I'd sure like a resonator tenor guitar [Archive]

journeybear

Aug-25-2009, 7:55pm

I have a National Triolian steel tenor guitar ... and you can't have it. Sorry! Wonderful little beastie. Back when I was in a jug band in the mid 80s/early 90s I was looking for a steel mandolin, and there was one hanging on my luthier's wall, but not for sale. This was, though, and it has that instantaneous 20s/30s sound.

Which reminds me - someday I must see about finding a date for it. Anyone know of a website for this? It's SN 2056W. There is one odd thing about it - the face plate is missing one set of holes for no apparent reason - that is, one segment is just solid metal. Mysterious.

You could try this website. (http://www.vintagetenorguitars.com/national.htm) Probably collector-range pricing, though. Mine looks like the fourth one, with the walnut sunburst finish. At least if you contact him he might have some ideas for you.

Good luck!

allenhopkins

Aug-25-2009, 11:29pm

I have a Dobro tenor guitar from the '30's, and owned a National plectrum guitar (longer neck) before I traded it in on a Gibson mandolin.

There are a fair number of the metal-bodied Triolian tenors around, though they're going now for what I'd consider pretty big bucks. You can also find a few of the tri-cone Nationals -- really expensive now.

Here's a website (http://www.nationalguitarrepair.com/4sale.shtml) with a number of National and Dobro tenors for sale; fairly hefty prices, but it gives you an idea of what may be out there.

mrmando

Aug-26-2009, 2:24am

There is one odd thing about it - the face plate is missing one set of holes for no apparent reason - that is, one segment is just solid metal. Mysterious.

I've finally, finally figured out why so many National faceplates are missing that set of holes. Wanna know?

That's where the pickguard is supposed to be. National pickguards were, as a rule, not very durable, so you rarely see a vintage instrument that still has one intact. But when you do see one, the pickguard covers that part of the coverplate that doesn't have holes. No sense punching those holes in the first place if they're just going to get covered up anyway.

danb

Aug-26-2009, 3:21am

Check out Patrick Arbuthnot ("Chanticleer") resonators. I have 2 by Patrick, a 4 and 5 string reso. I used to own a national style 1, and sold it after playing one of Patrick's. He's based in Norwich, and has instruments for sale direclty or via some dealers. I love my 4-string especially, it's my favorite versatile instrument for Irish sessions (melody or backing).

Dave King Acoustics also carry some vintage tenors (he's a fine builder of acoustic guitars as well as my go-to setup guy in the UK), and you can often find one or two at Vintage & Rare on Denmark st. Lowell Levinger's vintageinstruments.com also will carry a pretty impressive selection of resonator and non-resonator tenor guitars.

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 8:27am

I've corresponded with Steven Pyott, the owner of those tenors I mentioned, and he was as baffled as I am about the missing holes. In fact, he hadn't noticed until I pointed it out. I don't think a pickguard is the reason, though - I've never seen one on a steel guitar, and I've also never seen any other steel guitar that has less than a complete array of holes. That doesn't mean they don't exist; I've just never seen them. Why Triolian tenor guitars have been (apparently) singled out for this is beyond me. Even regular Triolians have a full complement.

He did suggest this website (http://www.provide.net/~cfh/national.html.) for information on steel guitars - you'll recognize this as one of the sites often used by us types for identifying Gibson products - and I also had a look through http://www.tenorguitar.com which is chock full of info including a page devoted to his collection, including the Triolian, as well as links to a number of major and independent builders (http://www.tenorguitar.com/build.html) and sellers. (http://www.tenorguitar.com/buy.html)Vintage tenors go for around $2000, give or take a hundred or two, so this is not the way to go for someone just starting out. Nice to think about, though. And there's always the chance you'll get lucky on ebay ...

mrmando

Aug-26-2009, 9:38am

It may be more common to see the funky coverplates on mandolins. Here's a tenor photo that shows the location of the section without holes, as well as a mandolin photo that shows where the pickguard used to be.

