Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone have photos of how you construct your open body on a square neck. Looking for ideas. What do you use to brace the top when not using a maple soundwell?
Thanks
Dave

Dave,
If you go to the Reso Nation site you will find a sticky there by Gary Dusina which is a fine article on how to build exactly the reso you are after. Photo illustrated throughout. It is just about all you will ever need to build one from scratch. Maybe it should be a sticky here if someone knows how to do that? It may be on the Reso Hangout as well.
Cheers from Oz,
Chopper

John,
I've had Gary's article for many years. Was a member of RN since the beginning, till they started charging to view thier pages a few months back.
Looking for a different way to brace the top. I've seen one built by a great luthier back east, that uses 3/8 plywood to strengthen the big hole for the cone. Others are just post and ring support as Gary D's. The maple sound well w/bigger holes may be what I do. I've already got one that was built for me like that though, wanted to have something different. Any one with a better idea?
Man it's tough to get many to respond in this area (Resonator Forum). We must be a dying breed!
Dave

Here you go Dave. I made my reso a hybred. I built a biscuit style sound well which could be used with a Sipder bridge cone also. the top ring is 1/4" thick and 1" wide and the well floor was the same as to allow for a 9" national cone or the 10" cone. I originally had a 10" biscuit cone and later on changed it to a spider dobro cone. I just routed the top down a 1/4" and had to shave two areas of the stick so the cone would clear. Here's a picture of the box before the sound well hole was cut. You can see the top brace layout as this was built from a Martin OOO box kit that I made into the reso with a 12 fret to body neck from StewMac. My first build.

I haven't take pics of the few I have built, but used baltic birch ply to fabricate a top support and it works pretty well. If you want to see how a couple excellent builders do it, check out the websites for Kent Schoonover and Harper Resophonics. They both come up on a google search.

Kent

Thank you Chris!
Kent, I've seen Brads design before. Looks like he has a couple different ways he supports the cone. The one that looks like a real heavy-duty pc. of ply, going from the cone all the way to the neck block is way different. I did forget about Kent's website though. I'll take a look again.
Thanks
Dave

Hi Dave,
I was going to suggest looking at the way Brad Harper does his top. I have done a couple like this with the addition of rebating the neck and tail blocks so the one piece brace is supported at each end instead of fitting in between the neck and tail blocks. I might add that my best sounding reso's have been of sound post construction.
Cheers Chopper

Any of you played around with baffles on you builds? I've always been interested in that idea for dobros. Some seem to like them.

Chris,
I've played the square neck reso for about 30 years and I don't believe a baffle does that much for the sound, at least in the ones of tried. My present guitar doesn't have one in it, just a little deeper body and it's a killer. One of my reso pals had one in his and he took it out! The baffle thing has been debated on in the last few years. I'm no expert, just have played different guitars with em'.

Dave

There's a lot of varibles from what I have read as far as the style used and the size opening and how far in and out etc. I was just wondering if anyone has got some kind of grip on it yet.

Dave,
Here is an image of a rim about to be glued to a cone support/top assy. As Kent reminded you, my website details the design and construction of my open-body resos. I have made them this way for 16 years. The cone support is designed to counter the substanstial tension of heavy guage strings tuned to DBGDBG without deforming over time. This puts the strength where it is needed and the back can be free of posts, soundwell, or baffles.

Lots of success to you on your build,
Kent Schoonover

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Kent Schoonover

WWW.schoonoverresophonicguitars.com

Kent S.
I ran into your website a while back from some of the Resonation comments. Your guitars are really nice! I've always thought your cone support design was well thought out.
Can you tell me, since the support looks to be made of 3/4 plywood, are you making your tops and backs thinner?
Hey Chopper, did you use Brad's support design w/post? His looks like it wouldn't even need the posts
Dave

Dave,
Yes, my tops and backs are thinner than you generally see on resos. My desire to build a lightweight box of solid woods while providing the cone a ridgid platform was the catalyst for this design. I run my backs down to .090"-.100" depending on the wood. The tops are alright there too if made of hardwood but if I am using spruce or cedar I like to leave them .130" or so.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Kent

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Kent Schoonover

WWW.schoonoverresophonicguitars.com

Hi Dave,
No, with Brads' design I did not use posts, but I found that I had a preference for the sound of the resos I make using a cone ring and posts. I also make the cone rings as a laminated block assembly out of extremely hard Aussie hardwood similar to a banjo block rim(Stelling for instance) and turn it to final dimensions on the lathe.
Cheers Chopper

Do you think the ring thickness makes a difference? Kent, yours looks thick. Looking back on various pics I've saved, most look about 1/2 " thick. Should there be bracing at all up by the screen holes?
John, turning a ring out of solid wood sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna look that up. I know I've got a banjo building book by Roger Siminoff that details building a solid ring for a banjo.
Dave