RESONATOR
Builders You
Should Meet
FEATURE
BY CHRIS KIES & ADAM MOORE
Whether you’re listening to some bluegrass, some
old country or the downtrodden Delta blues, the
resonator guitar is a key component. In each style,
the resonator twangs, chirps and slides in a specific
manner to deliver that irreplaceable tone. Initially
developed by John Dopyera in the 1920s, the fundamentals of the resonator guitar haven’t changed
much over time. How many times do you need to
really reinvent the wheel, or in this case, the cone?
Today’s resonator guitars usually harken back to
one of two companies: Dobro (a contraction of
Dopyera Brothers, but also meaning “good” in
the Slovak language) and National. However, to
say that new things or ideas haven’t been implemented into the traditional instrument would be
a travesty to the current crop of resonator builders. To build upon a legacy, you have to look back
before you move forward.
“Essentially,” says Don Young, CEO and President
of National Reso-Phonic, “we are building the
same guitars now as they did back then. Sure, we
have updated technology and newer construction
methods, but the core of the instrument still lies in
that initial model created by the Dopyera brothers.
Young doesn’t see the increasing number of small,
independent resonator builders as a threat to his
business; instead, he sees a chance for resonators
to regain their status as an integral part of several
musical styles and genres.
“I’m honored not only to act as a stepping stone
for current builders to model after,” says Young,
“but also to provide them parts and components to
aid their projects. I’m just blessed to be in position
where I can work with so many close-knit builders
outside my own company, within the greater resonator community. We are just honored to have so
many builders put us and Dobro on a pedestal.”
After researching and interacting on several online
resonator communities, we gathered a list of reso-luthiers and dove head first into the resonator
world. We couldn’t include everyone, so we tried to
feature builders who would reveal the wide range of
developments within that world. So, whether you’re
looking for a metal-body resonator (Terraplane), a
Dobro-influenced model (Beard), a resonator-elec-tric (S.B. MacDonald), a resonator using Scheerhorn
parts (Rayco), or just someone who’s been building
resonators since before it was cool (Mark Taylor of
Crafters of Tennesee), we’re willing to bet you’ll find
one that resonates with you (pun intended).
