Vintage vs New Resonator Cones. Is There a Difference? Hear Them Here!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

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[@DylanKay]

Love your videos, thanks for this - very interesting stuff!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

I prefer the more mellow tone of the old cones but both sound very good. Interesting stuff, thanks! Just subscribed 👍👌

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks!! They’re mellower but articulate in the low mids.

[@stevearcade]

I guessed correctly on account on expecting the older ones to have less top-end. As to which sounds better... It's a tough call... I really like the aged warmth of the old cones, but the new cones played without picks have a hint of top-end sparkle that's really nice too. I don't play with picks, and if it were my guitar, I'd lean towards the new cones, but it's a tough and close contest. Just thinking off the cuff here, but perhaps as cones age and get played in, their tension or tautness gets softened a little. The acoustic-mechanical symptom of this would likely be less ability to reproduce high-frequency resonance, and perhaps also be more easily activated in the low and mid-range; the frequencies of which have longer, slower wavelengths. In short: maybe older, played in cones lose some of their sparkle, but once would have been brighter and sounded closer to the new National Reso cones?

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Generally new cones settle to warm up. There are many caveats but my experience is newer made USA Nationals are broader sounding and old ones are rich in the mids!

[@ShnarfKat]

have you ever seen one of these with a MEtal neck..NECK and headstock is steel. I cant find anything on this

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Square necks are metal with a wooden headstock. Not sure beyond.

[@Hikaru109Ichijyo]

thought the second was more mellow . .. but both sound good. Thanks for doing this, metal resonators are my jam now.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for sharing this! 🎼🎯🎼

[@nickhall6715]

Saw these last night in Sheffield Town. Love the videos but the live experience is superb. And by town I mean city!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Ha! Good call back!! 🎯

[@stratocaster1greg]

A National tricone is my holy grail. I have a 36 National Duolian 36 model 27 Dobro and a gold duco 36 M32 fiddle edge. I will listen back to this several times. Thanks for your efforts and I like your playing and singing.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

You’ve got the good stuff there! Would love a gold Fiddle Edge personally, oh man, they’re beautiful! The old Tricone is a great guitar. Was always my dream too and now it’s here. It’s why I’m keen to get it dialled in and optimum. It’s a lifer.

[@stumblecol]

Great post, thanks very much, I am no expert, but I think a new cone like a new guitar needs playing in, but also, it makes sense, that an old cone can get tired and fatigued and lose it twang, for want of a better word. I enjoy your posts, keep 'em coming.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for the kind words. Generally in my experience the old cones are sweeter, less bassy and gave more articulate and rich mid frequencies. But I have seen old Nationals that sounded thin and brittle or just muffled get a new lease of life with new cones. This video kind of shows up the opposite of what I expected but I do believe has improved the guitar by my tastes of preference for a darker and warmer tone. The ‘new’ cones are still about 7 years old so should be plenty settled and do sound great still. I share this video incase the info helps people see that decisions on keeping or changing cones should be done on an instrument by instrument basis. Won’t get many views this video but hopefully it’s of use to those that need it! Keep on playing and I hope the piano grain Triolian is doing you good. 🎼🎯🎼

[@JustForfun-hg8ni]

Hi Martin, both sound great!! You have the experience and talent to make these all sound really good. So it’s down to you which you feel most comfortable relaxing or gigging with. Keep up the good work enjoy your videos.😊😊

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks!!

[@brianmckinley6177]

I liked them both. I thought the new ones brought out the highs a bit more. The old ones sounded warm and well rounded from top to bottom. My ‘30 Triolian has the original cone and sounds perfect. When I bought my ‘33 Rosita it had a new NRP cone. It sounds perfect. Thankfully, NRP makes a great cone if one needs a replacement. Great video! That was a lot of work leading up to a beer and a hike.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

True stuff. The new NRP’s are great as are some of the other new makers! Spent about 7 hours in total changing strings and getting help on the phone!

[@cjbuk74]

Great video.. will look forward to part 2!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

We’ll see if I go to France! I think it’s likely as I’d like to meet Mike!

[@cjbuk74]

@@TheWashboardResonators sounds like a great plan.!!

[@thomaswilleborts6771]

High Martyn, The new cones did it for me! Maybe I'm not on the side of the most chosen one that is part B. It's not that I don't like the old cones,causecthey sound very well 2. It's the color of the sound made me choose A over B. Thank you for opening and showing the inside of you 3-cone! Good informative video again,man.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for the vote!! All views welcomed!!👌🏻

[@marciaewell2661]

B with no picks! Thicker and richer with beautiful sustain. I am about to do the same with a new regal (china made Jonathan factory) RC-51 tricone and some Beard cones. The regal sounds very good to my ear, but I thought maybe some Beard cones will make it even better???? I wonder how much of tone is from the T-bar bridge ??? I have had several biscuit reso guitars, but this tricone is the best so far. The workmanship is very good and the ergonomics are perfect for my hands. I had an Aersi hwy 66 tricone with the cutaway and 14 frets, but I could not deal with the heavy headstock dive, good balance is important on a heavy guitar.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🤘🏻

[@SergeCeyral]

It’s so tricky to make a quite sincere and honest comparaison... When it comes to single cones, old oversized 10.5" models from the ’80 (Dobro 33) were terrible ; so stiff, that sound was poor and only midrange voiced. On my ’90 Dobro 33 model, When Mike Lewis swaped it to one of his 9.5", the pumpkin turned into a royal wedding carriage. But, on Tricones, new cones (National or FineReso) need to age : after some yars of playing, the harmonics are louder, sweeter and richer

[@TheWashboardResonators]

All true here. The new cones had been in for about 6 years so I thought it interesting to swap given I had both. There are differences. I may still get Mike to put his cones in this guitar as an experiment!

