Figured it out
 

If you really light gauge strings on the resonator guitar (like 10s or thinner), you'll need to get a new bridge that's specifically compensated for them. A zero glide nut should help em slide more smoothly. I actually raise the bridge up Higher so that there's more break angle for the strings to help them seat better & thus drive the cone better.

Another interesting idea
 

If you use lighter gauge strings on a resonator guitar (like 10s and thinner), you could simply just raise the height of the bridge to allow for more break angle. The resonator mandolins have a longer 15 inch scale length (basically a small Mandola scale) so that they can be strung w/ Lighter Gauge strings for easier playability. What if resonator Guitars had a longer scale length to allow for lighter strings? A Longer scale length increases the tension so if we extended the scale length of a Round Neck resonator from 25.5 inches to 28 inches & went to 9-46 Gauge Magma Ultra-Light Acoustic Strings for E Standard Tuning, it would be loud.

Figured it out
 

I've since put Magma 80/20 Bronze Wound Ultra-Light Acoustic Strings on my Resonator Guitar & I switched over to a Wegan 3.5 mm Gauge Pick so I can get the same amount of Volume as I would w/ heavier gauge strings w/o having to strum as hard. I also had to replace the Stock bridge w/ one that's compensated for these really light gauge strings.

Figured it out
 

How about Ultra-Lights for E-E like a Regular Guitar (Such as Magma GA100PB)? Spider Cones act essentially like Banjo Heads because you don't need such heavy gauge strings for E Standard Tuning, you can just bump the gauges down for easier playability & more volume. Also we have a Mag Slide so you can use lighter strings for slide too.

Let's see a picture of your setup with the new bridge, and an audio clip would be really cool!

Hey Dan,
Hope all is well with you!

Regarding the nylon strings on a resonator I'll bet whoever was thinking about the resonator from Brazil that Chet Atkins was known to favor, the Del Vecchio, but in general nylon on a reso is a no-go.

When I was doing music retail in the 1990's, we had a National dealership, and I quickly figured out that I could get much more sustain, or carry, with lighter nickel wound string sets. They tend to load the cone less, so there's a bit less pop, but a more cohesive blend of notes as you'd get on a flat top guitar.

Here's an old practice video of my Resolectric Jr, played acoustically, tuned to open C, or what I call C'Vestapol, capo 2. It's actually strung with .052-.012 nickel wound D'Addario strings.



Not bad for a solid body resonator, eh?

Best,
Howard Emerson

Hey Howard, not bad at all, that reso sounds great! Love the tuning and the midrangey tone. I could easily sing to that sound. All of my resos, except for the spider cone National Western D are currently strung with .012 gauge sets.

Hey I may be coming to Long Island for a visit to my family in Montauk. And while I'm there, I may be playing a house concert closer to you. I will let you know if that happens. I'm thinking middle of October. And I would bringing along my duet partner Ryan...

I actually re compensated the bridge by filling in all the slots & re-cutting it to look more like a classical guitar bridge saddle.

I made my own compensated bone saddle for the Resolectric. Here's are some pictures of the basic steps involved. First I needed to cut the existing wooden saddle to a stub:

https://i.imgur.com/qyXmXru.jpg

Next step was taking a thick piece of bone and slotting it to fit snuggly on the stub:

https://i.imgur.com/OwZojZw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LC8lP1Z.jpg

Roughed out and set in place for notching, intonating and final shaping:

https://i.imgur.com/frjvIB0.jpg

Basically finished and in place:

https://i.imgur.com/qEandU1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4UZZaqP.jpg

The intonated saddle really improved its functionality for being played fingerstyle in open tunings, and was well worth the time & effort.

HE

What's up with that crazy tailpiece?

https://i.imgur.com/qyXmXru.jpg

And is that a microphone poking up through the sound well?

Hi Dan,
That's an Allen tailpiece Allen Guitars & Luthier Supplies. It's solid brass, but I enameled the 'inlay' sections with OPI nail polish.

That particular microphone no longer inhabits the well. It's been replaced by a much more potent AKG C-562, which is typically installed in the middle of a lectern or conference table, or innocuously in a wall where nobody sees them.

The one in the picture is a Crown CM-30, which are typically hung above choirs, etc. It was good, but then I discovered the AKG C-562, which is a PZM type of microphone.

Here's what it looks like installed. You can see the mini phone jack that the magnetic plugs into, which is much more convenient than dealing with a hard wired jack, etc. The old hole where the CM-30 previously lived has an access wire leading to the new AKG mic:

https://i.imgur.com/w4HSfJV.jpg

Here's the mic, suspended in a repurposed 1/2" copper pipe strap:

https://i.imgur.com/9dsewft.jpg

Here's a shot from the back of the body showing the large nylon grommet housing:

https://i.imgur.com/PbIJ8mU.jpg

And finally there's the handmade double jack plate that had to be cut in half......I didn't know the pickup and the mic could NOT share a ground! Live and learn!

https://i.imgur.com/g7eJJlh.jpg

I run it all through a D-Tar Solstice.

HE

That is some serious DIY there Howard :) I'm sure it sounds KILLLER!


I am familiar with Allen tailpieces because I had one on a mandolin, but I didn't know they made guitar tails!

I've also seen the C-562 microphone but never out of the flat Boundary style case.

And I used a Solstice and Equinox in my first dual source rig. But great pieces (other than the thin metal cases that always seem to bend at the lower front edges)!!!

You can see the Solstice here in this old gig pic...

https://i.imgur.com/4Zjknnw.jpg

Hi Dan,
This is one of the only videos I made using the National with mic & pickup. My assumption is that it was (at that moment), a Crown GLM-200 and a Bill Lawrence stacked hum bucker (single coil size).

It's a little wet, but a serviceable practice video. You can clearly hear that they were new strings, which I think the mic likes.



HE

An old thread and even older debate, but I just noticed it--

I've been playing a National M-1 tricone for several years now, and I string it with a very light set--currently GHS Thin Core Phosphor Bronze 11-46s. I went to a light set after the example of Mike Dowling, who, if I recall correctly, strings his National El Trovador similarly. I stay in standard tuning and don't play slide, and the sound I get is fat and sweet with fingers (thumbpick) or flatpick. I haven't had to change the setup since I received the guitar from Elderly.

Preferences will vary, of course, but with this model, at least, I don't see any reason not to string light.

Sure! Why not?