AlvaRezo - Homemade resonator guitar

[@fo76]

Lots of funky old-time mojo...! Fun project!! 🤩

[@poodlenme]

you have nothing to apologize for! Very creative and fun project. sounds good and your slide playing aint half bad!

[@cattaraugustonawanda4426]

Great project and the end product sounds great. You must be OK having a Springer 🙂

[@fenderstratguy]

Dude, you did great. And I love that "AlvaRezo" name.

[@connberkshire]

I love it- i made one of these about 10 years ago from an old yard sale guitar and aluminum skillet lids, and a biskit bridge and tailpiece I fabricated at work.. the thing i love most about these guitars is that they really sound like a Dobro, and they cut very well- you can hear one over a whole room of guitars. The great thing here is, you've given new life to an otherwise worthless instrument- Excellent work, my friend-

[@Rycon973]

ha this is great. I got the idea to do this the other day but didn't think it was as straightforward as this until i saw your video. great job.

[@vleb]

So much honoured and pleased my photos has been helpful for your great project ! I really enjoyed coverplate and handrest ;-)

[@jdelfield]

It's very gratifying to get a compliment from someone whose videos I've been enjoying for so long. Please keep posting your wonderful videos. Thanks - Jeff

[@maxpowers80]

I know this video was posted over a decade ago but man even when you said if I can only learn to play slide I thought that was crazy talk. You already had it lol. Guitar sounded great by the way.

[@Tailgun69]

I think were limited by our imaginations...you appearantly have an ingenious side to yours...good job. Almost makes me want to bust up my ibenez to build my own. Oh yeah, your not as bad as you may have thought.

[@WillieStratton]

MAN!!!!! thats amazing!!!!!! hahaha alvarezo, i love it! man, i am diggin that handle for a bridge cover. and man, that thing sounds amazing.

[@limegreentj]

what a bad ass idea man!!! great stuff!!!! its not aweful either, i've toyed with this idea myself

[@MLFranklin]

Like a mellow dobro, Bro. Nice work!

[@ElJibaroBravo]

This is great! I saw another video where the guy covered up the original sound hole. That forced all the air to vibrate through the new cone.

[@peteravila6496]

Nice job! And I even learned a little slide guitar!

[@waynesisney1861]

Ok...I was a little whatever at the start of this video but I'm so glad I watched it all...now I know it will work...cool video

[@JosephHarlan19]

that has to be the best sounding resonator I've ever heard

[@ZEWilloughby]

This is awesome! I'm thinking about making one myself with all pieces I find at goodwill

[@mattybee73]

Great stuff Jeff... One of the best reso conversions I've seen and a great sound too.

[@briannelson8278]

wow sounds surprisingly amazing. very nice build and playing

[@TJuan32]

Well done men , is great what you can do to your guitar, dont stop.

[@MegaChevy65]

Nice sound. Nice socket lol, didn't even think about using one of those

[@silvestrepennaortega]

Great proyect... very suggestive... i think you've got better results than myself after aplying what i've seen on your video, but it's still a good thing to try it... thanks

[@reno145]

That is the coolest guitar I have EVER seen!

[@jdelfield]

vleb, I'm borderline honored that you saw this and posted a comment. You were instrumental in the making of the AlvaRezo. I used your step-by-step Building the Vleb-O-Nator pictures to help me make see this project through. It's no exaggeration when I say without your photos, I might not have had the guts to start the project at all. By the way, I got to your photos through your youtube videos, which I think are great. Jeff

[@KeniLeeBurgess]

Nice job. Interesting you decided to use a classical guitar that is usually braced and strung with gut strings. Thanks for sharing this video. It was fun to watch.

[@JFizoust]

Thanks for sharing this, enjoyed the song!

[@jdelfield]

Glad you like. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

[@eatcomics]

Ha I have been contemplating using a socket for a slide, you sir have just made me believer :D

[@fraccle]

Impressive all the way around..

[@SuperOlds88]

Very nice, good sustain, good tone. I see people use substitutes for the cone, bad place to substitute or go cheap. Its the basis of the sound I think. Your substitute is unique, looks great. Bridge guard/hand rest is unique too, and a good idea. You like the feel of a classical fingerboard better? I guess if you have the instrument, you have to make do. Great conversion.

[@BullShnit]

That's just amazing! Looks awesome too!!

[@jdelfield]

Thanks for your comment Keni. I've watched and enjoyed your videos. Here's the thing - a classical guitar has the saddle already positioned in the center of the lower bout (most steel string guitars are above center) making it much easier to install a sound well in the guitar. The top is "braced" with three layers of plywood - it's not going anywhere. The heel joint is another story - but I wanted higher action for slide anyway. But, as I say in the video, this was a < $100 experiment.

