Weissenborn with Resonator

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 28 Dec 2008 7:26 pm

I'm thinking of building an 8-string Weissenborn-shaped guitar with a resonator. I believe I've seen photos of such an instrument on the Forum, but I can't find one. The nearest I could find was a resonator guitar with a lute-shaped round back.

Any suggestions ?

Darrell Urbien · Post by **Darrell Urbien** » 28 Dec 2008 7:36 pm

The Weissenator?

or

Single-cone Fluger?

Fred · Post by **Fred** » 28 Dec 2008 7:38 pm

Hi Alan,
Searching on "Weissonator" here on the the forum will turn up a couple of hits. You're favorite web search engine will turn up some hits as well.

Good luck.

Fred

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 28 Dec 2008 7:51 pm

Mike Dotson, Maricopa Guitars.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 28 Dec 2008 8:24 pm

http://www.manzanita.de/slide.htm#

http://www.flugerguitars.com/hollow%20neck.html

Darrell Urbien · Post by **Darrell Urbien** » 31 Jan 2009 9:06 pm

http://gregboyd.com/instrument_detail.h ... nt_key=454

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 1 Feb 2009 4:09 am

Maybe not EXACTLY what you're looking for, but pretty darn close:
http://www.beardguitars.com/guitarbeard ... quare.html

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 3 Feb 2009 7:40 am

I'm curious to know what a resophonic hollowneck sounds like? The ones in the links sure do look cool.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 3 Feb 2009 11:32 am

There's a soundclip listed on the manzanita site. click on the pic of the dark guitar on the bottom of the page.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 4 Feb 2009 4:37 am

Thanks, John. I sorta figured a reso-weiss would sound like a dobro and that's how I would describe the tone. The playing on that song sure is nice and I like the bit at 00:40.

Vince Luke · Post by **Vince Luke** » 4 Feb 2009 10:37 am

Here's one developed by Tut Taylor & built by his son David. . .

http://webpages.charter.net/tutbro/tutbroinfo.html

Has links to Youtube video of the instrument in action, as played by Tut and others.

Vince

Eric Barker · Post by **Eric Barker** » 4 Feb 2009 12:31 pm

The real deciding factor in any of these is the type of cone(s) and the spider vs biscuit bridge. I'd sure love to have a Weissenator type wood tricone.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 4 Feb 2009 6:37 pm

Eric Barker wrote:The real deciding factor in any of these is the type of cone(s) and the spider vs biscuit bridge...

I have a metal-bodied National Tricone, and also a metal-bodied guitar with a single resonator. I'm not sure they sound that much different. The tricone is louder, though.

Manfred Nabinger · Post by **Manfred Nabinger** » 5 Feb 2009 12:33 pm

Peter Wahl from Neustadt, Germany, builds Weissenborn-shaped resonator guitars using old "Teachers of Hollywwod" bodies. This combination sounds surprisingly good and has the common 22" lap steel scale. He also puts resonators into old Framus, Höfners and Harmony Stellas. He uses National resonators (9.5" and 8.25").
For more information contact him at:

pablo.wahl@gmx.de

Manfred Nabinger · Post by **Manfred Nabinger** » 5 Feb 2009 12:41 pm

Here is a picture of Peter Wahl's "Teachers of Hollywood" resonator guitar:

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 5 Feb 2009 4:57 pm

(duplicate posting)

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 5 Feb 2009 4:58 pm

Manfred Nabinger wrote:...He also puts resonators into old Framus, Höfners and Harmony Stellas...

I put a resonator into an 8-string fretless guitar a few years ago.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... conversion

Ermanno Pasqualato · Post by **Ermanno Pasqualato** » 3 Nov 2010 2:53 am

Hi everybody, i am an italian luthier and in my production I have also a Weissonator that i call Weissdobro but it is the same guitar. The sound comparated to a dobro squareneck is like the sound of a weissenborn comparated an acoustic guitar. This means deeper and warmer, less powerful with a great harmony for fingerstyle.
Here are the pics
my website is www.lapsteelguitar.net

James Williamson · Post by **James Williamson** » 6 Nov 2010 8:38 am

They've got one of Mike Dotson's original Weissenators for sale at Dream Guitars and they've got a couple of sound clips for it too.

http://www.dreamguitars.com/products/ma ... or_003.php

Cool unit.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 6 Nov 2010 9:01 am

Ermanno, your weissdobro is beautiful and I love the gold hardware. I checked out your website and I see that you make many different styles of solid body and hollow guitars. All look very nice and the prices seem very reasonable.

Post by **Joey Ace** » 6 Nov 2010 9:25 am

You can hear Paul Franklin playing a Fluger on this live Toby/Jewel clip at 1:55

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo27s_TjPeQ

This clip convinced me to purchase a similar Fluger a few years ago. Still have it. It's unique sound is just right for recordings that don't need the sharp sound of a standard reso. It's halfway between a reso and and an acoustic slide guitar to my ears.

Greg Booth · Post by **Greg Booth** » 6 Nov 2010 9:53 am

Joey, that Fluger sounds great in Paul's hands. Although I'm not much of a Toby fan I watched the video to hear the players and noticed who was playing bass: Dave Pomeroy of Three Ring Circle, Rob Ickes' other band we had planned to see at ResoSummit. Rob and Jim Hurst did not disappoint! To the contrary!

Post by **Joey Ace** » 6 Nov 2010 10:02 am

Good catch Greg. That's an all star band for sure.
I think it's Randy Scruggs on banjo.
His solo guitar arrangement of "Both Sides Now" on the first "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album had to be the inspiration for Jim Hurst's beautiful rendition of the same tune we heard last weekend.

Ermanno Pasqualato · Post by **Ermanno Pasqualato** » 14 Nov 2010 4:47 am

Thanks Mark, I put a quarterman cone with soundposts and the sound is full and rich. The sound run everywhere and the hollowbody allow it.
I am really satisfied!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Weissenborn with Resonator

Weissenborn with Resonator

Reso-weiss

tutbro

Weissenator