[@SergeCeyral]

@@TheWashboardResonators total agreement: 6 yrs after getting my Style1 Triplate ( gift of my beloved blonde, for my 50th) I came back to Mike’s workshop for small maintenance details. I had the opportunity to compare my guitar to the same new model. More sustain for the old one ; less agressive highs; richer and mellower mids. For cones, age matter...Looks like the cristalline structure of aluminum is slightly modified by continuous vibrations. btw did you find the miracle polish for body nickel plating ? I ain’t yet...

[@marcelchaloupka]

B is the old and A are the new. I suspect that over time new cones will mellow as they slowly wear in and wear out.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

They can get thin and dead sounding! These are great!

[@archtopeddy]

I liked them both. Specifically, I liked A best with bare fingers, and B better with fingerpicks. I also liked Mic Dunsmore's idea about mixing the new and old cones, and your idea about checking in with Mike Lewis in France. Whatever you do, congrats on "Sylvia". You two are made for each other!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for this! Paris is nice in the spring!

[@harbroyn]

I picked guitar B as the best sounding one, the vintage cones. I'm one of those guys that swear that the old cones sounds "better". I was meeting a guy that was selling an '34 style 0 (with the original cone), and i got to try it out outside before deciding. Man, thats the nicest sounding resonator i've ever tried! That dark-ish tone and a kind of rebverb that my NRP resonators dont have. I also have a '32 Triolian with a NRP cone and Highlander pickup that sounds amazing, but it doesent have that ghostly sound and reverb that the Style 0 have.. Hard to explain. Thanks for another great video.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! It’s very much a case by case scenario I’m finding. Well worth experimenting with each instrument. I have a 34 Style O. It’s cool!!

[@CrazedFandango]

I'm not sure there is a best, but I'd say there's a more high end and more clarity in guitar B.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Interesting! Thanks!

[@tegidrhys5661]

Really cool comparison. I actually preferred guitar A. But I haven’t got experience of any vintage guitars and mainly an acoustic guitar player. Just starting to dip my toe into resonators.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Good for you choosing A. No right or wrongs here. I was keen to see what others thought on here as I was stuck between choosing one or another! 🎯

[@MrDotneck]

Congrats on your new guitar first of all. Planning to do a comparison video with your NRP tricone? Would be interesting. Anyway: the cones on "guitar B" definitely sounded fatter and "sweeter" - Tampa Red territory and my guess was spot on that these were the vintage ones. Which are better? Highly subjective and depends what style of music you intend to play. Thanks for this interesting comparison.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks Mr Dotneck. A comparison would be an idea! I’ll put it on the list!

[@MrDotneck]

@@TheWashboardResonators Cheers - looking forward to it!

[@Lukecroydon]

I definitely prefer the old cones more - much thicker and warmer! 👏🏻

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Yes indeed! 🎯

[@russlgtr]

I liked B. Great stuff. Rock on!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for the vote! 👌🏻

[@nationalduo4945]

Good video…..btw very nice Wooden Triolian…it is new to you, or did I miss something!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! The wood Triolian was temporarily swapped with a friend. It could find its way into the stable one day. The owner also may not want to part with it. One thing for sure is that it sounds great and will get a video one day! It’s definitely inspired me to get one though whatever happens. These things sound the best!

[@micdunsmore3553]

I am a fan of the smoother mellow tones so B it is….. Maybe you should try a mix of old and new cones, see what you get!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

I’ve considered this! Perhaps one new in the mix. I spent about 7 hours on this in total so might leave it a few weeks before I can justify the time! It sounded great before and sounds great now!

[@Caligari...]

You should never play a National Tri cone or Single cone with out using a thumb pick and finger picks . I find the Dunlop plastic finger picks and a golden gate heavy thumb pick give a really great sound , much better than the metal finger picks . Thank you

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Always beefs up the sound.

[@CoryBoyd-ro4gk]

New cones are better. Basically the difference is anything to worry about. Each one is an individual. Nationals are like people. Don Young who did his luthier ship with Dopera and started National bought the name from Ed Dopyra. So National is the same company. Matter of fact by 2000 NRP was making better guitars than the originals. Im getting a new Tricone so I dont have to deal with the issues of an 80 year old guitar. Ive had a 1937 O and a Collegian. Lots of issues with them. In 1980 it was hard to find somebody to fix one. I do all my repairs myself.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Hey, that’s the first I’ve heard Don bought the name. I know people that helped him directly in the first days of NRP and they’re adamant they’re separate companies. In my experience you have to take guitars and therefore cones on a case by case basis. 🎼🎯🎼

[@petercook160]

I liked guitar B the best.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks 🎯

[@robtalliss]

It’s B for me.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks Rob! 🎯

[@daveellisblues]

B all day long!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🎯

[@TomScurry]

Guitar b

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🎼🎼🎼

[@droolingbanjos]

Beta!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Omega!

[@ymejia19]

I prefer A sound. 🤔😶🫥

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks for the vote! 🎯