Epiphone Biscuit

williams update.
I purchased a new cone from molonator guitars in tasmania.Great friendly service. It simply slipped into the sound well. All was ok for a few days tuned to concert pitch, but when the cone settled, it was about 1\8" too low. I got a piece of masonite and stuck it on the bottom of the biscuit with craft glue, then shaped it round with a file.This brought the saddle back up to correct height. Now it sings. The cone is every bit as good as american made ones from national. Google the site to see the outrageously funky electrics that this man makes.My epi biscuit gets a lot of work now.If you find a good one first off, great. But mine responded well to a bit of work......and I learnt a lot in the process!

Came in a cardboard box....no extras. Looked good on the wall and I was comparing it to a Fender reso. It's a reso, so heavy duty laminated constructin in a nice satin mahogany wood look. Grover tuners. Small body. Nice neck, low frets.....and that shiny hubcap. Nicely understated pattern of holes.AND .....It had the look. This guitar begs attention!

Before: Quiet, banjo plonk and twang. Rude strummed sound.Little sustain. I only bought it because another reviewer suggested some changes could be made and it had potental.
After: See below. Rich warm sound with sustain. Good strummed sound, but a banjo like 'quack and'throng'if hit hard for rythym comping....if you like that sort of thing. Bell like notes at the dusty end of the fretboard. Rich slide sound.A capo on the first fret gets a lovely bare finger picking tone.I wanted a melody, single note finger picking instrument. I considered a banjo , but find this instrument more versatile. Suits Celtic, English Folk, Country Blues.

The out side looked great!. Made in Korea on a bad day. Action was a bit high for picking but OK for slide. I took the coverplate off. Two of the plate mounting screws were held in place with glue because the holes they were in were too close to the edge of the sound well and had broken open.The glue had run down to the cone. Hmmmmmmm. WARNING:This could change your opinion. Rough, very crude laminate construction of the sound well. Obvious glue and gaps. The cone was screwed to the well ridge.Worst of all, the cone mounting well was not round. It had a flat spot. The cone rim was bent to make it fit. Since I had pulled it apart, I couldn't take it back. So...I removed the 4 screws holding the cone and disposed of them. I sanded the well where it contacted the cone.I straghtened the cone rim on a flat board and then sanded it to fit without bending,into the sound well.I tightened the two biscuit retaining screws. The cone now fitted into the sound well and had an even cotact surface. The cone was now smaller than the well and could self centre on the biscuit locating hole on the coverplate. I hade to rotate the coverplate 180 degrees to reposition the coverplate screw holes so the plate would screw down right. I put a coin under the tail piece to raise it and reduce the string angle over the bridge. Now it sings like the designer intended. I wished I had done it in stages to see what made the most improvement.

Solid. This is not a guitar in the normal sense. This is the HUMMER of guitars.The body only holds the cone. Take a peak inside. This is laminated heavy duty construction. It's the cone that makes the tone. With this style of guitar, a few dings and metal corrosion will just add to it.Once set up, the Grover tuners seem to hold it in tune well. The strap buttons are a little on the small side, but you would replace them wouldn't you? This guitar could play live. It's tough. Then again you would expect that from the style of construction. Backup? Come on...Who has TWO reso's on stage?

Have not used service. It says I have a warrenty on a sticker INSIDE the guitar.

Played for thirty years. Played a lot of guitars. Brag, Brag, name drop etc...Tweaked and fiddled with setup with every guitar I have owned. Compared it with Fender wood body reso. Fender sounded lighter and prettier, more like a jangly regular guitar. Fender construction is very different design. The original design of this style guitar was cheap, tough and loud. It's all of those.But it can sing and sound dark and evocative. I like the sound of it. I enjoyed the challenge of setting it up. Try one. It's a like it or loathe it sound. [Sort of like banjo really]. I don't play slide, but it does sound nice played that way.[ D A D F# A D ]This is a mechanical insrument. It's tone comes from a metal cone,not tone woods, so it responds to adjustment and setup to get your sound. Would I buy another Epi Biscuit? Would the salesman think I was rude if I asked him to take the cover plate off?

