I Changed This On My Guitar And It Made All The Difference
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- Thanks to Ben Calhoun down at Big House Guitars in Atlanta Ga for helping me out with the bridge swap. And thanks to @MuleResonatorGuitars for sending down this beautiful new machined T bridge, go check out the documentary they made about the design and machining process here:
• Ballad of the Billet T...
If you want to learn more about Mule Guitars, check out their website (this video was not sponsored by Mule)
www.muleresophonic.com/
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0:00 Intro
1:25 Playing Demo Stock Form
2:02 What Is a Resonator Guitar?
3:35 In My Time Of Dying
4:22 Swapping The T Bridge
8:02 Let's Compare the bridges
9:00 Editor Rhett jumps in
10:07 Let's Hear it some more
10:27 Final Thoughts
I preferred the Cast Bridge by far, as it had the Old Timey Resonator sound that I like.
Same
I agree. Lol original had a more slightly "scooped" tone.
I can definitely hear a difference. I think in a band environment, the new bridge would be way better in the mix. That brightness lends to clarity. But to just sit and play alone, I think I would prefer the duller, rounder sound of the old bridge. I think the key is they are "different" but in a vacuum, neither is better; it just depends on what you want for the sound. Having options is nice!
Huge difference! Personally, I would keep the cast piece
I am with you. the clearer sound of the cnc is not what to look when playing a resonator
completely agree, old one sounded better. darker, muddy
Yep, agreed. Less warmth with new bridge. Me no like
same!
The CNC bridge makes it sound more “modern” to my ear. I like it…
With the new bridge, it sounds more like a banjo. I liked the old bridge better.
I, for one, share this opinion!
Agreed, old bridge - Mo' Better Tone!
I liked the old one better too
Yeah, I thought the same thing.
I actually really liked the extra warmth of the cast bridge
Reminds me to when I changed the trem block of my strat to a brass one. It made it sound so different, that it became the best clean guitar ever... sadly I never played clean
Thanks so much, first time for me seeing inside a resonator guitar! What a brilliant video :) Really love your content Rhett 100% lovin it
I appreciate both versions. Big contrast. The cast iron is mellow and sweet but the new on has more of a percussiveness/punch to the initial transient of the sound.
Completely agree, more sustain and eq has shifted, now brighter and midrange has changed, but I think the cast bridge sounded dirtier, which to me was more in keeping with blues. Probably originals in 1920’s didn’t have cnc parts
BEAUTIFUL Gift. Resonators are so unique and so nice to chill with. Very nice.
I like it. The tone appears a little brighter, it's also clearer, more definition. Definitely keep it.
Sounds pretty good. With the right slide, I bet Josh Scott could really make it sing.
EQ & volume balanced nicely across the board. Mids sound great.
Weight of the bridge and rigidity of the alloy used. The billet the new one was made from was rolled. This adds tension and stiffness to the metal that remains in the part that is milled out. The cast one has no tension when it is made so is "floppier". The mass is less on the new one so the metal part is easier for the string vibration to move. I changed the biscuit on my reso for a much lighter one and the difference was similar.
I love the new sound!! much clearer and brighter
I’d stick with the machined bridge if it was mine, definitely sounds richer/livelier and more vocal! I hear ya about keeping the old bridge on hand though, still sounds great in its own way
Thank You Greatly...Ive Been Dreaming of This !!! Cheers AAA
Nice slide work! And the guitar sounds great.
Very cool. And your choice of what to play for this video were quite tasty.
Thank you for teaching me how resonators work rhett
Awesome video as always dude. 👌
Super interesting Vid ,Rhett. Thanks for sharing that. I have often wondered what the difference was between these resonator guitars.
Nice to see the reso again Rhett!
Long live the Mule! I love those guys.
I like the tone of both bridges. You can't go wrong with any of the Mule guitars and I hope to own one someday. After listening a few times with headphones, I do prefer the new bridge a little more, because of the punch and sustain. It's like mixing in a little of what a single cone would offer, but having much more sustain, in my opinion. That may work in a mix better, but it's good you decided to keep both.
Machined maintains better/more uniform molecular structure, hence better transmisson of sound...similar to uniform grain in wood and its effect. Cool.
