How to Adjust Spider Resonator Cones

A resonator guitar, often called a dobro, has a large metal cone mounted on its face. A metal plate, called a spider due to its shape, rests over the cone and in the center of the metal plate. A grooved bracket holds the guitar’s bridge in place. The spider is held in place by the downward pressure of the strings -- it is not bolted on the cone. If the spider rotates slightly on the cone, the strings will not rest directly over the guitar’s neck. If this happens, you must adjust the spider so the strings rest over the guitar’s neck.

Instructions

1. Loosen the strings on the guitar via the tuning pegs on the headstock. Do not completely remove the strings.

2. Grip the spider bracket with one hand while you hold the guitar body steady with the other hand. If the strings slid toward the right side of the guitar neck, rotate the spider counterclockwise slightly until the strings move to the left and center over the neck. Reverse the rotation of the spider if the strings slide to the left of the guitar neck.

3. Tighten the tension on the strings until you have tuned the strings to your desired pitch.

Tips & Warnings

• It is common for the spider to rotate when you remove the strings so you can replace them with fresh strings. If you find this to be the case, you can always place a few pieces of tape on the legs of the spider to hold it in place while you remove the strings. Use low-tack tape to prevent getting adhesive on your guitar body.

References

• Stew Mac: Spider-bridge Resonator Guitar Setup