Resonator setup help

[Deleted]

So, I found a real deal on a resonator a few weeks back. A hundred and fifty bucks. Wow. Always wanted one of those. Of course, it had been dropped on its top, crushing some metal bits. It had also been set up by somebody with, well, fascinating ideas on how a reso should be set up. The neck had negative relief, the nut had been lowered to a tragically low position, and the biscuit bridge had been repaired using, get this, beer coasters.

So a few hundred bucks at Stew-Mac later (most of that was a nut manufacturing kit (yes, I laugh every time I say it too) I have the parts to do a complete setup of this guitar. I've bent the cover back into shape, I have a new bridge/saddle thingy, and a Quarterman biscuit to put in it. The nut is in the fancy nut vise (yes, that's even funnier) being shaped.

I don't, however, have any good numbers to go by for a decent bottleneck setup. It uses heavier gauge strings than I'm used to, and since it is played with a combination of fretting and slide, the saddle and nut height are pretty critical I would imagine.

Do you know of any resources for these numbers, or just have some general good advice I'd sure appreciate it. I'm also putting in the cone, and don't know if there are tricks to that or not.

Many thanks,

Paul

[Cribbs]

I don't know that I have any advice, but it was entertaining as hell to read. Like you, I love resonators. I seriously think one will be my next guitar.

[Deleted]

Wow, it's hard to write anything about nut repair with that picture on the screen...

[Deleted]

Well, I think I have it set up fairly well now. The guitar had neck angle issues that I fudged workarounds for, and now plays about how I'd like it. I'll take measurements over the next couple of days, that way the numbers are here if anybody else runs into this problem.

It does sound pretty incredible with the Quarterman cone in it.

Cheers,

Paul

[Deleted]

OK, I'm continuing with talking to myself in this thread, but I decided the action was a little too stiff at the nut, so this weekend I'm going to take some material off of the bottom of the nut, put it back on, swear profusely because I took too much off, grab another blank, make another nut, and then take the measurements.

Talking to myself is fun, but if anybody really does have good setup numbers for a bottleneck slide guitar, I'd still love to see them.

Cheers,

Paul

[Cribbs]

Paul, are you taking pictures of this project? It would be interesting to see, and worthy of an entry into the Library archives for future reference.

[Deleted]

I'm very sorry to say that I haven't been taking pictures, as I'm an old fashioned fart without a digital camera. I would just scan in photos, but the flash for my SLR has gone kaput too (and they are getting a little hard to find these days...). I'll see what I can come up with though.

Cheers,

Paul

[Doug]

Paul why take the material off the bottom of the nut? Don't you just deepen the groves with nut files?

[Deleted]

Oddly enough, because it seems easier. I started with a blank, and on the first draft (well, second blank, I blew the first one) got the top pretty nice. It's pretty straightforward to mark the nut and take off material from the bottom, where I can keep it nice and level while maintaining the ideal depth of the grooves for the strings (apparently about half of the string should be above the top of the nut). It does sure run smoothly through them that way, and I've had no problems with displacement.

The nut seems about right now, I'll play it a couple more days then, if I'm still happy with it, I'll measure it up.

Cheers,

Paul

[Doug]

so the nut is loose and you don't have to unglue it etc. OK that makes sense then you just take it down like a saddle.

[Deleted]

Yeah, exactly. When I've been putting it in to test for a week or so I just use a dab of superglue to hold it there, which pops right out when I want to give it another go. I'm pretty happy with it now, so I'll probably measure it up this weekend.

Cheers,

Paul

[Deleted]

Resonators are beginning to interest me a lot. I haven't spent any time looking into them yet But I'm sure I will. I'd sure like to see some pics of what you're doing with yours.