Best Value Resonator Guitars: 5 Bluegrass Options for Your Music
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Best Value Resonator Guitars: 5 Bluegrass Options for Your Music · Source: Daniel Dempster Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
These resonator guitars are surprisingly good for your wallet. So, if you’re into jangly acoustic tones, why not check out these options?
This purchase advisor workshop sees us look at 5 examples of resonator guitars. Not only that, we’ll be working our way up in price points, allowing you to see which could be best for you. This is essential, getting yourself a great instrument without breaking the bank.
Key Information About Resonator Guitars
- Invented in the 1920s, resonators came about as a way to increase the volume of a regular guitar. The aim was to cut through big-band ensembles.
- These guitars use spun metal cones underneath the bridge of the instrument, instead of the traditional wood setup.
- Mechanically, this amplifies the sound of the guitar, as back then, there were no guitar amplifiers.
- A side effect of this method was a rich metallic resonance that has stayed with blues and country guitarists ever since.
5 Value Resonator Guitars
What is a Resonator Guitar?
Designed in a time before amplifiers, these bluegrass instruments aim to amplify a guitarist’s sound without any electrification. On the surface, they look like regular acoustic units, but with a trash-can lid glued onto the top. You’d be right for thinking that, but they also do so much more.
They work via the use of metal cones, of which there are three types: biscuit, spider and tricone. Each offering a different tonal character, volume level, and feel.
I believe that a good value resonator guitar balances price, cone design, and build quality. Here are 5 examples that demonstrate a good mix of everything you need to know before purchasing.
Harley Benton Custom Line N-150CE
Okay, so for our first look at value options, we’re starting with one of the cheapest ways to get into these guitars. This *Harley Benton Custom Line N-150CE comes in either a natural or a black finish.
Unlike the original examples from 100 years ago, this guitar comes with a rising P3004 mini humbucker. Which is nice, giving you the option to plug in if you wish. Moreover, the overall shape and design is a mini jumbo with a cutaway, along with a sapele body and okoume neck.
With regards to that neck, it’s a strong U profile with a double-action truss rod. Although a budget example, this Harley Benton could be all you need for some open tuning slide guitar work.
Recording King RR-36-BK Black
Next up, we’ve got something more authentic. One of my first acoustic guitars was actually a Recording King RG-100S. So, this brand really resonates with me. See what I did there? Anyway… More about this cool resonator guitar!
Our next instalment into this guide is *£358 / €399, so it still represents good value for money. Complete with ivory bindings, a black mahogany body and that all-important spider cone, this would be perfect for your next blues jam.
The spider cone offers a cleaner, more complex sound with rich overtones. Making it ideal for slide guitar work. However, the body joins with the neck at the 12th fret, which could make it tricky to reach the higher notes.
Ortega RRG30E-WB
Likewise, we’re working our way up in terms of price. However, this *Ortega still looks to be a fantastic resonator guitar. I love the contrast of the distressed whiskey mahogany finish with the aluminium cone. And, you can’t not like the twin small F holes.
Visually, this is in time warp condition and genuinely looks like something you could have seen in the period. The slotted headstock gives it a real vintage feel, as do the 19 frets upon the blackwood fingerboard.
Despite all of this, we still get some modern refinements. Namely, the single lipstick single coil pickup. Maintained via individual tone and volume knobs.
Fender PR-180E Resonator ACB
The only problem with these resonator guitars is that they’re quite niche. Therefore, there are a lot of manufacturers that we may be unfamiliar with. However, our next look sees us inspect this rather sophisticated example from Fender. *RRP, £477 / €539.
What’s on offer from this Fender resonator guitar? Again, we’ve got a spider cone, also with a fishman pickup system. Typical of the sort you’d find in a regular acoustic guitar. I think that the Aged Cognac Burst with white bindings suits the overall style of the instrument.
Furthermore, this price point reflects some higher-quality materials. Such as the all mahogany construction throughout, including an arched laminated back. The neck is a small V profile, making open chords nice and easy, and this is also in a matte finish.
Royall BB14C/FL Bantam Blazer
Concluding our look at the best value resonator guitars is this example from Royall. This is the biggest ticket item in our lineup; however, it also has the coolest name. Bantam Blazer sounds like a comic book villain. If that’s not a reason to buy, I don’t know what is!
With a spooky price tag of *£666, this premium resonator guitar has the biscuit bridge cone. By contrast, this delivers punchy mids and really stands out against other acoustic instruments. This cone is also made of aluminium and is handmade, which really makes this guitar stand out against its competitiors.
We also get vintage-style open machine head tuners and factory 13-gauge strings, which also help with that big, rich sound. Included with this Royall resonator is a deluxe foam case.
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