JPL

Aug-26-2009, 10:44am

Could the lack of holes be related to the tenor banjo strumming style? In Buddy Watcher's Homespun DVD, he shows how some strums let the tips of the fingers that aren't holding the pick sort of slide across or just above the head of the banjo. Maybe the lack of holes gives a smoother surface?

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 11:33am

I've looked at a lot of steel guitars but the only ones I've seen with that missing section are Triolian tenors. It seems unlikely that a pickguard would go there, as I see no way it would have been attached. As you see in the photo, Mr. Pyott's instrument was played by someone who clearly could have used a pickguard, but none was there. Unless someone can turn up a catalog from the thirties (Triolian tenors were produced from 1929 - 1934) with a photo, I'm assuming there's another reason for this aspect. Furthermore, that steel mandolin has a full set of holes, even under the pickguard section. Somewhat like your theory ... ;)

Listen. All of this flapdoodle has nothing to do with answering the OP's question anyway - which I'm not sure is really a question. Are you looking for one or just daydreaming? This affects some search parameters. :)

mrmando

Aug-26-2009, 12:02pm

IFurthermore, that steel mandolin has a full set of holes, even under the pickguard section. Somewhat like your theory ... ;)
My theory would be that a batch of 8-punch coverplates were produced for mandolins (some of which DID have pickguards) with the notion that holes weren't needed in that section, since they would be under the pickguard anyway. This is not to say that every mandolin with a pickguard necessarily had an 8-punch coverplate. Some of the 8-punch coverplates wound up on tenor guitars, possibly because the 9-punches weren't on hand at the time. National certainly wouldn't have been the first or last company to build instruments according to which parts were available, even if they deviated from catalog specs.

Two of the mandolins in the following group photo (center and far right) have the funky coverplates. So much for the idea that they were used only on tenors.

http://www.notecannons.com/instruments/mandolin_2.jpg

allenhopkins

Aug-26-2009, 12:08pm

Well, not to continue the "flapdoodle," but here's what Bob Brozman has to say in his book The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments (p. 112):

However, there are two briefly featured items peculiar to the tenor/plectrum/mandolin coverplate:
First, some batches of coverplates from 1929-36 are missing one pyramid-shaped perforated section (or screened cut-out) where a pickguard would be located -- the area is simply solid. This was presumably to preclude pick wear. These batches were used intermittently with batches of regular coverplates.

So, pickguard or not, Brozman's "take" is that this was designed to reduce pick wear on the coverplates. My '30's Triolian mandolin still has its bracket-attached celluloid pickguard, and the coverplate under it is perforated.

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 12:26pm

I suspected these cover plates may have been originally intended for another instrument and then used for the tenors - these not being the flagships of the National line - but having no evidence, demurred on proposing such a theory. I can see where mandolin cover plates could be the same size and be used for this purpose. But not all of those have that missing section. I've seen only three Triolian tenors and they all are like that - a really small sample set, but it implies a pattern. This is why I'd like to see a catalogue. My Triolian shows no evidence of any kind of pickguard nor bracket ever having been attached there. We may know what we may know, but without indisputable evidence we are left with a certain amount of conjecture and ... flapdoodle. :)

I don't completely agree with Brozman's assessment, as pick wear is going to occur whether there are holes there or not. Does he think they thought picks would wear all the way through if there were holes there? :disbelief: Pyott's guitar shows pick wear down to the metal, but not through it. How hard would you have to punish a metal instrument, even with metal fingerpicks, to accomplish that? :confused:

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 12:59pm

Now what? Curiouser and curiouser ...

This is SN 1114 from 1930. Mine is SN 2056 from 1931. The serial numbers (http://www.provide.net/~cfh/national.html) go from 1-1800 in1930, then end at 3350 in 1934. I wonder if they made a bunch that first year, they didn't sell as well as they had hoped, and then started using up previously machined parts, even as early as that second year. Or was there some other reason they switched over?

