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Author
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Topic: Resonator Lap Steel
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Boo Bernstein
Member From: Los Angeles, CA
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posted 04 June 2004 07:23 AM
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Is any company making a lap steel that features a resonator so it sounds like a Dobro? I believe that National has a guitar with a round neck and a resonator. I would like one that I can play like a lap steel at live gigs that sound like a Dobro. Thanks in advance. Boo |
Gerald Ross
Member From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 07:36 AM
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The Beard company makes the "Road-O-Phonic"
http://www.beardguitars.com/road.html This guitar sounds great acoustically and it also has a built in pickup. Elderly has two in stock:
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/ROAD2.htm
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 04 June 2004 at 07:49 AM.]
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Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 10:25 AM
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Boo - What you are looking for is a lap steel once made by Duane Marrs called the Cat-Can Guitar. He is once again making them, or soon will be. It is a lap steel and looks any other, but it has a cat food can attached under the bridge that acts as a resonator, and you can't see it. The guitar sounds like a dobro when played. I have never heard one but a friend of mine has and he said it sounded just like a dobro. They go for big bucks if you can find an original. Duane Marrs' web site is down right now but keep checking in, he may be rebuilding it or something. Here's the site: http://www.marrsofmadison.com/ [This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 04 June 2004 at 10:36 AM.] |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 12:03 PM
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You might want to consider a "Resolectraslide" from Fouke Industrial Guitars. I was surprised at how good it sounds when played acoustically.  [This message was edited by Russ Young on 04 June 2004 at 12:05 PM.] |
D Schubert
Member From: Columbia, MO, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 12:35 PM
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See the current thread on "Faux Dobro" that's on the forum right now... |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 01:21 PM
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D Schubert - where is that thread? I did a search on this and the "Pedalers" forum couldn't find anything on "Faux Dobdro". Thanks,
Ron |
Jim Smith
Member From: Plano, TX, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 01:55 PM
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That's cause it's in Electronics! 
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum11/HTML/005398.html |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 04 June 2004 04:26 PM
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I have both the Road-O-Phonic and the Marrs Cat Can.To answer the topic question, which would sound like both dobro and lap steel that could be taken to a gig.....the Road-O-Phonic. It has more versatility. The Cat Can is a convenient lap steel that you can set on top of your regular steel neck if that's what you want to do. It sounds a little bit like a dobro. I'd say about 25%-30% like a dobro. The Road-O-Phonic was made as a travel and practice guitar. It lacks the big tone and sustain that a full fledged dobro has. It does sound very good for what it is. It's fine for a casual improptu jam, unplugged. During the summer, I sit in with a vocalist/guitarist at one of the local gin mills out at the beach (classic rock covers) and I play the R-O-P. Plugged in, clean, it sounds like a dobro, more so than the Cat Can. I use it with a volume pedal, Peach Fuzz, and compression sustain. When I use compression sustain, it sounds like a lap steel. |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 04 June 2004 05:08 PM
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Not to hijack the thread but...Hey Howard! Do you still have your Maccaferrician square neck? I sure love the the look of that guitar! I would really like to hear how it sounds...How's about you let me borrow it for a couple months? I'd take real good care of it and return it promptly, honest I would...  |
Jerry Clardy
Member From: El Paso, Texas, USA
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posted 05 June 2004 03:46 AM
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Has anyone compared the Fouke guitar to the Road-O-Phonic? |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 05 June 2004 07:46 AM
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Ron, if at any time you find yourself in Rancho Nuevo Yorko, you're welcome to have your way with it...  |
Boo Bernstein
Member From: Los Angeles, CA
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posted 05 June 2004 10:27 AM
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Thanks for all this info. The Road-O-Phonic looks very interesting. Is the price that Elderly Instruments is showing competitive --is that a good price for this instrument? Thanks, Boo |
Boo Bernstein
Member From: Los Angeles, CA
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posted 06 June 2004 10:07 AM
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Just thought I'd check again -- is the Elderly instrument price competitive? Thanks in advance, Boo |
Craig Prior
Member From: National City, California, USA
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posted 06 June 2004 11:12 AM
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Boo, National used to make something called the Student Model that essentially is shaped like a lap steel but has an 8 1/4 in (I think!!) biscuit cone.They don't have a big sound but I've learned from another forum they're becoming collectable... as I presume all older Nationals are becoming collectable. Check this site to see a picture:Student Model. Craig. |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 06 June 2004 11:35 AM
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After wracking my brain -- which doesn't take that long  -- I remembered where I heard some sound samples of the Fouke reso. You'll find "plugged" and "unplugged" samples on Jason Lynn's web site.You can also check out a live track with Jason playing his Fouke unplugged: "Paperback Writer." I owned a National Reso-phonic (aka, the "student model"). IMHO, it was one of the coolest-looking guitars on the planet, but the tone is best described as "funky," and will never be mistaken for a Dobro. You would drive away an audience -- or yourself -- playing it all the time, but it would be a great guitar to pull out for a complete change of pace. If you want to hear one, Ben Harper plays his on the studio version of "Ground on Down." Boo -- Elderly is the only place I've seen a Road-o-phonic advertised, but there is a long list of dealers on Beard's web site.[This message was edited by Russ Young on 06 June 2004 at 12:18 PM.] |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 12 June 2004 07:07 PM
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I just read the perfect description of a National Reso-phonic (aka, "student model"): "the sound of a National being played over a telephone line." That's according to Jeff Lang, who adds that it is a "pretty cool sound." |
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