I'm making a dog bowl resonator and am considering using an aluminium sheet/plate as the "soundboard" - with a hole in it to suspend the upside-down bowl. Any ideas as to the thickness - I'm thinking 2mm (UK measures!)? Also, if I were to spend some time hammering around the hole, would it harden the aluminium, making it more resonant?
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Hi Haydon, the top of a resonator guitar does not have to resonate as it's the resonator "aluminum cone" or dog bowl in this case that creates the main sound. The top in a full resonator guitar is connected to the back via a ring, tambourine-looking support, or columns/posts of some kind, so is pretty restricted as far as vibration goes.
So as long as the top can support string tension you're good. My dog bowl reso's use wood tops of around 2mm [Aussie measurements} braced as required.
Hi - thanks for yours - interesting....I probably used the wrong words! possibly not looking so much for extra resonance as trying to remove as much 'dulling' as possible. I compared a metal bodied biscuit resonator guitar with a wooden bodied and there's a big difference. My wooden dobro doesn't bark as much as a metal bodied one. Think the connection between the back - as you mention - is also to isolate the cone as far as possible. I think the ideal resonator is held in a totally non absorbing manner......thinking that the best sustain in a guitar is in one that has high density body, neck and headstock and the mythical infinite sustain of a string held between 2 blocks of concrete.......keep cheerful H
Replies
Hi Haydon, the top of a resonator guitar does not have to resonate as it's the resonator "aluminum cone" or dog bowl in this case that creates the main sound. The top in a full resonator guitar is connected to the back via a ring, tambourine-looking support, or columns/posts of some kind, so is pretty restricted as far as vibration goes.
So as long as the top can support string tension you're good. My dog bowl reso's use wood tops of around 2mm [Aussie measurements} braced as required.
I like the Aluminium idea
Cheers Taff
Hi - thanks for yours - interesting....I probably used the wrong words! possibly not looking so much for extra resonance as trying to remove as much 'dulling' as possible. I compared a metal bodied biscuit resonator guitar with a wooden bodied and there's a big difference. My wooden dobro doesn't bark as much as a metal bodied one. Think the connection between the back - as you mention - is also to isolate the cone as far as possible. I think the ideal resonator is held in a totally non absorbing manner......thinking that the best sustain in a guitar is in one that has high density body, neck and headstock and the mythical infinite sustain of a string held between 2 blocks of concrete.......keep cheerful H