How to select a Resonator Guitar and Bottleneck Slide for Blues
The guitar is probably the worlds best known musical instrument. Or maybe a drum should hold that particular accolade. There is probably not a single adult in the world who doesn’t know what a guitar is.
One thing that makes guitars so appealing is their accessibility. Unlike a Piano, or a drum kit, a guitar is portable and almost anyone can pick one up. But creating a tune on a guitar can be a struggle.
I’ve met some exceptionally talented people who, within weeks of picking up a guitar, were good enough to start a band and begin to gig. But many guitarists are like me, they’ve played for many years but they’re still learning.
But it is for these reasons taht guitars are such an engrossing hobby. There is always something new to learn, new instruments to try and new gizmos to play with. Playing guitar is an engrossing and immersive pass time that can take over your life.
In recent years I’ve become something of a guitar collector. I am a lover of vintage resonator guitars. These are a form of acoustic guitar that uses a resonator cone made of spun allumnium to give the guitar extra volume. The resonator mechanical amplifier comes from the early 20th century, before electronic amplifiers were in common use. The resonator guitar sound is synonymous with the blues and this is the style of music that I love.
If you’re a guitar player or if you are lucky enough to know any guitarists you will already understand how obsessive they can become. Playing guitar, collecting guitars, listening to guitar music and going to gigs to see guitarists play can often take over their lives. And if you are lucky enough to have a guitarist as a partner you can sometimes find yourself feeling that you are in second place to their guitar obsession, which is probably true.
Tags: guitars, learn to play guitar, playing guitar, resonator guitars