I must also point out that there were Triolian six-strings too.

danb

Aug-26-2009, 1:04pm

The early ones also are the ones with the ridges radiating from the center. Bob Brozman's book covers all the changes quite well.. lots of tenors got made in the first year from National

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 1:43pm

Well, we are through the rabbit hole now ...

This wonderful site - Note Cannons (http://www.notecannons.com/) - and if you've ever played one of these you'll understand where that name comes from - has some extraordinary examples. The second one (you'll have to go to the website to see the front, as well as the sunset-lit surfer on the 1929 back) is SN 2067P, and they are saying it's 1930, which would make mine a 1930 as well, though the other website says 1931. Then again, as we all know, serial number dating is often iffy. Anyway, both have all the holes.

My jaw dropped when I saw the catalogue page - then I realized it's from 1938 and a Style "O" not a Triolian, which was discontinued in 1934. The pickguard looks to be clear - letting the finish be seen - and covering a set of holes ... :whistling:

JPL - you have got to look at that site. Just some extraordinary decorative work. That will whet your appetite!

JPL

Aug-26-2009, 2:35pm

I just ordered a mandola, so I'm really just woolgathering right now. Seems like a good fit for me, though --- I love the New Orleans-style tenor banjo, but I'm also a big Brozman fan.

I see Tenortropes now and again for $1000-$1500, but yeah, an old single-cone National would be the motherlode.

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 2:42pm

As I'm sure you know, tenors are tuned the same as mandolas, so there is that. Much wider fret spacing, though ... I'll never get used to that, much as I try. :mandosmiley:

allenhopkins

Aug-26-2009, 4:12pm

Thinking about the coverplate question (one that's troubled scholars for at least seven or eight hours): I think National, which could be a bit haphazard in its manufacturing processes, manufactured a bunch of coverplates with one section of perforations missing, with the intention of using them on mandolins or other pickguard-equipped instruments. However, they were the same size as those used on tenor and plectrum guitars, so some of them got used on instruments that didn't come with pickguards. After all, the National people thought, what difference does it make? And we, 65 years later, try to sift through the evidence and puzzle out the "reasoning" behind it, when it was probably just "Hey, we ran out of the tenor guitar coverplates!" "Aah, just take one off that pile of mandolin coverplates -- they're the same size."

Ransome

Aug-26-2009, 5:14pm

mrmando

Aug-26-2009, 8:29pm

My Triolian tenor is #596, wood body, from 1929, the first year of manufacture for Triolians, and it has holes in all 9 sections of the coverplate.

Just thinkin' out loud -- I'd say on an 8-punch coverplate, pickwear would be more noticeable on the solid section, not less. However, your picks themselves might not get torn up so fast -- i.e., your pick experiences less stress from hitting a smooth surface than a bumpy one.

On a film discussion board where I also hang out, after pages and pages of debate about the meaning of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, some bright laddie opined that the real reason Lynch made the film was to "provoke free thought." If that laddie were here now, he'd probably say the same thing about these coverplates.

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 9:08pm

I know I sure learned a lot about all this today. I'm still amazed by the decorative work displayed at the Note Cannons site. Truly from another era. Mine is pedestrian in comparison. Still sounds great, though ... :mandosmiley:

Bearing Lynch and Kurosawa ("Rashomon") in mind ... I've got a feeling pick wear wasn't the deciding factor, and that they probably just used whatever cover plates were handy. Maybe these were priced a little bit lower. As I said, mine shows no indication of how a pickguard would have been attached. Does yours, Martin? The wear shown on the one in post #10 is unusual - the only such wear on any I've seen. I still can't get over that clear pickguard shown in the catalogue. Never seen that, anywhere.

delsbrother

Aug-26-2009, 9:29pm

Uh, there's lots of pix of clear pickguards on other guitars - or are you just talking about tenors? Do you have BB's book?