Great work Rhett, one of my favourite instruments in the right hands e.g. Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke or your good self 🥰 I think you will be glad you have the option of swapping the bridges in the future to suit recording or performing requirements depending on whether you want a cleaner sound (new) or a more gritty, complex sound (old) 👍
Oh man! I like them both! The CNC bridge gives you that "stand out front in a crowded mix" tone. The cast bridge is warmer and smokier. More for backing up a singer. . .
Honestly I thought I was listening to fresh vs old strings the first time. Then Rhett said they were both fresh sets. It is a lot brighter with the new piece! The old piece definitely had a bit more of that swampy dark sound to me, but the new piece probably sits better in a lot of band mixes and has better articulation. It’s cool that you can swap it fairly easily now! Options are a good thing and for Rhett that makes a lot of sense!
Rhett, I think you nailed it with the sound difference. The old bridge is a little warmer, the new bridge a little bit brighter and probably projects a little bit better. It did seem a little bit louder but definitely brighter. Definitely keep your bridge hanging around but in a bad situation, the new bridge will punchthrough in my opinion. It’s kinda like Peter Green‘s nasal med position sound that he employed so well on his guitar Greenie. The dobro is a different sound than Peter Green, but you get my meaning it’s that nasal higher pitch residence that punches through.
First tought "is my hearing that bad", then I saw others also prefered the old, cast bridge.
Coolest part of the video is the Ampeg fridge cabinet 🤘🏼
I have had a craving for this guitar for a really long time. :) ❤
I am not surprised AT ALL... I see this very little in the youtube world, but changing a bridge on electric guitar makes almost as much difference as changing pickups. its HUGE, way more than the wood, for example (in my personal "testing").
So here I leave my suggestion to Rhett - get good quality but different material bridges for one of your favorite guitars and make the test. I`m very sure you`ll be very surprised, as in this video.
In my case I changed both a LP Special and a Japanese v1 Revstar for ABM bridges, machines in Germany very high quality stuff and both guitars sound changed massively.
Ordered one for my mule!
you content always is amazing and entertaining
3:27. In My Time of Dying!! Awesome Rhett!! Thank you!! So I can die eeeesy... 🎶 🎵
i like your review - that's why i still watch you and have dropped others.
To me , that sounds like right in the sweet spot between parlor and banjo: bright, but not too bright - warm, but not too warm tending to be mellow/dull.
Love it!
... and the metallurgy is evident in the differencce between the two brigdes 🙂
I like the lighting you have there. I think lighting helps with creativity.
I inherited a 1936 Dobro from my grandfather and had it restored by the Dobrio Bros in Orange County CA. They tried to "buy" my resonator in that Dobro and "upgrade" it with a modern and "improved" one. I was expecting this, of course, and politely refused. It was really surprising to me that the original config on that Dobro included a rubber bridge saddle. I was happy to replace that with a bone saddle. All of that said, it looks like your resonator was taken to an entirely different level..
The sound is much smoother!
that sounds beautiful
I'm not a mechanical engineer (I'm an EE), but my assumption is that because cast aluminum is much softer and less dense, it can't transfer high frequencies nearly as well as the harder, more dense billet aluminum piece. Being "softer" it will absorb more high frequencies.
Nice to have options, but can also be a mind bender!
One difference that jumped out to me was the new CNC'd bridge made the guitar sound warmer....could listen larger... easier on the ear..what a real change.. loved the video and the whole changeover process
I thought the original one sounded fuller and sounded good on it's own. But the new one had more mids and probably cuts through a mix better. Would have been nice hearing them with drum and bass tracks. Like you said, no one was better, just different. 😊👍
Brilliant difference.
it is a huge difference!! idk what i like more... i dont think i really have a preference. I like it both!
Remins me of one time talking to a very good luthier who was rebuilding my strat - he was shimiming the neck with a piece of maple and told me that he'd had a late 50s strat in with a shim made from a folded cigarette packet. He cut a new maple shim and fitted it, then took it out and replaced the cardboard becaue it sounded better. In this case I liked the funky cast bridge.
Dude, you sound brilliant with each one, no difference
I like it. It got that punchy high midrange just like a National now.
I believe the cast bridge sounds darker because of its shape, the milled bridge is flat on the back side, the cast one has indentions from being pressed, so it changes how the sound moves through it. It also could be a weight thing, generally heavier objects seem to sustain lower frequencies better. Likewise, in order to cast something, you first have to melt it, the way it flows & then cools actually changes the structure, and can make metals stronger. Those are my 3 hypotheses. Mind you, I’m no metallurgist, I just took shop in school years ago.
