Guitarists who wish to purchase a custom wood-body guitar have countless options, but if you want a metal-body resonator guitar, your choices dwindle to a small handful. Luthier and metal worker Ron Phillips is one of a very few makers who specialize in individually-made resonator instruments. Having started building guitars loosely based on the National design in 1992, Phillips now offers a wide range of sizes and models, including metal-body ukes and mandolins.

Peghead Nation Blues Guitar instructor Orville Johnson has owned his R.E. Phillips Large Parlor model since 1999. He first met Phillips at the Centrum Blues Workshop in Port Townsend, Washington and was impressed with his guitars. He also liked that Phillips builds virtually everything (except for the tuning machines) himself, spinning the cones, doing the woodwork on the neck, etc.

Johnson’s guitar, which he demonstrates in this video and plays in several of his Blues Guitar course lessons, has a cutaway body made from German silver, a biscuit-style resonator, and an African mahogany neck. He uses light-gauge strings and keeps it set up with action that works well for both slide and standard playing. The guitar is also outfitted with a Schertler pickup.

To study guitar with Orville Johnson, enroll in his Blues Guitar or Fingerstyle Blue Guitars course now!

Fraulini Angelina Fingerstyle blues virtuoso Mary Flower demonstrates her vintage-inspired flattop. Read More

Preston Thompson PKT A limited edition re-creation of a special Thompson dreadnought. Read More

2005 Schoenberg 000 Cutaway Peghead Nation instructor Doug Young demonstrates his Bruce Sexauer-built 12-fret 000. Read More

2012 Collings SJ Indian Custom A slightly modified example of Collings’ popular small jumbo model. Read More

Santa Cruz DBB A great baritone with a 12-fret dreadnought body. Read More

2021 Collings 001 14-Fret T Custom An all-mahogany small-body from the Collings Traditional series. Read More

Bourgeois SJ Custom A special SJ model built with Adirondack spruce and curly maple. Read More

Preston Thompson 0-14 SMM A contemporary take on an all-mahogany classic. Read More

Sexauer JB-16 An innovative small jumbo with a multi-scale fingerboard and an asymmetrical body. Read More

2019 Hiroshi Suda 000 Bluegrass/jazz flatpicker Grant Gordy discusses and demonstrates his current favorite flattop. Read More