Resonator guitars produce a beautiful metallic sound and are a great instrument for guitarists seeking to expand their musical styles or want to dip their toes into pure country and blues. First introduced in the 1920s, they are a classic instrument that offers increased stage presence and volume to the user. Since then, the development in guitars has resulted in the market being saturated with numerous iterations of the same instrument. So, if you are considering choosing one, we conducted a research, and below is a rundown of the best resonator guitars that you can consider purchasing.
Dean RESCEHB Steel Guitar
Intro
The Dean RESCEHB Steel Guitar is a full metal body guitar whose body is characterized by its brass plating. Unlike most metal body guitars, this guitar by Dean offers a wider fretboard range and features a cutaway body. The acoustic/electric resonator can produce sound that effortlessly fills up a large room. It is easy to confuse the light and crunch somewhat distorted sound of the guitar for a reverb effect. In addition to the metal body, the guitar’s construction consists of a rosewood fretboard with block inlays and a mahogany neck. Very capable of producing different sounds, the guitar plays smoothly with light and minimal action, and it sounds more like an electric guitar than an acoustic guitar. With blend controls, you can use either piezo or magnetic pickups for a beautiful tone.
Pros
The guitar doubles as both an acoustic and electric guitar
The Fishman pickups are great and of great quality.
The tone produced by the guitar is fantastic, and the guitar can carry the tone wonderfully.
Cons
The guitar is costly.
Playing with a slide when the guitar is plugged in does not deliver the best output.
Regal Studio RD-30MS Series Squareneck Resophonic Guitar
Intro
Known for its affordability and excellent quality, the Regal Studio RD-30MS is one of the best-selling resonator guitars on the market. A solid mahogany body characterizes it with a natural finish that ensures the tone produced is loud and fantastic. With a mahogany resonator style square neck, this guitar was designed for lap side playing where the users play the guitar on the side while it lays on their lap. Additionally, other features of this guitar include nickel-plated, open-back butterbean button tuners, rosewood fingerboard, and an aluminum spider cone and bridge. This guitar stays in tune and produces amazing sound and tone clarity, along with exceptional sustain.
Pros
It is perfect for beginners.
It is reasonably priced and very affordable.
It features a spider post as opposed to a sound hole and as such, delivered amazing and clear sounds.
The guitars aluminum cone and spider bridge resonate wonderfully with fantastic clarity
Cons
The guitar does not work well with other playing styles other than lap side style.
Recording King Roundneck Resonator Guitar
Intro
If the name doesn’t immediately give it away, the Recording King guitar delivers the best style, construction and unsurpassed round neck playing. Featuring a mahogany body, back and side, an ebony design fretboard and Grover machine tuners in the 12th neck joint of the guitar, the Recording King is merely impressive. If you are a guitar player who enjoys top tier quality, stunning and great sounding dobro style resonator, then the Recording King is the ideal guitar for you. The guitars frets are impressively polished, and the neck and body are well leveled for good sound reverberation. Finally, the Recording King Roundneck Resonator Guitar has a sand-cast spider bridge.
Pros
Thanks to the Grover machine tuners it is possible for users to achieve precise volume control and tuning.
The quality build and finish of the guitar are great.
The tuning of the guitar is quite stable.
Users have the option of raising the nut height and recapping the saddle with maple instead of the ebony that the guitar is fitted with.
The guitars projection and sustain are great
Cons
The neck is quite small, and individuals with large hands may find it inconveniencing.
The guitar’s action may require some adjustment.
Pyle Resophonic Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Intro
If you’re looking for a guitar that suits all skill level, then the Pyle Resophonic Acoustic-Electric Guitar is it. Bragging a rosewood fingerboard, an ebonized rosewood bridge, chrome plated tuners and handcrafted mahogany with high-gloss cherry stain and spruce body with dual circular guitar body sound holes which make this guitar stunning. It features a battery powered inbuilt preamp and has controls for treble, mid, bass and volume settings. The sound of this guitar is exceptionally clear, well balanced, and is great for rocking tunes as an audience sings along. This guitar is so good you can barely notice the difference when you play it acoustically or electrically. Setting up the guitar straight from the box is easy as you can effortlessly adjust the dials and levels to produce an eccentric sound and tone of your choice. The Pyle Resophonic Guitar is a great resonator guitar all around that has quality construction and it reasonably priced.
