A New Project, Input Please.

[LeviJames]

Hey everyone, i am planning to start my second project ( in september ) but i am starting to plan it right now.

So far i am planning to make a resonator guitar, with a bloodwood neck and head, and a 22 fret, 24 3/4" scale purpleheart fretboard. What im planning for the body is its going to be steel, with a traditional acoustic shape, and a resonator cone. (i dont know if anyone has had experience making a steel bodied guitar) but some questions i have are:

1) What would the best steel to use be, a lower or higher carbon steel, or stainless steel. ( i was thinking stainless would be the best.)

2) Should i use an aluminum cone or make my own steel one to go with the body. ( i figure the aluminum would work the best )

3) I have 1/8" material in mind, but if not that, what would be a better thickness?

I played a steel guitar at a guitar store and it sounded awesome, and i looked at the specs, and the body material is steel. Its like the steel bodied guitar Mark Knopfler sometimes plays.

By the way, i know what i am doing working with metal, so that is not an issue. I have access to torches and a plasma cutter, as well as stick, mig, and tig welders and can use them all. as well as a metal lathe, milling machine and all the bending tools i should need. I have experience with fretboards, necks and everything to do with it so that is not an issue either.

Thanks for your input, i hope this project will turn out as well as my last.