BTW as soon as you guys have this one figured out, can you move on to the reasons behind Del Vecchio coverplate variations? :)

Betty: Have you ever done this before?
Rita: I don't know.

journeybear

Aug-26-2009, 9:53pm

In general. Never seen a clear pickguard. Don't need to see one, either, just thought it interesting, and pertinent for this use, thus not hiding the decorative aspects of the guitar. And no, I don't have that book. I do have "The African Queen," though, and also the excerpted dialogue from the movie, which is markedly different. It contains one of my all-time favorite lines - "Nature, Mr Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above."

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm done with cover plates. I think we've figured out as much as we can until someone turns up a period catalogue. I can handle only so much conjecture, speculation, and flapdoodle. ;)

There was a bold fisherman
Set sail from off Pimlico
And when he got off Pimlico
The winds did begin to blow
And the little boat wibble-wobbled so
Then overboard went he
Singing twinky deedle dum
Twinky deedle dee
Was the highly interesting song that he sung
Twinky deedle dum
Twinky deedle dee ...

JPL

Aug-27-2009, 8:10am

I can vouch for Frank, he is a great guy to deal with and will do what it takes to make you happy with your purchase. I wouldn't have had my Reso Relic tattooed on my arm if I didn't love his guitars.

Ran$ome

Every few months, I harass him about making me a squareneck lefty tricone. Frank is always very cool about it, and advises that his people in China are working on it.

allenhopkins

Aug-27-2009, 11:16am

Never seen a clear pickguard. Don't need to see one, either, just thought it interesting, and pertinent for this use, thus not hiding the decorative aspects of the guitar...I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm done with cover plates...I can handle only so much conjecture, speculation, and flapdoodle.

As I recall, you brought up the subject. There are quite a few catalog reprints in the Brozman book, but I didn't see another picture of a clear plastic pickguard other than a 1940 picture of an Aragon 6-string; the Aragon was one of the few wood-bodied National resonator guitars. A 1930 National catalog shows a "silver mandolin" (actually chrome or nickel plated) with the missing coverplate perforations, small four-sided screens rather than the holes shown later. Rule of thumb, pickguards seemed much more prevalent in the later (1936 on) catalogs, than in the early '30's ones. Probably reflected user experience with pick wear. Most of the tenors and mandolins pictured had the fully perforated coverplates.

catmandu2

Sep-27-2009, 8:33am

I've been looking for one, myself, for a couple of years. I occasionally perform solo singing/playing jazz standards on tenor banjo. I'd like something a little less edgey than TB. This Regal is my cup of tea..

RoyStark

Oct-22-2009, 9:39am

I just listed my National tri-cone tenor on e-bay for 1000 UK pounds but it didn't sell . If you're interested in making an offer , get in touch.

Tom Liston

Mar-13-2012, 6:53pm

Late to the tenor party :)

Anyways I played an old National tenor on a gig last weekend. I play tenor banjo(Dixieland mostly) as well as several other instruments. One of the guys brought the national for me to play and it was a blast to play on. Sound man a little condenser mic on it and you could really hear it well.

Gold Tone makes one called the MBT+ that looks pretty cool. Has a lipstick pickup on it.

Seonachan

Apr-11-2012, 9:01pm

Gold Tone makes one called the MBT+ that looks pretty cool. Has a lipstick pickup on it.

I never had any interest whatsoever in resonator guitars before, but now that I've seen the MBT+ (http://www.goldtone.com/products/details/w/instrument/382/MBT+-Metal-Body-Tenor) I can't get it out of my mind. TGAS is an awful thing.

The page in the link has a couple YouTube videos of Marcy Marxer playing it, acoustic and plugged in.

http://youtu.be/0GeNhwKYf7Q

Ed Goist

Apr-11-2012, 10:09pm

Seonachan, Great video! Thanks for posting.
It's great to see/hear Allen's friend Marcy Marxer play!
I feel T-GAS coming on!

JimRichter

Apr-12-2012, 7:13am

This was the Triolian polychrome tenor I owned. Great guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWGJg1s5hZY

Ed Goist

Apr-12-2012, 7:25am

Jim, this may be my favorite video of yours. Fantastic stuff!
Thanks for posting.