I personally liked the old bridge better. Cheers!
Whenever I hear this 1:38 I imagine a movie where the camera's panning across a dusty desert with tumble weeds rolling by, a squeaky sign creaking, an old pickup truck pulling up to an old fashioned gas pump...
Expect another massive change in tone when you swap out the maplewood bridge insert for one made out of ebony, rosewood, bone or graphite ...
I love Mule guitars. Their Mavis Mule is one of my favorites ever. I don't know if my playing skill level will ever get high enough to justify spending that much money for a guitar though since I'm just a hobby player.
Also I still miss the 'there is no plan B line". It was unique to your channel.
Awesome Sauce
It made a difference. But for better? Great video. Thanks!
Very cool. I’ve never seen the inside of a resonator. Son House lived in Rochester and worked for the NYC railroad and played one.
Different alloys might affect it too. Also you should anneal after machining Al. A company I previously ran made optical components and different alloys responded very differently. Most needed annealing after machining or else we’d find they changed dimensionally over time. Also coatings can play a role. Consider a hard coating on the part.
Hi Rheet,
You might also like to try Callahams CNC machined steel ABR-1 bridge for Gibson style guitars. It also transforms the tone of those instruments in a similar way. I have been using one in my Ibanez AS 103 for over ten years now. It definitely makes a massive difference to the sustain, attack and brightness to each of the instruments that I have installed them in. Its offers a very different sound and feel if you want to explore something unique. Thanks everything you share, it's inspiring.
As usual Rhett, awesomely interesting with a wonderfully choice of tune samples so as to make your point!! In other words, Another Good One Rhett!!
Great video Rhett! Resonator guitars are just fascinating beasts.
As you and I tend to like a lot of the same kinds of music, I would steer you to Chris Whitley’s “Dirt Floor” album which is all solo resonator laying recorded live to one mic. Also, the amazing Bruce Cockburn has a great solo resonator song “Sunrise on the Mississippi” in open C which is a great showcase piece and easy to learn. There was a transcription of it in Acoustic Guitar magazine years ago that you can track down
Chris Whitleys Dirt Floor truely is a master piece. Great recommendation! To me it was the reason to get into resonators 15 years ago :)
At first I thought is had a bit more clarity to the sound. But it being louder with a bit more mid and high range notes with the bass reduced in it made since. That's where I was getting that clarity from.
Personally I liked the sound of the cast piece better. That darker tone ❤
I like the brighter tone of the new bridge
Damn you, Rhett! Now I want a resonator! 😂
I think both sounds are every usable. In terms of the ‘night and day’ difference between them, I don’t know, it might be one of those feel things. In the end if the new sound inspires you to write new music, perfect!
I can hear a difference. The new bridge makes it project more, with more clarity and personality.
Both sound great, but I do prefer the cast bridge. Though I can imagine the CNC being easier to bring out it a mix.
Apples and oranges. I like 'em both. Nice channel Rhett.
thanks , I did not know how a resonator was constructed inside.
New one is much brighter sounding , I like it it a lot better then the old one.
Casting aluminum is a vanishing art. Sand casting is the most common, and I can't fault Mule for going that way. There are two primary issues with sand casting.
1: The sand can get drawn into the metal, causing inclusions. The sand is also filled with air, which can bubble through the metal as it cools, causing more inclusions.
2: The metal does not cool at a consistent rate everywhere. This means there are hard spots throughout the cast.
Billett metals have the advantage of uniform curing. This makes the crystalline structure uniform. They are also made in a manner to eliminate inclusions.
If you have a yen for experimentation, start sanding down the T-bridge. Round off a sharp edge. Thin down the arms on the underside by .010". Sand off the casting scale. I wager your bass response will improve.
I love that gem!!! That new bridge makes a huge difference. Is it better? That’s subjective to one’s taste. I love the sound of both bridges. My preference is the new upgrade. Because of it’s brighter tone. Kinda like comparing a Tele and Strat bridge pickup. Love them both but the Tele has more bite. Thanks Rhett
I like the old bridge but I listened closely with good headphones and suggest maybe going up one string gauge with the new bridge to adjust to brighter tone. Great video Rhett!