[@dannyboy0928]

This is, wow I can't even find the words for this..cool! How is it that the top's integrity was not compromised when the hole was cut?

[@ppybmjc]

@gogogodancer A resonator cone is something you'd want to buy pre-made. The shape, metal thickness and metal composition all affect the volume and tone you get, a hammered down biscuit tin lid would give you nothing

[@grumpyauldman]

Man that is brilliant. I have to try this out for myself and try to make something good out of a cheap, second-hand shop guitar. It would be real easy to just buy a resonator but how much more interesting to make one. Oh yeah, your playing is not awful - it's good and that guitar sounds great.

[@mrbangham]

Very nice sound and well played! Gonna bite the bullet and do something very similar. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@jessupar]

sitting on top of the handyman's world at the end. nice. thats just cool - cant say much else. i kinda want one even though i just got a reso

[@TheFolkandBluesVampire259]

thats awesome! what i would have done, i would cut two extra round sound holes above the main sound hole

[@mistermullens]

Very cool, and the guitar sounds great!

[@starrchild99]

Excellent work, thanks for showing it throughout construction!

[@orbodman]

good job. Another thing you can consider is this: initially being a classical guitar and you putting steel strings on it will mean that in a few years the neck will be so bowed that you can play it like a squareneck reso. Best of both worlds.

[@sssebs]

Good job with the guitar. Sounds great!

[@brainburrito]

it is NOT awful, its awesome. you are very talented. =D

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you. Well done.

[@buddyolepal]

Truly amazing dude!

[@BluesmanharpVintage]

Great work!!!

[@chinslip1]

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind? Why not use a resonator bowl? How do you adjust for intonation? I was thinking of using old drum cymbals stacked on a small threaded rod fixed at 3/4" apart. Would this work or am I just waiting my time? Thanks

[@dalepate]

Great job! Loved it

[@roamingrino]

very nice but do worry about putting steel strings on a classical? Just wondering if the tension might be too much

[@MSB76]

Excellent job man! Still holdin' up a year and a half later? Sounds like a little Guitar Rag/Payday medley followed by You Got To Move. Maybe I missed something else. I've been toying with ideas like this. I've got an extra cone and coverplate just sittin' around askin' for a project. You've inspired me. Much thanks.

[@BrightMilo]

woahh! you're a beast! good job!

[@gogogodancer]

not awful at all...very very cool. the sound well, did you place that down onto the inside of the back of the guitar? or beneath the hole you made? the cone can be any metal thingee? like maybe a biscuit tin lid? hammered down a bit?

[@ShredWithMe]

sweet dude thats awesome im gonna do that to my acoustic i dont even like blues stuff but that was beautiful at the end

[@kodibassInsideoutboards]

the plywood rings which make the soundwell? how do you get them inside, as they are larger than the whole in the top of the guitar??

[@GalitUnggoy]

Very nice. I've asked other people about a specific thing or two since I've got all the components to do the same thing. I've put off the project for actually about 4 years. Did you have the cover inset into the body? Someone else who did the same thing couldn't tell me if they did. Also did you port the soundwell?

[@Whitehawkvisionfilms]

Looks Great! Do the strings go thru the handle or over? How did you adjust the action height ?

[@6stringerloubluz]

Wow am impressed ! That's exactly what i want to do. I have an old classical guitar here.. dunno what brand it is .. anyways the wood is really old ( which is great for slide guitar )so anyway i went down to the local music shop and told em what i intended to do with it and they said NO DONT DO THAT.. THE NECK WILL BREAK ETC.. so i didnt do it.. Now i am wondering does your guitar have a truss rod in the neck ? Although just now i realise that with the biscuit brace ya probably wont need one.

[@rpeek]

I love this thing. I've got an old guitar and a Buick hubcap.. Yea buddy, I am beginning to picture my next project.. Yee Haw!

[@vanduzer3039]

How do you get the circular sound well inside the smaller circle cutout of the top of the guitar. Looks to me like you made the sound well in one piece (and ones I have seen are made in one piece?

[@resonatorplate]

Amazing man! This made me make my own!

[@boggie928]

good job it sounds great

[@KeniLeeBurgess]

Thank you. So, there was a method behind your madness. I say pretty darn good for a $100. Keep experimenting. Sounds like you got a knack for it.

[@hamburgeraaron80]

Nicely done

[@gorramdoll]

This is super cool! Good for you.

[@1950sparks]

Extremely interesting, I am very tempted to try this sometime. Great post.

[@johnjriggsarchery2457]

Nice project. I have a junk guitar or three laying around in closets that need to be resonator guitars.

[@DirtDiving77]

Wow, sounds awesome!!!

