Recording King MT30 RM-991 Metal Tricone Resonator Guitar

General

Produced by renowned guitar builder National, at the close of the 1920s, the Tricone was the first resonator guitar to be designed for big volume and the now-familiar body shape was devised to give this instrument enough presence to compete with the brass and percussion sections. The Recording King RM-30 has been directly based on the original Tricone, and this ode to an innovator of a guitar still comes with that unmistakable, nicely 'hard' sound, complete with the long sustain and brilliantly rich overtones so loved by Bluegrass musicians for more than a century. Delta blues guitarists are also guaranteed to fall in love with what this resonator can do with a slide, and while the sound is definitely on point, the vintage styling of this homage to music history is not only accurate, but brilliantly authentic.

The Recording King MT30: Tricone-Style Fully Metal Body

The core of the Recording King RM-30-S is made up of three cones - hence the name, Tricone. Since the bridge is mounted at the centre of the three 6-inch cones via a special T-bar, the string vibrations are evenly distributed across the entire resonance chamber to increase and fatten up the volume as much as possible. Two of the cones are fitted below the unwound strings, and the third is mounted on the opposite side to give the Tricone its outstanding and naturally equalised tonal balance; its enveloping warmth of sound, and its incredible level of projection. The chrome-plated brass body is also finished with two grille-formed sound-holes while the cones have gauze-protected sound holes.

A Comfy Round-Neck Resonator

Compared to a 'square neck' resonator that's designed to sit on your lap or a table, the Recording King MT30 has been given an extra-wide neck with a rounded profile, so it has the snug feel of a steel-string guitar and can be comfortably played standing as well as sitting. The neck has been shaped from Honduras mahogany; a rare yet much-loved wood when it comes to building high-calibre instruments. The hard-maple bridge meanwhile ensures clear and tight note definition and has been finished with a snug palm support. Finished with a set of high-quality soil-bed machine heads and a vintage-flavoured Recording King headstock logo, this regal resonator wins every one of the cool points.