Busy, busy, busy!

[Russ Gannicott]

I'm having real trouble getting my head around the fact that it's July - it feels like march or april and I keep thinking there's lots of time until the summer! All of a sudden everything has crept up on me - last week I did PA for a 'battle of the bands' contest (hate the bloody things!) - Ash's band came third but by universal agreement had the best guitarist and prettiest groupies! This weekend my band are playing a 'real cider and cask ale' festival - it's a dirty job but someone has to do it. Weird thing, we are popular all of a sudden with the 'pretty young thing/university set' - seems like it's taken forty years, but all of a sudden prog/folk/rock has become trendy!
Next week we are involved with a two day youth festival - me doing the PA for two stages and Ash playing at every chance he can. His Drummer has just bought a Cajon, so they can do acoustic material which means Ash is going to have to come out from behind his Sessionette and Coloursound Wah pedal!
He has now started talking seriously about doing more acoustic based material in the band's set, so here the 'anorak' question; what he really wants to do is play a resonator..(?) Does anyone have any experience of the very cheap ones that are currently available on ebay? I know I'm probably way off line with this, but they all seem to sound the same to me..cheap or expensive, they all sound like...well, resonators! Is it really just down to what feels right, irrespective of cost? From my point of view, I can see one as the sort of guitar you might use for a couple of songs in a set, therefor if you can get away with a cheapie, it's worth doing, if not, don't bother unless you are considerably better off than I am! Also, most don't seem to have pick-ups......what the hell do you do about that?
Answers on a postcard please.........

Cheers,
Russ

[Bob Wilson]

Hi Russ
You will have to pay around £200 for a decent Dobro style.
Fender do a good one for around £180 and Hudson do a good one for about £200 (electro acoustic).
Check out Cranes of Cardiff or ebay as there are quite a few electro acoustic out there. If not you'll have to mike it up
Osark used to do a brilliant one, but unfortunately, I don't think they make it any more. Great to see Ash is so open-minded about his music and is trying different things.
Good luck with the search
Bob

[Roger]

Russ,

Where is your w/e gig?

All the best,

Roger

[Russ Gannicott]

Hi Roger - the gig is at a pub in Christchurch called the Salisbury Arms. They hold an annual beer and music fest which is usually pretty busy and damned good fun! Apart from the main bar, there is a barn with all the real ales racked up, and a marquee in the grden for acoustic music during the day.
You in the area then?
Russ

[Roger]

Russ,

Unfortunately it's looking a little unlikely now, but we would like to get to see you and Ash play sometime.

Good luck with the gig.

All the best,

Roger (&Em)