Regal RD-52 Black Lightning and RC-1 Polychrome Duolian.(Editors' Guitar Player Pick)(Product/Service Evaluation)

Invented in the 1920s by the Dopyera brothers--Czechs who immigrated to the United States in 1908--the mechanically amplified resonator guitar has survived decades of shifting musical trends to become an iconic sound in American music. Three companies--Dobro, National, and Regal--produced most of the early resonator guitars. The history of these outfits is intertwined and convoluted, but here's what matters: The concept of adding an aluminum speaker cone to an acoustic to increase its volume and projection was embraced by two groups of musicians. First were the Delta bluesmen, who favored roundneck, metal-bodied guitars they held in the traditional "Spanish" playing position. Like Son House and Bukka White, these guitarists mixed bottleneck slide with fretted riffs. The second group comprised bluegrass musicians who followed the trailblazing Brother Oswald and Josh Graves--pickers who used horizontally held instruments with wood bodies and square necks. On such acoustic steel guitars, the strings are jacked high off the neck, and players use a tone bar--never fingers--to create different pitches.

Saga Musical Instruments, who now owns the Regal brand, has for some years offered imported reso guitars in both styles. I tested one of each: the RD-52 Black Lightning, a sexy wooden squareneck, and the RC-1 Polychrome Duolian, a steel-bodied roundneck blues machine.

RD-52 BLACK LIGHTNING

Named in honor of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"--British folkie Richard Thompson's ballad of a red-haired girl, a motorcycle, and death by shotgun that Del McCoury turned into a recent bluegrass hit--the RD-52 perfectly bridges the gap between affordable but boring budget squarenecks, and luscious but pricey custom models. The RD-52's solid-mahogany neck joins the laminated-mahogany body at the 12th fret with a traditional block-and-dowel neck joint. Inside, a laminated-maple soundwell sports trapezoidal ports, just like the old days. Suspended above the soundwell are a 10 9/16" spun aluminum cone, and a cast aluminum spider bridge with a maple saddle. Made by John Quarterman from a special alloy, the cone is a big deal. Tim Scheerhorn and Paul Beard use Quartermans in their custom resos, and the RD-52 is the first under-$1,000 production squareneck to feature one. Nickel-plated open-gear tuners, a chrome fan-pattern coverplate, and a chrome trapeze tailpiece round out the hardware.

Dragging out my guitar-geek toolkit, I determined the Black Lightning's critical measurements fall within vintage specs (which varied over the years). It has a 25" string scale and a burly 2" x 5/8" bone nut. Hovering 3/8" off the fretboard, the strings have a generous 2 3/8" spacing at the saddle--just right for those nickel fingerpicks--that narrows to 1 11/16" at the nut to facilitate fancy bar-and-open-string riffage. Patterned after 1930s resonator guitars built in California (as opposed to Chicago), the graceful, compact body measures 14 1/8" at the lower bout with a depth of 3 3/8".

Vintage Dobros sport a semi-matte, thin lacquer finish. By contrast, the RD-52's dark walnut stain is protected with a relatively thick, high-gloss polyester coat. Smooth and shiny, it promises to make the Black Lightning stand out onstage. The large, well-rendered, crossed lightning-bolt headstock inlay is fetching. Designed by noted engraver Greg Rich and composed of abalone and mother-of-pearl, it's sure to turn heads.

The RD-52 sounds as cool as it looks. Thanks to the trick cone and solid setup, this guitar pumps out fat bass, throaty mids, and sweet, creamy highs. Sure, you'll get more presence and nuance from a $3,000 boutique reso guitar, but the Black Lightning offers much of the magic for a fraction of the price. The frets are sweet (not that you'll ever touch 'em), the tuners are solid, the ivoroid body and neck binding is clean, and there's nary a rattle in the bowels of this beast.