Ed Goist

Apr-12-2012, 8:15am

Annette Siegel

Apr-12-2012, 8:27am

Does National not make a resonator tenor guitar? I can't find one on their site. They do however make eight, count them...eight! resonator ukuleles!

Has the Republic Guitars Highway T-49 (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?63841-Republic-Guitars-Highway-49-Tenor-coming-soon) already been discontinued? I can find no mention of it on the Republic website, nor one for sale anywhere!

An ebay search for resonator tenor guitar yields 4 recordings and NO instruments!

My husband and I were just at the National factory a week ago. Got a tour and played some of the reso-instruments (including a reso-mandolin!). What a great place! They said they make just about anything a customer wants....so it might be worth a call and see what they can do for you.

Annette

www.livingtreemusic.com

kmmando

Apr-12-2012, 4:12pm

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?63707-New-National-tenors!&highlight=national+resonator+tenor+guitar

What happened to this development?

Ed Goist

Apr-12-2012, 5:02pm

Martin Jonas

Apr-13-2012, 7:41am

Reso tenors are fun -- this one is a one-off bought straight from the builder for a fraction of the cost of a National/Republic:

hFLvddooJvw

Martin

Charles E.

Apr-22-2012, 9:09am

We played at the opening for the new wing of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences yesterday. I got to play my Republic T-49....

kmmando

Apr-23-2012, 6:32am

Cool! Looks fab!

Ronny Stecher

Apr-24-2012, 10:14pm

Nice thread! I almost purchased a 1936 National wood body resonator about 15 years ago, pretty beat up/no case, The guy wanted $800, I did some on-line research and wound up finding what was advertised as a 1929 Dobro, I'm on night shift this week and the guitar's at home, but it looks the Dobro lite advertisement found at the bottom center of this page, possibly that Model #46. It has 1205 (I think/I'll check) stamped on top of the head stock.

http://www.nationalguitarrepair.com/4sale.shtml

I saw a thread a couple months ago talking about bone saddles and I almost chimed. This baby had a couple issues, One was the deadened sounding low E and I took it to Tom Doyle when he had a repair shop in North Jersey, He recommended swapping to a bone saddle and keeping the original for posterity and I did, Well it worked out great, she sings boisterously loud for a single cone, I'll post some pic's in the next couple days.

She came with the original case, It went up on line just a couple days prior from a Guitar shop in Tennessee, They were firm on $1,400, I tried finagling the price a little lower and wound up just conceding to their price rather than walk away and I've never regretted that decision.

Charles E.

Apr-25-2012, 5:56pm

That's a very interesting link, Marc reset the neck on my 1932 National Triolian Tenor years ago and did a great job. He has some nice Tenors there.

catmandu2

May-07-2012, 5:19pm

Nice to see this thread come round again...and well timed for me as I'm currently in the throes of tenor madness myself--but banjo not guitar. Still haven't found reso tenor guitar so I split the duties between my regal duolian 6-string and my banjos for my bag of rags and standards. Was tempted for an electric tenor but for the size rooms I play I can play hard and generally be heard, so as cool as an arch top is I don't want to haul amp. So I'll wait for my reso!

Mike Snyder

May-07-2012, 5:38pm

catmandu2

May-07-2012, 6:47pm

Yes I learned that there are two things there is no dearth of in the US: piano accordians and tenor banjos. Although it's been a while since ive been shopping, ebay was always loaded with vintage tenors and plectrums no longer "in style." shame to see many get cannabilized for 5-string conversions. But I have enough of em. :)

catmandu2

May-08-2012, 4:40am

Perhaps you've got one in mind, catmandu, but you might find it helpful to know that I put a wanted ad up here at the cafe about six months ago and got many very interesting replies. VERY interesting. Lots of great tenor banjos out there whose owners are not actively seeking a sale but will sell at very reasonable prices if they feel that the buyer is a player not a turnover. Er, flipper...............profiteer.

