We have seen … These won't hurt your leg in most positions which is why they are used. LEARN MORE! However, it is honestly better in the long run to simply sell your open-back and buy one with a resonator. Originally developed from various banjo styles, Snowbird banjos are simple and elegant and can be made as ornate as desired with hand cut inlay. It would be cheaper in the long run. Put simply, a resonator banjo is going to be louder and brighter. Using three di erent methods of sound production, evaluated using three di erent criteria of loudness, it is found that the common alternatives, e.g., open back or at plate back… For around the same price as Rogue’s open-back, you can opt for their basic resonator banjo, the B30 Deluxe. Now I would likely use a different bracket for mounting a resonator on your banjo, but those are difficult to buy after market. Deering Banjo Company 3733 Kenora Dr. Spring Valley, CA USA 91977 | 800-845-7791 | info@deeringbanjos.com Sign Up To Receive Playings Tips and More! A resonator provides a hard surface for the sound to be reflected back to your audience via the sound holes in the flange (this will be covered in a future article). You certainly couldn't just stick some random resonator on there. You can turn any resonator into an open back by removing the resonator, but it will make playing sitting down uncomfortable as the whole weight of the banjo will be on your leg via a thin piece of metal. Hand made resonator and open-back banjos, made in the Ozark mountain region of Missouri. Among banjos, the resonator banjo is loud, and the resonator back likely max-imizes the loudness contributed by its sound hole. I know that was possible on some Vega models in the 20's - 30's, but I'm not aware of anyone doing it now. Your banjo does not have a flange, but 4 smaller brackets. Vintage Banjo Parts - Unmarked Banjo Resonator, this aluminum resonator is something that we’ve seen a few times in the past. Click Here for Pricing, Pictures and Reviews on Amazon You won’t get the gig bag or the books – or for that matter a better-constructed instrument – but you will get a louder banjo… Another common misconception is that a resonator is a feature of a superior, often more expensive banjo. It's quite unlikely, unless the manufacturer of your banjo built it so that a resonator could be retrofitted and offers the appropriate resonator. It was an add-on that you could purchase to convert your open back banjo to a resonator model thus projecting the sound. You may be able to canibalize it off an old banjo if you can find one broken.