This was a second I got with an old case I eventually replaced with
a nice used classical guitar case that fit it like a glove. I won't
go too much into the technicals, that's well covered in the early
reviews. It essentially a mohogany type dobro, with f-hole type
holes with no metal edges, giving it a sort of antique look. Finish
is natural, not sheened or real shiny, with biscuit bridge. Tuners
are great, stay in tune, accurate, and tunes quickly. Neck is
like a Gibson, very fast and easy to play on. It responds to a good
transducer pickup well.

I like to pick without fingerpicks, so the sharper sound comphensates
for the attack, giving me a great sound that I love. It's bright,
but lots of resonance, it can sound great like an old time guitar
or like a harder edged English folk type. As you can guess, I don't
do much slide on it, in fact, I've got it set up to fingerpick in
terms of action. This is one of my favorite guitars. However, a
friend who uses it occasionally when I let him gets a great slide
sound out of it so it can do the dobro if need be.

Workmanship is OK, fit is good although not outstanding, but it
has a great look and feel.

I've been playing this constantly for over a year, no scratch
yet even, although the metal parts have some tarnish. It's
a solid guitar.

The customer support is good, I dealt with them on another
guitar I had once.

Been playing since early 70s. Own an Ovation 12 elec/acous, Wasburn
B-16 banjo, sitar, and a Variax 500. This is my favorite acoustic,
and I do all my prelimary work on it before moving an arrangement
to another guitar, it's just a great guitar for the money, and an
underrated fingerpicking guitar.

I bought this new from a shop in Shreveport LA, with a Gator case. It is a biscuit bridge (surprise!) resonator guitar that looks a lot like the old Nationals, with a small body, round shoulders and a big butt (lower bout). It has the early National-style cone, colander cover, and tailpiece, and a biscuit bridge. It was neatly made in Korea, like I think all of Epiphone's gits these days. 21 frets on a mahogany neck (one piece except for the spliced-in headstock), rosewood fingerboard, Grover branded tuners and a laminated mahogany body. The body and neck are stained a walnut brown, and everything but the resonator cover, tailpiece and tuners are finished in satin. No controls, no pickup: all resonator. It has a 24-3/4" scale, slightly shorter than the standard Dobro 25". It's a very attractive little beast, and as someone pointed out, it has the look of an old-time National. No flaws in the finish; bound fingerboard & body. The stain didn't get all the way into the "f"-holes, but that's no big deal. Straight neck, good intonation, relatively low action (see below).

Nicely made: not fancy, but it's all guitar. No bells or whistles.

Biscuit bridge resos fall into two categories: awesome and pitiful. Most of the b-bridges I have played have been on the pitiful side. Unless the fit is just right, all the sound that ought to be coming out of the cone gets lost inside the guitar. When the fit IS just right, then you end up with either a large banjo or a great-sounding reso. While it is possible to buy a $200 reso and tweak it until you're happy, you can't be sure that such a beast will ever be what you want. It's like buying an electric that doesn't sound very good and expecting to put the killer pickup on it and making it magic. Well, as old Lodge Skins said, sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn't. It's a far better strategy to start with a good axe and go from there.

In other words, try before you buy. We have developed a huge culture of mail-order and internet shopping for guitars, and I guess either most players' standards are just not very high or they are easily satisfied. If at all possible, you must play an instrument before you buy it. This is true especially of low-rent resos. There are hundreds out there, and one in fifty is a good 'un. Even with my Dobro, which is the higher-price spread these days, I spent a couple of years playing every Dobro that came through town -- round necks, square necks, metal, wood -- until I found the one with THE sound, which I immediately bought.

This is a good 'un. Great sound, fast neck, lightweight, looks good, like an old sepia photograph. The sound is loud and in-your-face, and has that National twang. As an aside, I had the opportunity recently to spend some time with a '30's metal-body National, and it sounded wonderful. This one has the same sort on quack and bite to it. The National's the better guitar, but you can't touch one for what I paid for this.

