Resonator Range

Marrakech Resonator

The definitive resonator designed by Pete Turner. The body and neck are entirely and lovingly handmade, with woods carefully selected both for their tonal quality and for sheer striking good looks. Great care is taken to match the machine heads to the body style, and if you choose the pickup option, the cover is even matched to the body. The spider and cone are imported from the USA. Each guitar is expertly and professionally set up by the well-known luthier Andy Warnock.

All woods are subject to availability. I will contact you to discuss and agree the actual woods that can be used. A natural oiled finish is applied if suitable for that individual wood, if not, it is lacquered. Please note that some countries - such as the USA - have restrictions on the woods that can be imported, even as part of a musical instrument.

Please see the Gallery page for examples of completed instruments, and the Ordering page for more information on how to own one of these stunning instruments.

 

I have an excellent relationship with the timber importer and I regularly check out his stock to choose just the right piece for my next project, and often find a stunning piece of wood that just cries out to be fashioned into a resonator. So please ask me what I am working on at the moment. Whatever you choose, you can be sure it will be unique in looks and sound.

 

Options

Customisation - due to fantastic feedback about the bog oak and Kaleo guitars with the gold-plated and engraved cover plate I have decided to offer options for the cover plate design and engraving. It will be available in nickel initially (gold plate if you want it!) and I will be trying out other metals. I can also heat-treat the cover plate to give an interesting 'blued' finish.  I will endeavour to meet your design ideas, or leave it to me

Pickups - Although the original aim of the resonator was increased volume, adding an electric pickup enhances its distinctive tone. As the resonator is far more sensitive to audio feedback than any semi-acoustic guitar, the design of these pickups is extremely critical. Having tried a number of commercially available pickups, I wasn’t satisfied I could find one to match the unique tonal quality of the resonator. So I engineered my own! Each is hand wound. The resultant output is in the region of 4.5 ohms.

If you choose to have a pickup fitted, then it will be discreetly covered in the same wood to match the top. If you prefer, a contrasting wood can be used

Left or right-handed - As required

Amplification - Pete Turner recommends the Lazy J range of amps as perfect partners to his resonators

 

Commissions

I am happy to consider requests for special commissions. 

Completed Projects

Resonators hand-built for my discerning customers include:

The Marrakech Runes - a special commission featuring gold-plated metalwork, it was uniquely engtaved for JJ of Icelandic band Kaleo
 
The Marrakech Cocobolo - Utilising slightly more exotic woods, this had a cocobolo top, with ziricote back and sides. The binding was in flame maple, with an Indian rosewood fretboard
 
The Marrakech Walnut - With English walnut back and sides, a birds-eye maple top, snakewood binding, mahogany neck, and cocobolo fretboard, this was a truly striking instrument
 
The Marrakech Temperance- Here the top, back, and sides were all in old stock Madagascan rosewood – you have to get it when you see it! The neck was of Indian rosewood, and the complementary fingerboard was of Amazon rosewood. It was finished in a flame maple binding
 
The Marrakech Bog Oak Gold - I had seized the opportunity to purchase some sheets of bog oak. This is an amazing wood, sourced from ancient peat bogs: my timber supplier is an acknowledged specialist in the recovery and treatment of this timber, and estimates the age of these pieces to be over 6000 years old. I used the bog oak to create the top, back and sides of the guitar. It was an unusual meltingly dark colour, which was somehow reflected in the sound too

 

Please see the Gallery for photographs of these instruments.

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