RESO EXCHANGE

What sort of music?

Not familiar w/the Wechter.
I don’t have the ‘30, but same series: 9241 mahogany roundneck with the pickup. How that compares to the 9230, is beyond me. So take my assessment with an Absolut & a grain of salt. I am talking out of turn.

I’m not a fan of the guitar I have, at least for its tone.
I won’t trash it: Its OK, but think it carries more of a bluegrass/old timey sound to my ear, though I’ve heard people play ok blues on these. Just not me too often. Maybe its me & not the guitar.

The tuner knobs were defective on mine.
Those were graciously replaced. Its become my ‘bang around’ guitar now.

The pickup has no on board controls, so you walk back to the amp (if you don’t use a D.I. box & assuming the amp has an acoustic input).

I love the form factor, as a 14.5” lower bout “0” & a good neck, 3” deep body. 1-3/4” nut on mine. I don’t find it holding its tuning as well as I’d like, but not significantly worse than my other resonators.

It feels good to me. That’s why I still have it.

 

Abraham Wechter started his business in the -70s in Paw Paw MI, then moved to Fort Wayne IN. I remember hearing that they Plek'ed every instrument they made.

 

Is there something you dont like about the one you have? Are you looking to move to a round neck?
I wouldn't want to downgrade, unless it fit into some plan i had.

 

Are you staying with lap slide? (squareneck).
Or changing your musical direction more suited to roundneck? Pls define.

The different manner of play is a bigger deal than price, isn’t it? Lap vs reg’lar.
That seems to be the pivotal change.

How much are you “saving?” If its paid for (no idea the price differential), & it really is a great guitar, but you don’t have a handle on how to control it, your direction is either to learn it, or not.

The 9230 is a squareneck as well?

You seem to find more headroom in the Wechter.
Why limit your horizon if you LIKE the Wechter, feel it exceeds your skillset & feel somehow unworthy?

Aren’t you essentially saying a “cheaper, but not trash” guitar matches your expectations & aspiration.

Or are you just bragging on your guitar & self-flagellating while cutting yourself off at the knees?

Go back & ask yourself if you’ve defined what you really mean, imho, & definitely play a guitar that is more in line with the Gretsch, if not that very 9230—otherwise you are defining your direction sight unseen, possibly the same as you might have in buying the Wechter.


Dobro as a brand.

 

You are asking for details that can be altered on the guitar. The set up.
Those aren’t then, a “major headache.”

Looking up videos - can’t get a good sense of the model Wechter you own. What I found sounds “bluegrassy” to me. Not a sound I want in a resonator generally, but that’s me, not you.

As I said, the Gretsch I own has a sound that breaks the same direction (imo) & takes me a long time to “play in” to get closer to what I want (it can be done).

—————
Offtopic: The 2011 NAMM show video had a Wechter roundneck cutaway that looks to be the same size & form factor as Republic’s Hwy 61 line, but in a glossy finish. Of course the guy played funk, not blues.

While I like the style, that guitar seems to respond faster, puncier than what I hear in a blues guitar. Maybe the reason for his music choice.

I wouldn’t base a choice on what I said, just talking here.

 

Stop excusing an instrument change based upon your skill level today. That is self-defeating.
You are defining your future, limiting it. A terrible way to enjoy your toys.

The price differential (based on used price on a Wechter 6524-R Squareneck I found online) is close to a wash at $600 vs & $500 new Gretsch.

If you’ve got the cash, if your Wechter is a high end guitar, a grand or two—springing for a Gretsch as a 2nd travel guitar, even used in addition, might be better than putting on blinders about where you aspire to be.

Learning a piece: Take it in bite-sized chunks.