Affordable resonator tenors?

[SincereCorgi]

We went busking for fun today. I usually play everything on my RM-1, which works great, but I took my Gold Tone tenor, my 'back-up' tenor. The Gold Tone does not cut it outside in the wind, and I don't think my Martin would either.

Ideally I'd like to get a wood body resonator tenor, but I imagine that the only ones out there are rare old Nationals and custom jobs. Do people who got Republic T49s still like them? I read some horror stories on resonator forums about the interior construction on Republic guitars, but I don't have enough resonator savvy to know.

And, uh, if anybody has one they wanna sell...

[FatBear]

Wishnevsky makes and sells pretty inexpensive instruments. Some of them look kind of funky, some kind of cool, none of them looks ordinary that I have seen. That could attract attention and might be a plus if you are busking. No idea how they play and this is not a recommendation. Just a suggestion that you might check him out. His website is here (http://www.wishnevsky.com/resonatorinstruments.html).

Edit: Come to think of it, I just remembered why I thought of Wishnevsky. He recently sold one of his tenor resonator guitars on eBay. Here's the listing (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wishnevsky-Resonator-Tenor-Guitar-Banjo-22-5-034-Scale-Curly-Cherry-body-/151334283059?pt=Guitar&hash=item233c39e733&nma=true&si=em4Qf%252FNsD3WeJ%252Bd8v279cNiza50%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557) in case you want to look. Remember: I'm not recommending his guitars because I know almost nothing about them. Just pointing out that they exist and are hand made in the USA.

[SincereCorgi]

Thanks, Bear. I'd forgotten about Wishnevsky. It's sure looks like the most affordable way to get a wood-body resonator tenor, and the price is right for a busk-only instrument.

[FatBear]

Just remember: I've never seen one in person. He seems outlandish in some ways, but that can be good or bad.

[SincereCorgi]

Yeah, they look really, really, rough, but I think he's the only game in town under $2K.

[FatBear]

He does get almost all positives from eBay buyers. Sometimes really strange things work well, too. If you do get him to make you one, please post your impressions.

[Charles E.]

A friend of mine, Rob Sharer, makes wood bodied resonator tenor guitars. I have played a couple and liked them.
I will pm you his contact info.

[mrmando]

A few years ago there was some buzz about National reissuing the Triolian tenor. Marcy Marxer even showed up to the Tenor Guitar Gathering with a prototype. I haven't heard anything further since then; were those reissues ever released?

[djweiss]

I called National last year about a new tenor, and they said they'd make one...my impression was it was on a custom basis. Ended up with a 1930's one for much cheaper.

[Martin Jonas]

Ideally I'd like to get a wood body resonator tenor, but I imagine that the only ones out there are rare old Nationals and custom jobs.

Sometimes one can just luck into one. I have a wood-bodied reso tenor which cost me next to nothing, bought brand new directly from the luthier. It's a prototype and looks pretty rough -- the maker trying out some ideas for a custom order before bulding the actual commissioned instrument -- but it plays and sounds just like the finished article. Plus, nobody else has quite that industrial charm on their reso tenor...

0kPaCapOQhA

As far as affordable factory models goes, here in the UK there are several metal-bodied tenor resonators starting at around 450 Pounds ($650) -- Ozark and Gold Tone have them and I would think at least the Gold Tone is available in the US.

Martin

[Charles E.]

This is an interesting wood bodied tenor on eBay at the moment........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sower-Tenor-Tricone-Resonator-Acoustic-Guitar-Vintage-National-Triolian-Replica-/111413266474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f0bf882a

[Verne Andru]

As for the issue around build quality of Republics, I've not seen their tenor but do own one of their Mandolians.

From my experience, you are buying the bits and bobs that can be turned into a nice playing and sounding instrument. It seems these arrive from China through Republics back door and are shipped out in the same condition they arrived. Certainly mine had no level of QC whatsoever.

So, expect to have to redo the nut and biscuit bridge then give it a fret dress and complete setup. Mine came with a rosewood bridge; once replaced with a maple/ebony with proper string spacing, plus a new nut with proper string spacing, it came alive.

Republics can be turned into a pretty sweet instrument, but don't expect it to come from the company that way.

[Charles E.]

Verne, that was my experience exactly with the Republic tenor I bought a couple of years ago.

[Charles E.]

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This is an interesting wood bodied tenor on eBay at the moment........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sower-Tenor-Tricone-Resonator-Acoustic-Guitar-Vintage-National-Triolian-Replica-/111413266474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f0bf882a

I think this is the same tenor.

NFI