It sounds terrific on blues and country (both trad and Nashville). It has a lot of personality and presence. It is not versatile, any more than any resonator is, but if you want the reso sound, you gotta have the reso.

I also have a Dobro with a spider bridge, and it has a sweet, sustaining sound that is really good for bluegrassy stuff and modern folkie, but it doesn't have the attitude that this little guy does.

Very nicely put together: no overt flaws, other than the stain not penetrating the holes in the top. Very pretty bookmatched mahogany back with strong grain, also on the top. As noted above, it's plywood. That is no problem with a reso, however, since they are like electric guitars in that the sound doesn't come from the body. In fact, I think a live body will kill some of the sound of the reso. Everything was as it should be. I have seen several low-end gits lately with misaligned tuners, but this one doesn't share that.

I plan to gig with it. It's solid like my Dobro, and the satin finish doesn't look likely to suffer. I treat my axes pretty well, and they all go in their cases when not being used. I have gigged with my Dobro for 20 years without a single problem, so I don't think I would need a backup...although, in effect, this one and the Dobro will back each other up. I haven't decided on how to tune it yet, either: right now it's in G, but it may like D better. I think A or E would not suit it because it would start to get clangy and banjo-y/

No opinion.

I have been playing bottleneck and steel slide styles for 30 years now. I play electric, pedal steel, bass, harp and Dobro. I am obsessive about my sound, which I guess every Dobro player is. The Epi won't replace the Dobro, but it'll sure add a whole new dimension to the material I can do. It appears to be rock-solid, is well put together, and it has a look that I like. If it were lost or stolen I'd look long and hard for a proper replacement. For the price, it's a stone killer deal. Again, the only caveat is that with the Epi, just as with all guitars but especially resos, try before you buy. That's the difference between winner and also-ran.

Epiphone Biscuit resonator. Mahogany body, aluminum cone. I think it's a 2000 model. The specs are covered by other reviewers so i won't bore you...

I'm writing to add to the other reviews regarding the sound of these things. These are supposed to sound pretty thin. That's just the nature of the beast. They were invented before amplifiers to be loud. The resonator is basically an aluminum speaker imbedded in the body. And loud it is. Before you try replacing the cone, i think first you should make sure the drop in height between the bridge and the tailpiece should not be too great. Too much of a difference in height will put too much pressure on the cone (the strings are being pulled really tight downward onto the cone) and kill the sustain and take what little bass is there with it. A new cone may make a difference, but it could just be that a quarterman or national cone is a bit lower (the biscuit bridge height matters too) and therefore the tension on the cone is reduced and the sound is improved. I jacked up the tailpiece with a three slivers from an old credit card (don't go too high or you'll get buzz). This made less of a drop and i'm getting more sustain, a bit more bass and a little less banjo-like sound. The cone is being allowed to vibrate more now since the pressure is reduced a bit. I like it better after the modification. I also removed the screws that were holding the cone in place on the inside. I don't know if that made a difference. I bet dropping down a gauge in strings would make a difference, too, but i have used only lights so far. Next I will put on a set of .12s made for an electric guitar, just to experiment. I play it in open G with a slide most of the time. I love the sound. But be prepared--it's thin (three friends on different occasions have described it as the "lonely blues" sound). Check out some old Son House tunes. He played a metal bodied resonator--more brash and cold sounding than mahogany--but the sound of the single cone resonator is unmistakable. If you want a strum machine, a resonator is definitely not for you, no matter what type, brand or price.

I think the action was perfect. Since it's got 14 frets to the body and it's a 24.75" scale the strings have a pretty stiff feel which is good for playing slide. But the action itself is not so low that fretting is a problem. The finish is pretty cool as others have commented. Kind of looks older than it is. I think it's not very tough, though, so be careful not to ding it up unless you want to "relicize" it quickly. I gotta say, it's well built. All the seams are good, the neck is nice and straight, even the frets are pretty good. The frets above the body are kind of rough but who cares? The tuners are good. Overall, i'm impressed with the quality. And keep in mind, National uses laminated woods for their wood-bodied guitars.

