AlvaRezo – Homemade resonator guitar

I’d always wanted a resonator guitar to play slide on, but couldn’t afford one. So a couple years ago I bought an old Alvarez classical guitar with a broken top and cracked headstock to convert into a resonator. The guitar cost me $20. I took lots of pictures thinking I might create a web page of the process, or something, but I never did. So, here’s a slide show with narration. A video of me playing the guitar is tacked on at the end. The total cost of the end product was less than $100.

Ingredients:
One old busted-up Alvarez guitar
One 9 inch resonator cone
One biscuit bridge
One tail piece
One indoor grilling pan (cover plate)
One cabinet handle
Some plywood
Lotsa’ glue
Unrealistic sense of what you can accomplish with your own two hands.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I’d be glad to go into more details on certain aspects of the project.

For more information on this instrument and other projects, go to deepcreekstrings.blogspot.com

Duration : 0:5:15


[youtube cEtPSIgw3d4]

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25 Responses to AlvaRezo – Homemade resonator guitar

  1. grahambonnet1996 says:

    man u used basic …
    man u used basic things with lets be realistic it was a lump of and turned it into something awsome sounds geat
    well done

  2. YaksBall8 says:

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

  3. 1ArtfulBodger says:

    Very interesting …
    Very interesting documentery. Thanks.

  4. jendo1966 says:

    Yeah!! You really …
    Yeah!! You really love guitars v(^^)

  5. myguitarlab says:

    outstanding what …
    outstanding what you can do with a little ingenuity and alot of free time on your hands…kudos…i LOL cheers

    rich
    myguitarlab

  6. alexatkinsonpk says:

    if you were to buy …
    if you were to buy a resonator guitar, could you play it like a normal guitar then retune and use the bottleneck when you wanted slides?
    or would it just sound weird in standard tuning and stuff?

  7. mysticalvisions says:

    i want one so bad! …
    i want one so bad!
    sounds like a mississippi john hurt song too.

  8. kindaawesome08 says:

    nice work!
    nice work!

  9. gorramdoll says:

    This is super cool! …
    This is super cool! Good for you.

  10. MSB76 says:

    Excellent job man! …
    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.

  11. MrRawge says:

    Great Job! That …
    Great Job! That sounds like an old song I remember called Payday

  12. kball69 says:

    impressive ^^ keep …
    impressive ^^ keep on keepin on

  13. goodnavibe says:

    what wood glue did …
    what wood glue did u use great dog by the way

  14. PaXuloYo666 says:

    First of all …
    First of all congratulations for this project. I really think it is fantastic how you built your own resonator.
    I have a really old guitar myself which i don’t use, so I am toying with the idea of doing something similar. My doubt is: if the soundwell you built is actually wider than the hole you cut in the body, how did you manage to fit it in? Anyway, thanks again for sharing this and congrats for your creativity. Jorge

  15. poodlenme says:

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

  16. Rautas78 says:

    nice, very creative
    nice, very creative

  17. dannyboy0928 says:

    This is, wow I …
    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?

  18. connberkshire says:

    I love it- i made …
    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-

  19. BrightMilo says:

    woahh! you’re a …
    woahh! you’re a beast!
    good job!

  20. jdelfield says:

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

  21. unionfallen says:

    so the only actual …
    so the only actual resonator parts you bought were the cone and tailpeice correct? I just found a new project for this week!

  22. tallercaller says:

    You’ve done well to …
    You’ve done well to modify your damaged guitar into something you can use. It’s not fancy, but *very* functional. Congratulations!

  23. brainburrito says:

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

  24. BatteryHuman says:

    you did an amazing …
    you did an amazing job. that is awesome

  25. TheAnarchist33 says:

    That’s why I don’t …
    That’s why I don’t throw stuff out, makes the wife crazy!!!