To clarify Mike, I didn't mean tenor madness as in shopping, but just playing (TB)...just brushing up my chops for some dates

I've been on tenor banjo so long now, I don't lnow that I would use a reso tenor guitar. I like 6-string duolian as my primary axe and couldn't go without that--as a fingerstyle player I gotta have me six strings. The tenor banjo is quite another animal and I wouldn't be without that either. I guess I really don't have an application for one...although I would stil like one ;)

danb

May-08-2012, 7:01am

I did a couple clips.. here's the Chanticleer:

LWwmhj92-Cw

This was my old National (sold about the time I got the Chanticleer!):

bdiKIjPoOKc

catmandu2

May-08-2012, 11:50am

Nice Dan. Do you do that on banjo too? I'm getting into more Irish on banjo since I've been picking on my GDAE Bacon...but the jazz still sounds best to me on the CGDA tenor. I've got a masterclone that responds tonally, very warm, but also powerful. These are fun machines aren't they

I'm thinking of taking my GDAE out this week...always been CGDA, but the Irish is more better, as my kids say, on GDAE and I'll just voice the chord harmony for the rest on the top three strings

Charles E.

May-08-2012, 6:05pm

Check this guy out, he does some nice stuff on reso-tenor and tenor banjo.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPVZVAALnw4&feature=g-vrec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUKIyQ6kUeA&feature=relmfu

Ed Goist

May-08-2012, 6:30pm

Thanks Charley...
That's great stuff. I'm now happily subscribed!

catmandu2

May-09-2012, 9:13am

Thanks Charley...i like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmLKRg2Fcqs&feature=relmfu

rowbear

Jul-19-2012, 1:13pm

My husband and I were just at the National factory a week ago.

Where is the factory Annette?

rowbear

Jul-19-2012, 1:37pm

By the way... hello, first post today. My name's Robert. I'm a Regal player. Yes, I wear a crown. Found my tenor in a 2nd hand shop a year and a half ago - reignited my interest in guitars after a too-long hiatus. Now I'm just as nuts as I ever was. Have a Gold Tone TG18 on order and I'm getting more and more attracted to metal body resonators (must be my magnetic personality).
Looks like a good group here. Look forward to being part of the charm.

All the best,
Robert

Charles E.

Jul-19-2012, 6:04pm

Welcom aboard Robert, post a pic of your regal when you can.

Charley

rowbear

Jul-20-2012, 10:07am

Thanks for the welcome Charley.
My Regal:

89392893938939489395893968939789398 Another well-loved friend.

PS Don't know how the accordion got there but... enjoy!

pickngrin

Jul-20-2012, 3:22pm

http://www.notecannons.com/instruments/mandolin_2.jpg

Oh, the MAS! There something about those wood-bodied resonators. They look and sound so cool.

dcoventry

Jul-21-2012, 9:55am

Where is the factory Annette?

Not Annette, but the National factory is in San Luis Obispo. Incredibly nice little town. Great weather, college kids and MOST IMPORTANTLY.......Cattaneo Bros. beef jerky.

Narayan Kersak

Jul-21-2012, 10:33am

Here's a clip of an 8 stringed tenor (resonator octave mandolin) I picked up here off the mandolin cafe classifieds. It's recorded with a zoomh2 plugged into the computer through audacity. No sound tweaking, just dry. I like how it sounds like it has reverb on it without any effects!

http://youtu.be/Vu_hWZ89zng

89439

rowbear

Jul-21-2012, 4:45pm

I sent an inquiry to Republic Guitars regarding the Highway T49 Tenor Resonators.
I got a very prompt reply back from Frank indicating that Republic should have some T-49 resonator tenors back in stock in a couple of months.

Hey Ed,
This has been added to the FAQ at Republic:

"Where are the Miniolians and the tenor guitars?
They will be available again around the middle of August"

http://www.republicguitars.com/faq.html

JPL

Aug-25-2012, 8:48pm

Only took 3 years since my original post, but I just ordered a 1933ish National Triolian. So I got that going for me.

mandroid

Aug-29-2012, 12:58pm

Rayco. a Canadian builder to contract?http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?88204-Rayco-resonator
I noted a banjo-dobro they made .. perhaps a round body will sit in your lap better than a Guttarish one?