Except that the wood seems to mark up easily, it feels like a tank to me. No problem gigging live without a backup.

Been playing 20+ years. Owned everything from Squiers to Taylors to a Chapman Stick. This was my first resonator. It was well worth the $200 I paid. My only complaint is that the neck is a bit narrow but since i'm mostly sliding on this, it doesn't really matter. If this were lost or stolen, I'd probably spend the extra $150 and get a metal-bodied version to go all out for the brash, in-your-face delta blues sound. But i doubt i'd like the steel one that much better than this mahogany model (plus, we'll see how it goes with the electric strings on this one). One more trick--if you want to brighten the sound, line the inside of the body with aluminum foil. I have NOT done this but I read about it in "The Dobroist's Scrapbook" where i learned about the bridge height issue. I suggest using tape rather than glue to hold the foil in place in case you don't like the new sound. I would love it if someone would check out the modification i suggest in the "Sound" section (jack up the bridge) then change their cone and write a review on all the differences.

O kay, i am not often guilty of this, but I had to go back to the scene of the crime & add something to my review posted some 2-1/2 yrs ago. I noticed many of the other reviewers had the same opinion about the sound from the cone being a little thin, particularly at the low end. Me too. I am a famous procrastinator. For years, when buying little bits of hardware & electrical guit stuff from Stew-Mac I'd noticed they had hand-spun John Quarterman replacement cones for like, $54 or so. Friend, if you're lucky enough to have stumbled on one of these cheap little Epi resonators (I don't think they're still in production, I haven't seen one in the usual catalogues for a couple of years) don't do like I did and put it off, GET THE QUARTERMAN CONE!!! I finally got one, and it's like night & day. Got that really bossy biscuit "CLUCK" like a wood-bodied National. Tone is way more balanced and less Banjo-like. Also abt 50% louder. One nice side benefit is Quarterman sizes the cone so you've got about 1/4" wiggle room all around the edge when you drop it in the soundwell
so you can slap on the tailpiece & a few of the strings, then experiment with the fore-aft placement as well as the slant of the saddle before you put a few screws around the edge. Suddenly my intonation is right close. Who Knew? Wish I'd obeyed my 1st impulse and upgraded the durned thing when I first got it. Well worth the money and an hour's work on the kitchen table.

Well, all I can say is some of the posters have issues, and they're not about their guitars. Get a life.

Pretty straight-forward resonator, use a Feather to mike it. Mine's a round neck, blues machine. Very nice finish and materials, though it's not the Gibson "Hound Dog" that lists for $1000. If you want to whine about hi-end materials then you should be prepared to spend the money. Frankly, I think this is a fairly nice knock-off. Had it for a few years, with hardshell custom case..

Great bluesy "gin joint" sound. Nice ring and sustain, but weak bottom end. Cedar-like, earthy sound from the mah. You either like it or you don't.

Mine's perfect, outstanding nat mah finish. The coloration of binding and all around craftmanship are very nice. Only the F holes are a little ragged and give away the mass production nature of the guitar.

Action's great, any ele guitar player will have no issues with the action, general speed of the neck. It is a little wider, as you'd expect. I'd prefer vintage tall frets, but these are OK.

It's a tank. I've banged it for two years, still seems new. The nat mah finish just doesn't show scratches.

I guess I'd admit to at a few+ decades of playing, vintage and modern gear. I've never regretting buying this Biscuit, but if you have lots of guitars to choose from...others get used more often. The novelty wears off over time. The resonator-woody sound is OK, but it's limiting.

That said, it's a great value. Don't believe these reviews, go try one, it's pretty obvious.

I bought a factory second Epiphone Biscuit. I hate it because the body is laminate. Which it means the body is not even real wood. I tried raising the action but an action nut will not even fit right. Because the neck is low profile. You can't even get a good sound out of it because F-holes do not work on a laminate top. Several finnish flaws mine is an imation mahongny. If you look at it on your lap the laminate looks like painted cardboard.This is the second epiphone instrument that I recently bought with poor craftmanship.The other one is a epiphone les paul standard what junk for the prices I paid. I am tired of big companies ripping off musicians. With the ecomonic decline now we are seeing the Gibson's,Martin's,Fender's,and Epiphone's feel the hurt of everyone buying guitars from cheaper priced companies.