[@klijnsmitguitars2979]

Pretty nice conversion!

[@vleb]

Great video ! Thank you for sharing this...

[@philipleigh]

Have you had any problems with the increased string tension? Classical guitars aren't built for steel strings and don't have a truss-rod so I was wondering if the neck is still ok.

[@mickspicksreviews1813]

That sounds great! You could make a living making these jewels! Id buy one, (hint hint) 😁😀

[@bkpenta]

Great video!! How does the top plate attach to the cone piece inside the guitar?? Also is the handle you put on the top plate neccessary or for decoration? I have an old guitar I might convert!

[@jdelfield]

that's pretty much right. I bought the biscuit bridge too.

[@YaksBall8]

You are a genious indeed. i wish i had your skills =)

[@idezilla]

Yes! I like it. Thanks for the info.

[@nomad1187]

Jeff, I think you should remove your apologies because your playing sounds just fine. I just wish you had shown how the inner cone is atached and worked. I have a similar project in mind

[@mikono14]

nice socket slide so you said the bridge should be 26 inches to the bridge is that right?

[@1ArtfulBodger]

Very interesting documentery. Thanks.

[@utopia2112]

I like that you are using a deep ratchet socket for your slide in that last ditty! I see you use colored tape to keep your sized labelled just like I do! LOL!!!!

[@heymynameistyler]

wow it sounds great

[@NickLikesToSweepPick]

Hey man, do you by chance know any good instructional videos on playing slide? I need to learn bluegrass and I'm a guitar player so I figure this might be the easiest instrument to learn.

[@villabeach]

I like it. Sounds cool. Good job.

[@Chrisalchin]

Great job mate, just curious how did the neck hold up with the steel strings? did it bow much?

[@christblood2]

wow thank you im woprking on project to build a guitar out of 100% recicled material this really helped thanx

[@longtoothslim]

It's bloody great !

[@Baagdad]

That's awesome! I'm sitting here with a cover that is identical to what you used. I've got most of the pieces from a thrift store. The guitar was given to me. Lightnin says that it's not good to use substitutes. I guess I'm just cheap. :) EljibaroBrave suggested that you cover up the original sound hole. In hind sight, is this something that you wished you had done? If I don't have to cover up the hole and paint the whole guitar, I don't want to. I like the colour the way it is.

[@Csendesmi]

Great job man, but aren't the strings too far from the neck because of the cover and the new bridge ?

[@fenderstratguy]

Csendesmi You are correct that they are "too far" -- assuming you were interested in playing this thing fingerstyle. When you play slide, a higher action is helpful. Too low, and the heavy slidebar will bottom out and knock on the frets.

[@olmo2603]

can you briefly explain how a resonator works. what does make the sound, what ´resonates´. a resonator is louder than a normal guitar right? hows that. please help me out. what has the pliewood to do with it? greets from Holland

[@MrScrewdriver96]

Surely with steel strings, the neck will warp won't it? only reason I'm asking is cause, I wanna convert a guitar one day myself and I've always preferred spanish resonators to regular acoustics. Great build otherwise :)

[@jdelfield]

Sorry about being unclear. That would be 26" from the bottom of the nut to the front edge of the bridge. The 12th fret is ALWAYS the halfway point of a scale length. Thus, 13" to the 12th fret.

[@Rocker6969]

impressive ^^ keep on keepin on

[@tomgreeves9248]

Great job!

[@walkerlucas]

Regular resonators don't have the sound hole of a normal guitar, right? Did it effect the sound at all?

[@joriszsz]

How did you fasten the bridge in the coverplate?

[@winnishave]

Hi -that makes fun to look at -greetings from germany -winfried

[@qi5bz]

Holly Shoe this guitar sounds like a Million Bucks, Awesome job man. And the thing I really like that you kept original idea how acoustic guitar works and putted in coockie, not a spider bridge, what pumps all goodnes through guitar, not out of it. Also I was wondering what kind of material is that tom cover, handle and handle screws? as well if you don't mind sharing what plywood and glue you have used exactly ? Seriously, I love the sound, still kinda woody, acoustic, but with a twist and a kick.

[@stopglobalswarming]

Thats cool. It doesn't seem to have much bass power, but the trebly notes just SING. I'm trying to make a guitar some time of solid wood with a hollow body and glass top. Look up garbage drain resonator. Someone had a good sounding guitar made of acoustic with metal piece in the sound hole and a old pickup on top.

[@dbfkjmatt]

the 26" is tht frm the top of the headstock or top of the neck?

[@bettertvreceptionwithfoilf7100]

I have an aluminum dome top thing just like that. It came with a ring under it to catch the grease. Makes Juicy Burgers but only one at a time LOL