Biscuit
© Frank Ford, 9/6/98 Photos by FF
The classic blues guitar is the National resophonic instrument developed around 1930. These instruments are powered by an aluminum cone surmounted by a wooden bridge over which the strings pass to deliver their vibration to the cone.
Here's the cone:
That black wooden disc on top is called the "biscuit," and the assembly is often called "biscuit cone." The bridge is the vertical piece in the middle of the biscuit.
A few people (probably Oreo eaters) call it a "cookie."
From the outside, the biscuit can be seen by looking under the palm rest in the middle of the cover plate:
It's a little dark under there, but you get the idea.
Back to Glossary
Back to Index Page