As we discuss, the various woods used in conventional acoustic guitar tops and bodies have a huge influence on their sound. With resonator guitars, the difference between those with metal versus wood bodies is the chief consideration.
Metal-bodied resonator guitars
Most metal-bodied resonators have either steel or brass bodies coated with nickel. Steel is said to produce the rawer sound associated with rural blues guitarists such as Son House and Bukka White. Brass may have a somewhat rounder, more mellow tone. Vintage metal resonator guitars were often ornately decorated with engraved or etched designs. Today’s budget metal guitars often have pressed metal embellishments to keep their cost down.
Wooden-bodied resonator guitars
As mentioned above, the specific woods used have less impact in resonator guitars versus their acoustic cousins. Most are made with less expensive laminated woods rather than the solid tonewoods used in quality acoustic guitars. That said, the wooden body imparts a somewhat warmer sound with less attack and punch than a steel-bodied guitar. When players refer to a Dobro, they almost always are referring to a resonator guitar with a wood body.