Pros
It is aesthetically pleasing.
One of the most affordable resonator guitars in the market.
It is equipped with adjustable tone controls for when you are using it electronically.
It produces a beautiful sound that is vibrant, warm, and clear.
Cons
When playing the guitar acoustically, it does not reverberate as strongly as it does when you play it electronically.
Rogue Classic Spider Resonator
Intro
This guitar is available in two forms and guitarist can opt to purchase it is either with a round or square neck. However, for this article, we shall be reviewing the sleek looking Rogue Classic Spider Resonator with a round neck. This is one of our favorite guitars because it is very capable of maintaining sharp and sweet tones and has great volume and sustain. The Rogue Classic Spider Resonator is characterized by a rosewood fingerboard, mahogany neck, back and sides, spruce top with a black satin finish, brass cover plate and tailpiece, chrome plated bell and a die-cast spider bridge with a 10.5-inch spun aluminum resonator cone. This guitar has the classic resonator look that you can hardly miss. The Mother-of-pearl diamond- shaped inlays and the extra length of this guitar are what set it apart from the typical resonator guitars. This guitar does not disappoint as it achieves its design intention of sound projection and sustenance with quality tone.
Pros
The guitars ease of playability makes it ideal for beginners as well as all skill levels.
It is equipped with a spider bridge and cone to bring out the best tone and volume.
It is affordable.
The Rogue Classic Spider has the classic resonator aesthetic.
Cons
Some users have complained that the reliability of the guitar’s components is not the best.
Gold Tone Paul Beard Signature Series PBS-D Square-neck Resonator
Intro
Designed by musical legend Paul beard, the Gold Tone lives up to its name, delivering incredible sound quality and playability that can only be likened to gold. With a length of 38.5 inches, it features a high gloss tobacco sunburst wooden finish, an “open” sound-well body construction, Spiders and Beard cones, ebony fingerboard. It provides guitarists proper hand placement and playing fit so they can enjoy playing it effortlessly. This guitar is exceptionally handcrafted for top quality and sound. The tone of the guitar is rich and consistent. Other outstanding features of the Goldtone include precision hearts-and-flowers inlays on the radiant ebony fingerboard, sealed, adjustable tuners with pearloid buttons and a maple sound well.
Pros
The artistry on the guitar is awe-inspiring, and it is evident in the guitars build and quality.
The tone is great
You receive a lifetime warranty upon purchase of the resonator guitar.
Cons
The guitar’s factory setup could use some improvements.
Gretsch G9210 Boxcar Square-neck, Mahogany Body Resonator
Intro
If you are a lap-steel player, then the vintage Gretsch G9210 Boxcaris the resonator guitar for you. Characterized by a laminated mahogany body featuring a sturdy mahogany neck, tall bone nut, aged Pearloid Gretsch headstock, and 19 frets, this guitar is one of the simplest resonators in the market. Nevertheless, do not let its simplicity fool you as the guitar produces a warm, rich sound with plenty of sustain and ample projection. The Ampli-Sonic’ spun aluminum resonator cone and spider bridge enable the guitar to deliver a growl that compliments the woody tone of the guitar. If you are on a budget, this will make for an excellent choice guaranteed to take both you and the crowd back to the 1930s Tennessee.
Pros
It is affordable
It is ideal for beginners looking to jump into the world of resonator guitars.
It is incredibly lightweight and has a cool vintage vibe.
Cons
Its simplistic design is limiting in terms of what a guitarist can achieve.
It requires frequent tuning to get a great slide tone.
Conclusion
If you’re hunting for a good resonator guitar, our list above is a great starting point as it gives you a snapshot of some of the options available to you. Choosing a resonator guitar all boils down to your technique as the market is saturated with different options. From round and square neck resonators, resonators with biscuit, spider or tricone, those with wooden or metal bodies to those that can play both acoustically and electronically the variations are limitless, and you will be spoilt for choice. We would, therefore, recommend that if you’re a beginner or experienced player conduct a proper research so you understand the basics of the guitars and once everything becomes clear you can go ahead and purchase the one that best suits you.