Fender Resonator

[KeithAlanK]

A friend dropped this off a few days ago:


It needs a new nut:


I imagine they are pretty rare--I've never seen one before.
Any info would be appreciated regarding original nut material, history of production, string recommendations, etc.

Thanks.

[Bongolation]

Fender FR-51.

Short-lived gimmick bass based on their atrocious FR-50 resophonic which was notable for bending (and therefore wrecking) a flat resonator assembly to fit a slightly arched top, one of the most brainless pieces of idiocy I've seen in working on instruments for over forty years.

Unclear if this gem evinced the same structural design brilliance.

These had the standard urea nut, but anything will work.

In that this uses a magnetic pickup, go for electric bass strings, not acoustic bass strings, and stay on the light side. Short scale, I believe.

[moonshinegtrs]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

Fender FR-51.

Short scale, I believe.

Very short scale. 27.7"

Moonshine

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

Fender FR-51.

Short-lived gimmick bass based on their atrocious FR-50 resophonic which was notable for bending (and therefore wrecking) a flat resonator assembly to fit a slightly arched top, one of the most brainless pieces of idiocy I've seen in working on instruments for over forty years.

Unclear if this gem evinced the same structural design brilliance.

These had the standard urea nut, but anything will work.

In that this uses a magnetic pickup, go for electric bass strings, not acoustic bass strings, and stay on the light side. Short scale, I believe.

Normally I'm whining about Fender building something wonderful and then immediately discontinuing it. In this case they built something awful and didn't discontinue it fast enough! Supposedly the FR-51 bass was made for just one year. 2003.

One of the local blues dudes had one. Absolutely one of the most hideous instruments EVER! Bongolation forgot to mention that in addition to all the horrible features he mentioned, it had the most hideous bass tone you ever heard. Someone on the Fender Forum suggested an EMG-HB pickup to improve the tone.

Tone is hard to improve, however, because there is no Piezo on the resonator. Hence resonator tone cannot be heard AT ALL! So the bottom line is the hideous thing is TOTALLY for looks. Anyway the whole idea was stupid because resonator tone is mostly a kind of reverb sound on the highest notes. Thus, to make the thing work for a bass it'd have to be something REALLY bright like say a 6 string Stingray etc. As a 4 string the whole idea is crap!

If it had a piezo on the resonator and you used light rounds and played with a pick it MIGHT be some kind of useful novelty effect, but don't expect much!

[lug]

Probably the worst bang-for-the-buck bass I've ever played in my entire life.

[moonshinegtrs]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

Normally I'm whining about Fender building something wonderful and then immediately discontinuing it. In this case they built something awful and didn't discontinue it fast enough! Supposedly the FR-51 bass was made for just one year. 2003.

One of the local blues dudes had one. Absolutely one of the most hideous instruments EVER! Bongolation forgot to mention that in addition to all the horrible features he mentioned, it had the most hideous bass tone you ever heard. Someone on the Fender Forum suggested an EMG-HB pickup to improve the tone.

Tone is hard to improve, however, because there is no Piezo on the resonator. Hence resonator tone cannot be heard AT ALL! So the bottom line is the hideous thing is TOTALLY for looks. Anyway the whole idea was stupid because resonator tone is mostly a kind of reverb sound on the highest notes. Thus, to make the thing work for a bass it'd have to be something REALLY bright like say a 6 string Stingray etc. As a 4 string the whole idea is crap!

If it had a piezo on the resonator and you used light rounds and played with a pick it MIGHT be some kind of useful novelty effect, but don't expect much!

+1000 on your comment about quality/sound of this bass.

I do not agree with your other comments though. Resonator basses do have their quirks, but to say that "as a 4 string the whole idea is crap!" is... uhhh, Crap!

I used one of my reso basses in an acoustic (read: plugged in ) gig this weekend. Originally was going to play upright, but wanted something more portable; The reso kicked butt. I use Labella tape wound strings as I find that they are perfect for these basses.

I used the magnetic p/u w/ a little of the piezo dialed in; made for a very cool, kinda pseudo upright tone. even with the mag. p/u on only, it still picks up some of the hollow body/ resonator tone.

Strictly my opinion... You know what they say about opinions.

Moonshine

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by moonshinegtrs

+1000 on your comment about quality/sound of this bass.

I do not agree with your other comments though. Resonator basses do have their quirks, but to say that "as a 4 string the whole idea is crap!" is... uhhh, Crap!

I used one of my reso basses in an acoustic (read: plugged in ) gig this weekend. Originally was going to play upright, but wanted something more portable; The reso kicked butt. I use Labella tape wound strings as I find that they are perfect for these basses.

I used the magnetic p/u w/ a little of the piezo dialed in; made for a very cool, kinda pseudo upright tone. even with the mag. p/u on only, it still picks up some of the hollow body/ resonator tone.

Strictly my opinion... You know what they say about opinions.

Moonshine

I don't entirely disagree with you. But you were playing a resobass with a piezo too! I've heard this Fender FOH and it not only sounded awful, but I could NOT detect even a hint of reso sound! Sure it's a hollow body, so you are going to get some hollowbody sound, but reso? Only for looks as far as I can see.

I don't own any reso basses (mostly because of the above experiences made me extremely skeptical of their value. But I do have MANY reso guitars of all types. My comments on a 4 string are based on my observation that even on guitars the best reso sound (but not the only, of course) is on the highest couple of strings. Generally for the lowest guitar strings (going down toward the bass range) it is essential to mix in the magnetic to bring the deep bass up and give it some tone.

So if you have found a way to get a decent reso tone out of a reso bass, that's great and I'd like to hear about it, but up to now I've been pretty skeptical! I know what you are talking about with the upright tone (my semi-hollow Carvin AC50 with tape-wound Labellas does that in spades!) But that is a different thing from reso tone!

[KeithAlanK]

Interesting comments--thanks!

Originally Posted by Bongolation

In that this uses a magnetic pickup, go for electric bass strings, not acoustic bass strings, and stay on the light side.

That's what I thought. There's a new set of phosphor bronzes in the case, but maybe he's planning on using it on the porch unplugged only? I need to ask him some stuff, obviously.

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

So the bottom line is the hideous thing is TOTALLY for looks.

Yep.

I believe this thing was originally conceived as a Fender product-placement prop for TV commercials about a year or two before it was released. First sighting was in some cornball Garth Brooks fake lipsynch porch hootenanny in a Dr. Pepper commercial.

Should have been a tipoff right there.