapidly within the last ten years. Take Roger Bacorns mini-guitar body shaped mandolin for example. Scroll down to the electric e-mando section and you'll see people using strings not much lighter than an acoustic on their Mandobird. Or up here where it's mostly acoustic you'll read the term "electric mandolin" refering to an F with a McIntyre pick-up. There's not a guitarist around who would refer to a Martin with a bridge Fishman as an "electric guiitar". This illustrates just how much more open-minded the general mandolin population has room to expand.

[Coy Wylie]

Bush's Woodsongs concert features him playing his resophonic mando with a slide. One of the first songs in the set.

[Lee]

What kind of reso mando does Sam play?
Elderly was sporting a "shop worn" Rigel reso for awhile. I shoulda jumped on it, except they're rather expensive.

[Stillpicking]

I have a Wailing resonator, my wife got it for me for Christmas.
I tune it EADG and have been fooling with a very small ring slide on my index finger. It allows me to play it without using it and or with using it , I can just leave it on my finger. I got the slide from a buy now on ebay. Here is one of my photo montages of the Wailing.

[mandoJeremy]

Sam plays an old National from the 30's I think.

[jzmilton]

OK, I take it back then...

If Sam is playing slide mando on HOLD ON... #I've heard one.

It must not have left much of an impression. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
He plays it on a tune called Swamp Thing (?? or something like that). He plays with a slide, and I think the tuning is DADA.

[Martin Jonas]

I have seen a UK-made metal body, which looked dead cool and was very reasonably priced for a handmade. However, the sound was so harsh and distorted that I can't see any context in which it would work -- basically a beautiful fuzzbox. I can't even see how you would tune it: I'm sure an electronic tuner wouldn't pick up a clear note and tuning by ear would have the same problem, I think. No doubt there are more musical examples out there.

Martin

[Jacob]

Sam Bush's "Watson Allman", a memorial tribute to the slide guitar legacies of Merle Watson and Duane Allman, is my favorite slide resophonic mandolin piece. #He played it on a Live from the Bluebird Cafe show. #FWIW, Sam's resophonic is strung with 4 single strings. #Stuart Wailing (http://freespace.virgin.net/wailing.guitars/) also builds a steel-string resonator soprano ukulele (http://freespace.virgin.net/wailing.guitars/uke.html) that might be fun to tune as a slide mandolin.