Cool vid. Mules are great. Met Matt last year at a small guitar showcase where I live. Cool dude. Didn't have a fancy booth or anything, just two guitars on a foldout table. An acoustic and electric (mavis). I want both so bad now. The Mavis had the best neck I've ever put my hands on. I dream about that neck (soft v).
Huge différence!
I obviously don’t know what it feels like in hands, but when listening to the guitar being recorded, the cast bridge sounds way better for my taste.
For recording, waaaay easy to make the old one sound like the new one. Good like getting that low end out of the new one.
Honestly, it's hard to tell over the internet. So I'll have to take your word for it. 😎
I like the Cast
This guitar really works just like a banjo so it can cut through the orchestra.
I have a luthier built tricone for around 25 years which is great for slide - but the action is very difficult to adjust unlike a conventional acoustic. Such a changeable bridge unit where by a different bridge height can be changed/ adjusted would be great> i use very heavy strings and tune i open C
I much preferred the sound of the old one. Seems like a more balanced tone; very authentic.
Density, in a word. The difference in density causes different resonance frequencies. Also the crystalline structure of the metal when made.
That’s exactly what I was gonna say
Yep, the crystalline structure of a material is key to the attack, sustain and frequency response. Like tonewood 🫢. Green wood is dull in attack, sustain and frequency response. Once dried, the resins crystallise and attack, sustain and frequency response all increase. Better or worse is up to the individual
It sounds brighter, cleaner with more volume.
The weight of the bridge piece is probably a big contributing factor to the sound. Objects with less mass absorb vibrations much easier than something with more mass, so a lighter bridge would probably resonate more than a heavier one. I'm curious to know how a wood or even carbon fiber bridge would sound.
Its that, and actually how the material is processed. Its a porosity problem. Essentially, more porosity in the material=more vibration absorbtion. When casting a metal, porosity is common, whereas when machining a material from a billet, porosity is minimized. This is also why brass saddles, steel trem blocks, etc will have more sustain.
Also, another cool factoid: vibration absorbtion is also dependent on the joints between two materials. If you have two similar materials being joined together, they will vibrate relatively evenly, whereas with two dissimilar materials distortions in the vibrations will occur at the interface of those two materials. This phenomenon explains why neck thru>set neck>bolt on in terms of sustain.
@@thecompanyfront5935 Yeah, the grain structure of cast aluminum and something like the very common 6061 aluminum used for machining are very different from each other...cast is very uneven and loose, sort of like an asphalt road, and 6061 is more compact and tight like a concrete road...both are made with rocks and binding agents, but one is clearly stronger and denser than the other...
the dog is liking it!
Love you Rhett!
Trying to explain this big difference: at first, it is noticeable at 4:59 that the bridges designs differ. The CNC design and the cast design may have different overal stiffnesses and masses, and therefore different natural frequencies, so they vibrate diferently in the guitar. The CNC looks stiffer and sounds stiffer when you "ring" them. Regarding to a difference in material, material specs are not mentioned, but you potentially have a more accurate microstructural control on a big slab of aluminum to be machined. The cast one may have some sort of micro porosities so to say (it is a rough guess, though), that could damp vibration a little. I'd guess it is a combination of both design and material. However, in my opinion, both sounds are perfectly usable as mentioned. Thanks for your videos.
Super clean & warm, more like a dobro due to your playing technique. More Mark Knoffler than Johnny Winter.
The cast part is dark and warm but the cnc part is brighter louder and sounds fuller.
Edit if you adjust the thickness of the t bridge it should shift the eq.
You could sell that cast bridge as a "played by Rhett Shull" piece of gear and I'm sure the Mule devotees would scramble for it. This was an interesting compare and contrast between original and updated, I assumed that resonators were resonators and the only thing that gets switched out are the strings. Cool to see Mule continuing to innovate.
I love the red streak on the rosewood fretboard!
A bit of an educated guess but the density would make a huge difference along with the crystalline structure of each material. The process for making a billet of solid material requires controlling cooling times for desired properties/crystal size. Not a metallurgist but thinking that may be a direction to explore.
Sweet! gives me ideas for a uniquely instrument of my own, plus swapable bridges for action! Thanks for the jumping off point Brother!
Noticeably better - sounds really good. Nice playing Rhett!
LOL, I hadn’t heard Rhett say “sweeter” yet
Smoother too
Nice Robert Johnson riff!
I think the dog loves it😄
I liked the warmth of the old bridge, but the clarity was a nice change