Topic: Recommendations for cheap Tricone?

[deltaslim]

Hi y'all!  This is my first post altho I've been a member and have been lurking for a couple of months.  I really admire the helpful and knowledge sharing culture in this community.  Although I'm new here, I've actually been playing blues for more than 20 years.  I'm known in blues circles in the Philippines as "Delta Slim" (I used to play a lot of Delta-style bottleneck)

I already have a Johnson Style O resonator and am looking to get a cheap ($400 - $700?) Tricone?  I know Johnson has a Style 1 but the Regal RC-51 looks like a good choice too.  Does anyone have any experience comparing the two -- or with other, better Tricones?  Are there any other make/models in this price range I should look at? 

My other guitars are a 5-string banjo, a gitjo, a 12-string, and a OOO.  I play various blues styles -- from Delta, Piedmont to ragtime and more recently old-timey and bluegrass with the banjo (still a newbie).

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Slack]

Welcome Delta Slim!

[deltaslim]

Welcome Delta Slim!

Thanks, Slack!  Any advise for me, sir?

[Slack]

Thanks, Slack!  Any advise for me, sir?

I've been out of the resonator market so long -- my advice would be outdated.  But I do know cones make a big difference - so I'd find a cheap Johnson or Regal - whichever appeals to you as far as playability and looks and then upgrade the cones with Nationals, or Beards or Quarterman's or whatever is "hot".   

[Richard]

Go and have a look at Michael Messers's site, it being slide orientated there are always posts about what is good and cheap and how to improve it once you have spent yer loot

www.michaelmesser.co.uk

[deltaslim]

Ok, so get either one but upgrade the cone.  I was planning to upgrade my Style O's cone too.

I shot an email to Elderly and they replied that these two are pretty much the same in quality, altho the Johnson is supposed to have a slightly 'pleasing midrange'.  Hmmmm... 

[Michael Segui]

From the samples I have played... the quality is about the same... however some of the Regals have slimmer feeling necks... both require upgrades, tweaks and customizations... I am pretty happy with my Johnson Tricone....  NRP cones made a WORLD of difference.... as well as new saddle, mushroom mod, stripped the paint of the T-bridge, new tuners... etc... etc...