1920‘s/30‘s JAZZ players using Resonator guitars ?

[gitman]

This is in all probability a (4-string) RESONATOR Tenor-guitar - National sold quite a lot of these and some Plectrum models also.

[DBLR]

Yes, it is almost certainly a tenor guitar. Not only is it more logical (banjo to tenor guitar as an evolutionary step), but in a quick search, I can't find anything online to indicate that bass reso guitars existed before the 1990s or so. I thought I was being observant.

[citizenk74]

This is in all probability a (4-string) RESONATOR Tenor-guitar - National sold quite a lot of these and some Plectrum models also.

I had a national tenor, not as pretty as this one - it is kind of olive drab, and is now my middle granddaughter's. Loud & proud.

[gitman]

I had a national tenor, not as pretty as this one - it is kind of olive drab, and is now my middle granddaughter's. Loud & proud.

I had a line on a 20's National Plectrum guitar but passed when I found a lovely parlor-sized 6-string Reso by John Morton who sadly passed away last year. These make excellent rhythm guitars in a Swing/Oldtime band when you don't need (or want..) the cutting power of a Tenor or Plectrum Banjo ... Loud and Proud it is !

[cam4]

I'm aware of the many Blues artists that quickly adapted the Reso's for their superior volume - I'm particularly interested in those "orchestra" guitarist that switched from a 4/6-string Banjo to the equally loud but less piercing sounding Resonator Guitar ....
It's quite rare to see 2 (!) guitarists/banjoists in a larger ensemble , in any era so Tuba Skinny is quite the exception these days ! It certainly helps the band's overall sound giving the music a solid harmonic foundation and a strong rhythmic pulse together with the bass drum and washboard.

Hey, thanks for mentioning this. I am about to start playing with a Dixieland and Harlem style jazz band (all acoustic) I have a tenor banjo, but I need a resonator guitar (I suspect I need an all-metal body). I don't know whether I should go for the biscuit or spider resonator. Any ideas what would work best?

[citizenk74]

Hey, thanks for mentioning this. I am about to start playing with a Dixieland and Harlem style jazz band (all acoustic) I have a tenor banjo, but I need a resonator guitar (I suspect I need an all-metal body). I don't know whether I should go for the biscuit or spider resonator. Any ideas what would work best?

[Neer]

Garoto, one of Brazil’s great guitarists (though on tenor) played a 1930s National Triolian tenor until switching to the Del Vechio resontor in the 40s. Del Vechios were made famous by Chet Atkins and Nato Lima of Los Indios Tabajares. Check out some of the Carmen Miranda recordings with Garoto from the ‘30s on, they are pretty incredible.

And this guy…..

[ArchtopEddy!]

Garoto, one of Brazil’s great guitarists (though on tenor) played a 1930s National Triolian tenor until switching to the Del Vechio resontor in the 40s. Del Vechios were made famous by Chet Atkins and Nato Lima of Los Indios Tabajares. Check out some of the Carmen Miranda recordings with Garoto from the ‘30s on, they are pretty incredible.

And this guy…..

This is a great photo in every way! Cab muggin' it while Duke plays a guitar, and a 14 fret National Triolian to boot!

[Enlightened Rogue]

Te only players I am aware of that played National resophonic guitars and recorded in jazz in the 1930’s would be Tampa Red, Oscar Aleman, and Lonnie Johnson. There were other players using them though.

Here is a short clip of three bands playing at Den Haag in the Netherlands in 1937. The first band “The Rhythm Gigger’s”, the guitarist looks to be playing a Gibson L5, possibly? The second band is the “ de Hot Club du France” w/Django Reinhardt and his brother playing Selmer Maccaferri guitars. The third band “The Swinging Pappa’s” guitarist is playing a National resophonic guitar.

Personally, I use my steel tricone on everything. Standard and slide playing. The tricone is a great jazz guitar.(imho)

[RLetson]

For several years I've been using a National M-1 (wood-body tricone) like the one Bruce Forman plays in the video (though mine's a non-cutaway) for a lot of my playing-out. While it's by far the loudest guitar own, that's not why I got it. It's a surprisingly versatile instrument, and much sweeter than what I would have expected, negotiating fingerpicking to swing rhythm. Its cousin model, the single-cone El Trovador, was resurrected thanks to the efforts of Mike Dowling, who has recorded quite a bit on his.