Ed Goist

Oct-28-2012, 8:19am

Hey Ed,
This has been added to the FAQ at Republic:

"Where are the Miniolians and the tenor guitars?
They will be available again around the middle of August"

http://www.republicguitars.com/faq.html

Finally back in stock! (http://www.republicguitars.com/guitarsotherproducts/tenorguitars.html) (Thanks for the info Big Rig!)
Looks like the Republics do not have on-board pickups, right?

delsbrother

Oct-28-2012, 1:04pm

That's a curious mish-mash of National styling! I wish they (or someone) would make a Del Vecchio clone.

rowbear

Jan-04-2013, 8:16pm

I've been having so much fun playing I've neglected to tell you all I have a Republic Highway 49 now. It arrived just after Christmas. No, there's no on-board pickup but it's good and loud. Heavy too. When I pick up the TG18 or the Regal they feel pretty insubstantial now. Different style of playing altogether dictated by the extra weight. Can't hold it up, gotta slouch. Consequently you can all but forget the stretchy chords. And as has been reported so many times before dealing with Frank was a pleasure. No regrets. Big smile. Happy as Larry.

Seonachan

Feb-17-2013, 12:04am

For a while now I've been drooling over the Gold Tone and Republic metal bodied tenors, but when I finally resolved to get one, I saw a nice vintage Regal wood-bodied for sale at Antebellum.

98469

I'd never given these a second look, but the sound sample Jake put up really caught my attention (didn't hurt that he'd set it up GDAE). I decided I wanted to hear the different sounds in person, so the best I could do was to go to my local store and play some 6-string resos. The wood-bodied/spider cone sound was definitely more to my taste than the metal/biscuit (which I also liked, but it doesn't suit my playing as well).

Long story short, I'm now the very happy owner of this tenor. My wife and daughter think it's ugly as sin (and I don't entirely disagree), but it's easily the sweetest sounding and playing guitar (tenor or otherwise) I've ever owned. The sustain is incredible and the tone seems to drift between a traditional acoustic sound and that Dobro twang. Though I doubt I'm completely cured of TGAS, I can say I've found "my" guitar.

Here's Jake's full write-up (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2013/01/c1930-regal-dobro-tenor-guitar.html):

Tom Liston

Sep-26-2013, 10:38am

Update: ended up getting a new Republic 49 tenor. Love it!

Use it mostly with some swing/dixie bands. Frank was great/easy to deal with.

Charles E.

Sep-26-2013, 9:57pm

Bahama, I have a Republic 49 tenor that I like quite a bit. I call it the "Cadillac". It has a different tone then my National, I enjoy them both.

Jayyj

Sep-29-2013, 11:58am

I played an interesting instrument the other day: an Ozark resonator tenor in antique brass with a lipstick pickup. Talk about a niche product but it's extremely cool. I spent most of my time with it tuner CGCG and using a slide, for which it sounded great, although I've no real basis for comparison, never had the chance to play a national tenor. Set up and build quality was far better than older Ozark 6 string resonators I've played, but I believe the brand is going through a big push to improve the quality of their guitars this year. Anyway the tenor is well worth checking out.

kmmando

Sep-30-2013, 7:29am

here's my 1930's National single cone tenor in action for interest ....

https://vimeo.com/27998801

JPL

Sep-30-2013, 1:27pm

here's my 1930's National single cone tenor in action for interest ....

https://vimeo.com/27998801

Lovely stuff --- I've had several of your recordings in heavy rotation on Spotify lately. Are you using GDAE or something else?

I'm trying not to rely on the capo too much, but I'm using CGDA and capoing up to DAEB quite a bit to play what pass for "fiddle tunes" around my house in the keys of D and A. Uncapoed CGDA is not bad for comping in D --- you can let the D and A strings drone and do all the movement on the C and G.