The Dog Dish Resonator

I continue to make resonator guitars, searching for the right sound. This is the closest so far. The scale length is 24.75" approximately.

Someone emailed for a detailed description, so I obliged...

As far as construction goes, I started off with a 13" x 21" wine crate. These boxes do not have a lid so I disassemble knowing I'll be cutting it down to 13" x 10" thus leaving enough wood for a top. I save the original nails and wood glue everything together, leaving the back open to work on the inside. I reinforce the corners, gluing in quarter round and adding wood supports where I'll mount the neck and tailpiece. Since the box is short, I needed a long electric guitar neck for proper intonation. Some necks require an extension, I only added a larger heel to this one. After trimming and shaping the heel, I simply glue and screw the neck to the body keeping it square.

I measure the nut to the 12th fret, then the 12th fret to the box for the center of the reso hole. I draw a proper circle and cut the reso hole with a hand-held jigsaw. The sound holes are cut with a hole saw on a drill press. I fit the back and trim as needed, securing with wood glue and nails. The dog bowl is like any from the pet store, I just measured the diameter for a proper fit. I look for dings and dents, and for one with a good bell-like tone when tapped.

Some notes on building... If you have a guitar you'll use for parts, lay it next to the box you plan to use, note where you'll need to place the saddle and make sure you have room to cut the reso hole. Also see if you'll have to extend the neck away from the body.

Dry fit before you glue and promptly clean any excess glue as it will seal the wood pores and make staining difficult. I don't sand the wood much (only the rough edges after a cut) to leave it original. First stained with water-based maple, then covered with a pecan polystain.