Ashtray electric CBG

Hi all, well this latest CBG is a resonator using a stainless steel ashtray as the resonator. Sadly, but understandably, the acoustic sound is zilch. With such an heavy object on the face it's what I expected, and I suppose I used it for a bit of a talking point really.

Plug it in and its sounds good with a piezo on the cone and the mag pick up when blended. The body is pine fence material [which sounds great in my acoustic CBG's] the neck is oak and the fingerboard is a Queensland hardwood.

I would say that the ashtray being 18/8 stainless is way too dense to transmit string vibration in an acoustic form, whereas the dog bowl reso is punched out of far less of a quality steel but resonates better. And of course the "made for the job" resonator sounds the business.

Enjoy Taff

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Comment by Taffy Evans on June 16, 2016 at 10:46am: Hi guys, already tried all locations and variations with no pleasing improvements. Aluminium would certainly work better as a cone, the stainless is too dense to carry string vibrations. Nice electric slide tho, has haunting sound and great sustain. Taff

Comment by Paul Craig on June 16, 2016 at 7:06am: Had similar results with a Stainless Steel mixing bowl turned upside down in a chrome colander. Plan to switch out the metal for aluminum soon.

Did make a Gas Can reso that turned out nice.

If your using acoustic bronze strings, try some Nickel electric strings on it or vice versa. You'll be amazed at the difference strings can make. Also large gauge or light gauge strings can be better.

Comment by JL on June 9, 2016 at 2:51am: it might be that with the bridge going to the rim of the ashtry the string sounds are bypassing the ashtry altogether and not giving you any acoustics. you might try a soundpost that holds the bridge off the ashtray rim so that the string/bridge pressure is only in the center of the ashtray?

Looks gorgeous!