WTB. Michael Messer resonator
Comments
Have you tried his (excellent) website? Its the Tin Can Alley section
Is Bristol too far up the M5 Mark ? There’s this one if not -
Michael Messer Lightning resonator guitar with National Slimline pickup
Price:£690
https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/michael-messer-lightning-resonator-guitar-with-national-slimline-pickup/1490685041??utm_source=unknown&utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=Social
@KDS i was going to stick a wtb on there tomorrow, hi @DrCornelius thanks Con too far right now as me back is playing up. Thanks though
Bump
I’ve always been a bit fascinated by the vibe around these Michael Messer resonators. Why are they thought to be better than any other Chinese manufactured post-production set up resonators? I bought a Regal RC51 tricone and got it set up by my mate Earl Marsh who is a luthier. Always been pleased with that.
They are good value though. The Michael Messer Blues 12 fret single cone is on their website at £889 whereas most Regal resonators retail for more than £1K new now, even though I suspect most of these rebranded Chinese manufactured resonators originate in the same factory.
So are MM popular because of setup and cost?
MM had built a very solid reputation over the years amongst the Reso community the main attraction for myself is the set up and the fact I have played a few, and owned one before, they were all good sounding guitars.
From my understanding Michael has been very specific about what he wants from each model, they are produced in relatively small runs that he personally checks over and then they are well set up prior to shipping. There is more of a personal investment in making sure the guitar in your hands is playable and a pleasure to play. That’s not to say there aren’t great guitars to be had from other brands as many will confirm on the MM forum, just a greater consistency.
+1, here are a few more points I got to know about Michael and his resonators in the recent years:
Michael is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the field: there are plenty of examples on his forum where he helps others in identifying their resos found in a cupboard after 50 years collecting dust etc. He's a very passioned and dedicated person, always eager to help others and share his knowledge.
MM did a tremendous amount of research to make resos as close as possible to the original designs by Dopyera family. He was one of the first (if not the first) to start making them in China to provide the best value-cost trade-off and many other brands followed up later by incorporating his findings into their products (while pricing higher).
As mentioned above, resos are made in small batches in a small family-owned factory over there. So it's not the same factory all other brands are using. All of the resos are being shipped to him to go through exhaustive checks and a proper setup, which is essential to resonators imo. Sadly, the list of luthiers who knows how to do some work on resonators is very short. And even if your local luthier has a decent reputation, they might not perform a good job on resos... I know that from personal experience as a "good" local luthier butchered my reso
MM also provides the best customer service out there. I was new to resonators when I contacted him with a whole lot of questions. After a series of emails, I became a very happy owner of MM Blues. This is one of the best value for money guitars I've ever owned. Throughout the years, Michael helped me many times not only with my MM Blues, but also with other resos I own. I don't want to share details publicly, but the generosity of that help is so remarkable that it's close to be unbelievable
So all in all: MM resonators are amazing guitars with a great setup and an outstanding customer service. All that while being priced similarly or lower than big brands. tbh, it's kinda no brainer. Every so often new folks ask for an advice on which reso to get. They usually ask it on MM forum because, well, it is a go-to forum for reso players. Naturally, Michael stays away from commenting and advertising his resonators in these posts. But the answer is provided by the community and is definitive
Michael is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the field: there are plenty of examples on his forum where he helps others in identifying their resos found in a cupboard after 50 years collecting dust etc. He's a very passioned and dedicated person, always eager to help others and share his knowledge.
MM did a tremendous amount of research to make resos as close as possible to the original designs by Dopyera family. He was one of the first (if not the first) to start making them in China to provide the best value-cost trade-off and many other brands followed up later by incorporating his findings into their products (while pricing higher).
As mentioned above, resos are made in small batches in a small family-owned factory over there. So it's not the same factory all other brands are using. All of the resos are being shipped to him to go through exhaustive checks and a proper setup, which is essential to resonators imo. Sadly, the list of luthiers who knows how to do some work on resonators is very short. And even if your local luthier has a decent reputation, they might not perform a good job on resos... I know that from personal experience as a "good" local luthier butchered my reso
MM also provides the best customer service out there. I was new to resonators when I contacted him with a whole lot of questions. After a series of emails, I became a very happy owner of MM Blues. This is one of the best value for money guitars I've ever owned. Throughout the years, Michael helped me many times not only with my MM Blues, but also with other resos I own. I don't want to share details publicly, but the generosity of that help is so remarkable that it's close to be unbelievable
So all in all: MM resonators are amazing guitars with a great setup and an outstanding customer service. All that while being priced similarly or lower than big brands. tbh, it's kinda no brainer. Every so often new folks ask for an advice on which reso to get. They usually ask it on MM forum because, well, it is a go-to forum for reso players. Naturally, Michael stays away from commenting and advertising his resonators in these posts. But the answer is provided by the community and is definitive
thanks