It doesn't have the growly thunk I look for in an archtop, and the spider over the bridge prevents right-hand damping, but otherwise it works for a lot of the music I make. (Still not deacquisitioning my Eastman 805, though.)

[Enlightened Rogue]

For several years I've been using a National M-1 (wood-body tricone) like the one Bruce Forman plays in the video (though mine's a non-cutaway) for a lot of my playing-out. While it's by far the loudest guitar own, that's not why I got it. It's a surprisingly versatile instrument, and much sweeter than what I would have expected, negotiating fingerpicking to swing rhythm. Its cousin model, the single-cone El Trovador, was resurrected thanks to the efforts of Mike Dowling, who has recorded quite a bit on his.

It doesn't have the growly thunk I look for in an archtop, and the spider over the bridge prevents right-hand damping, but otherwise it works for a lot of the music I make. (Still not deacquisitioning my Eastman 805, though.)

Resophonic guitars are wonderful instruments. They are so much more than the “loud trash can and one trick ponies” moniker many give them. My Mule tricone is stainless steel. I prefer steel over brass bc I think it rings clearer, and growls a little deeper when you dig in. The dwell on the end of a note sounds more “tubular” also. Great stuff. I do love my Rodebald Hoyer 17” “Samba acoustic archtop also. It has a sound all its own, and I love it.

[RJVB]

Our own Campus5 is wasn't actually around in the 20s/30s yet but it's easy to forget that, and he often plays a tricone

For several years I've been using a National M-1 (wood-body tricone) l [...] the spider over the bridge prevents right-hand damping

I think it's not a spider technically speaking (not as in what you find in spider-cone resonators); I think I saw Mule call it a t-bar. I've seen an M-1 only once (Doug Macleod's "Moon") so can't tell if the cover of the bridge/saddle assembly is fixed or can be removed like it usually can on a biscuit-cone reso.

My own resonator is in a completely different class of course but it's still very versatile with the classical strings I put on. According to whom you ask it can evoke theorbo sounds (not as low of course) or early 19th century romantic guitars.

[RLetson]

The M-1's cover plate is a single unit with the T-shaped saddle cover* welded to the cover plate, which in turn is secured by lots of screws (16, I think). Whatever it's called, it makes some kinds of maintenance--say, reparing the saddle--a pain, since you have to remove the whole assembly to get at anything. And I do miss being able to damp strings with the heel of my right hand, which is an important part of fingerpicking if not jazz or swing playing. Nevertheless, the M-1 remains one of my favorite guitars.

* You're right--the bridge itself is called a T-bridge. I was thinking of that T-shaped portion of the cover plate assembly.

[RJVB]

And I do miss being able to damp strings with the heel of my right hand, which is an important part of fingerpicking if not jazz or swing playing.

Of course, yet apparently no one made a replacement cover plate without the hand rest, or one that's screwed on?
I don't know how much the "horizontal" part of the T gets in the way, but palm muting isn't impossible in front of instead of on top of the saddle, of course...

[Enlightened Rogue]

The M-1's cover plate is a single unit with the T-shaped saddle cover* welded to the cover plate, which in turn is secured by lots of screws (16, I think). Whatever it's called, it makes some kinds of maintenance--say, reparing the saddle--a pain, since you have to remove the whole assembly to get at anything. And I do miss being able to damp strings with the heel of my right hand, which is an important part of fingerpicking if not jazz or swing playing. Nevertheless, the M-1 remains one of my favorite guitars.

* You're right--the bridge itself is called a T-bridge. I was thinking of that T-shaped portion of the cover plate assembly.

Hello. Yes. The T -Bar or T-Bridge. Made from cast aluminum. Here are a couple of pics of Nationals T-Bar after the videos.

The T-Bar has always been made from cast aluminum until recently. Matt Eich and the crew @ Mule Resophonic Guitars got together with a machinist and now off a billet aluminum machined bridge. Consensus is that it does improve the sound, but only in small increments. Costs the same as a cast aluminum T-bar. I added Mule’s video of talking about its making and an unbiased review.