Resonator tenor guitar question - Royall Triolian '29 long scale

Hello, this is my first post although I have been reading here on and off since I started playing a tenor guitar about a year and a half ago.

I enjoyed the tenor so much that I bought a wood body six-string resonator, but after a year found that I simply like playing the tenor better. However the tenor does tend to get drowned out in a group, and I don't like having to hammer on my instruments to be heard, so am now looking for a tenor resonator.

Royall makes a nice looking 25" long scale Triolian wood body reso tenor guitar, and I would get it without hesitation EXCEPT that it not only has the long scale, but a full-width guitar nut (1-11/16) like my six-string, so very wide string spacing. My current tenor is a little Ibanez 23" scale, with a regular tenor kind of nut (1-1/4 maybe). I love the ease of making chords on the tenor, but not sure this would translate to the wide and long Royall neck.

Does anybody have any suggestions, advice, input, etc? Or, know someone making a wood-bodied resonator tenor guitar with a normal tenor dimensions?

I did find an old post here by a member named Bertram Henze, who had a video of him playing what looked like the Royall. Maybe somebody here has a way to forward my question to him?

Thank you for any and all ideas!

echo chamber

National make a wood bodied version of their tenor guitar. The scale length is 23". I've got one.... its great and would highly recommend it.

I believe that there is another one listed on Reverb at the moment.

Thank you, Rob, for the fast reply, much appreciated! Unfortunately that National is out of my price range. The Royall is about my limit.

Rob, do you find your tenor resonator to be a versatile instrument? I am hoping to make this my main guitar.

Ben Bonham makes wood bodied resonator tenor guitars.

NFI, but here's an example: https://reverb.com/item/65479218-bon...onfmJpxEYn8RVk

Both Royall and Republic *made* tenor resonators with arund 23" scale lengths. Not wood bodied if I recall. The Royalls had that small triangular body. I think both companies made them as biscuit bridges.

I own two of the Republics. I got both as the supply started to dry up. They sound loud and sweet, not brash, and people are often surprised when they hear them first before seeing them. "Oh! That doesn't sound like a resonator!"

I play one instrument (Ovation 12-string guitar) which is converted to unison tuning and tuned in full fifths at a 25.5". If it wasn't so amazing and didn't cover all the ground it does, I'd have abandoned it long ago. As it stands, I now generally limit octave tuned EADG instruments to around 20".

I don’t know Royall’s manufacturing methods but why not contact them and ask if there is any possibility of putting a shorter and narrower neck on one of their tenor bodies. I guess they could say no but you never know otherwise. I sort of understand the longer scale but not the wider neck. I am guessing they didn’t want to create special necks for their tenors?

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask them, as well as why they chose the wide neck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rob Boyett

I believe that there is another one listed on Reverb at the moment.

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Gulp: https://reverb.com/item/54009716-nat...-2022-mahogany

I have, and have had, many resonator tenor guitars. My favorite is a DelVecchio: punchy yet sweet. Here is one listed on the 'net that appears to be in good shape at a reasonable price. NFI https://shop.chorocamp.com/products/...r-guitar-1950s It'll be much easier to play than the long scale you're thinking about.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by echo chamber

Rob, do you find your tenor resonator to be a versatile instrument? I am hoping to make this my main guitar.

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Very much so! Its got a great, warm tone. I've used it for blues, fiddle tunes and even a bit of classical. If I could play jazz, I'm sure that would sound good as well. Of all the instruments I've bought, this one exceeded my expectations by the biggest margin.