It is a very muffled sound,I advise anyone who is purchasing a dobro/resonator guitar stay away from F-holes and buy one with the fans especially for bluegrass music. It sounds terrible and epiphone is reintroducing them in the 2003 bluegrass line.

Very poorly made,tons of flaws and I also had to pay an additional fee to replace the cone which was not set up at the factory properly.Finish and paint flaws,and the binding does not connect.

No it would not withstand a live performance. For the money I wish I would have bought a regal,or flinthill resonator guitar with the fans.

Yes,I dealt with the customer service from Gibson/Epiphone what a joke. Inside the f-hole it is stamped 2year warranty. However Gibson/Epiphone will not honor it. Finding the right case to fit it is also a nightmare because it is an odd size,and is also smaller than most resophonic guitars.

When I purchased from worldmusicsupply.com they told me that it was brand new however they sent me a factory second. I would like to sell it but nobody would buy it.

Flat black finish and slightly yellow faux ivoroid binding + case

Strong mids - original strings bought it after previous owner played it for 10 hours.
Moans nicely. I used a brass slide rather than chrome or steel, with no finger damping, and the overtones are minimal.
Much warmer sound than all-metal units.

matte finish on neck was irritating-4 coats of carnuba wax solved this.
Action is a tad low for slide.

I'm having a pickguard custom-fit for it to protect the top from my fingernails. I'm nervous that the laminate will scar easily.

Tuners are ample.

I'm nervous about scratching the shiny chrome resonator cover.

been playing 35 years
own Gibson J 50
Valpro/National Glenwood 98
K Yairi AR 300
Menard/Degas MT 12
Roland Bolt 60 Amp
Have owned 64 Strat, Dobro 33d, 72 Les Paul, Sigma (Shannendoah copy)
Harmony, Hofner 455S, Rickenbacher, 64 Fender Deluxe reverb.

I am beating the streets for a good pickup/mike solution.

I have been playing guitar for 15 years,I had an Oscar Schmidt banjo I just bought new four months ago. I called a guitar shop yesterday and they told me that this guy was bringing an Epiphone Biscuit in on a trade. I told him what I had he ask what I paid for it. I told him $300.00 and a chipboard case. The banjo had been owned previously and I only paid $200.00 including the chipboard. But I bought the banjo off of his competer. So the Fender dealer jump on a chance to get this banjo. I also found out that the biscuit was purchased from his competer and the poor guy only got $150.00 in credit.

Yes, I play rock,blues,and bluegrass. I bought this to play bluegrass on. My father plays an older kay dobro,and he is going to teach me. I am planning on raising the action,and buying a stevens bar. Tunning G,B,D,G,B,D. I tuned down last night and was bottle necking with an old delta 88 and the sound was incredable.

The sales clerk at the store told me that the other guy thought was getting a brand new dobro for $300.00 when it was a factory second. The other store refused to give him his money back. The only blimish is under the F holes the finnish is streeked real bad. The clerk threw in a gig bag with the stores logo on it. He told me joking why don't you take it back over to that store and have him put some new strings on.

I would use this to gig with I was shocked by the weight it felt like I was playing an electric guitar. After this I think I am going to get ride of my dreadnoughts and start playing thin bodied guitars. It is so much more comfortable to play and not near as heavy.

Very helpful I am friend with the clerk, yes I even have a warranty card which I have yet to look at. It also says something about a warrenty inside the F hole.

I have always wanted one of these but these style guitars are always so expensive. I have the Biscuit,an Alverez Regent, Washburn 12 string and a violin. Yes as the clerk stated to me be careful who you do business with as a guitarist I have seen some shady guitar store tactics. Such as in certain shops look that the headstock and sometimes they will be stamped used and sold new.