Serial Number 018

Left Handed Resonator

Started on October 31, 2023: completed on November 16, 2023

S/N 018 is a step forward in expanding what I can build. It was initially brought up to me by Curtis Metal. One of his friends plays a Resonator guitar and liked what he heard.

We talked about it here and there and with Curtis being left handed, there wouldn’t be a lot of options for him. If there wasn’t an actual left handed guitar available for purchase, we could have purchased a right handed model that didn’t have a cutaway and make a new nut to make it left handed.

I gave that idea more thought and figured that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try to attempt the build one myself. It would be something new to learn and who knows, maybe people would be interested in one. I have serviced a few Resonator guitars before but without the intentions of building one back then, I didn’t take a good look at how it was built.

At this point, I had already priced out brand name parts needed for the Resonator and it is not cheap. I didn’t manage to find a set of real blue prints. I did find a PDF online of somebody’s write up on how to build one which was actually incomplete but it still gave me some information – which is still better than nothing. On other things that weren’t mentioned, I just had to use my own judgement from what I know already.

This left handed Resonator has a torrefied Sitka Spruce soundboard – I figured a torrefied top should help with the sound right off that bat. As for the back and sides set, I went with a set of what was supposed to be figured Honduran Mahogany – I don’t think it is figured at all. Maybe I see *hints of figure but it is not very pronounced like other sets I have brought in.

I used a Khaya African Mahogany neck which I know has good strength and laminated a strip of Wenge in the centre of the neck. I tried a new tonewood for the fingerboard – Robinia. I gave the Robinia a grain stain to give it some colour – for some reason, I felt that it was too light coloured in comparison to the rest of the tonewoods used.

Just after I laminated the neck, I realized that I didn’t measure the scale length. I was lucky that measuring the body to the saddle, it was still a usable scale length which just changes the guitar from an Orchestra Model (14th fret join – 25.4″) to a 000 (12th fret join – 24.9″).

This guitar is the first through routed logo with the second logo I use. I still need to find a method to do deeper routing with a 1/16″ bit. It is still not going deep enough making the head plate a little thinner than specs.

Without having blueprints to work with, the neck angle was a shot in the dark. Overall, the guitar didn’t come out as well as I hoped it would. But given the circumstances, I also don’t think it turned out too badly either.

This may possibly be the only Resonator guitar I build. There is a possibility that I will do a right handed guitar in the future.

*update July 18, 2024

The Resonator has come back for a rework of the neck angle. If I had blue prints or at least a guitar for reference, the guitar may have turned out better to begin with. I have worked on a few Resonators before this build but I never really took note of the construction as I wasn’t sure if I would have built one myself.

SPECS

Body 000, left handed

Scale 24.9″

Top torrefied Sitka Spruce

Back figured Honduran Mahogany

Sides figured Honduran Mahogany

Neck Khaya African Mahogany/Wenge strip

Fingerboard Robinia

Bridge Resonator Spider

Tunings Machines Gotoh 381

Strings Ernie Ball 2146 Phosphor Bronze