#1337565 - 05/04/01 06:07 AM
dobros and Resonators?
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GuitarHank
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Registered: 05/04/01
Posts: 4
Loc: Dayton,OH,UNITED STATES
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Hey y`all
i`m really started to dig the sound of dobros(roundnecks) and
resonators. Any opinions on brands ?
how are these best Amplified? pickups etc,
I really dig Keb Mo and Chris Whitley and Johnny Winter.
thanks for any Info!
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#1337566 - 05/05/01 04:43 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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Sir Bob
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Registered: 03/25/00
Posts: 310
Loc: Altadena, California
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Dobro's are the ones with lots of little holes punched out of the pie tin while the National has only a soap bar sticking out in the middle of its pie tin.
The Dobro is brighter and traditionally goes with country music while the National is darker and maybe a little richers and of course goes with the blues.
Dobro and Regal made the same type of guitars. Dobro, out of Los Angeles, made the metal parts and Regal, out of Chicago, made the wood bodies. They split the country in half in terms of sales.
I think you occassionally hear Dobros played like guitars, i.e. Lola by the Kinks and Mark Knoffler.
I picked up a 30's Regal for about $500 and use it recording in open tuning with slide. I use a heavy weighted bar made by Stevens for the slide playing with the Dobro on my lap.
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#1337567 - 05/05/01 05:31 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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lrbreez
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Registered: 04/08/00
Posts: 675
Loc: Walnut, CA, USA
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The resonator is the most important part. I use a Dobro Model 90 for blues. It was actually the last Dobro made.
Buddy
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#1337568 - 05/05/01 05:33 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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lrbreez
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The resonator is the most important part. I use a Dobro Model 90 for blues. It was actually the last Dobro made.
Buddy
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#1337569 - 05/05/01 12:52 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
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Hey Hank,
I've done a lot of research on these lately myself. The Nationals and Gibsons are gonna cost ya and the cheap Asian assembly line models should be avoided. Here's the best mid-price value I've found for a hand built American resonator :
http://www.libertyguitars.com/
Check out the reviews on Harmony Central. I'm going to be ordering one of these soon.
This message has been edited by fuzzface30@hotmail.com on 05-05-2001 at 09:56 AM
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#1337570 - 05/05/01 09:12 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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GuitarHank
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Registered: 05/04/01
Posts: 4
Loc: Dayton,OH,UNITED STATES
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hey Fuzzface thanks
I have heard something else positive about Liberty`s I`m going to start checking them out.What do you know about Pickups I`m looking into the
Don lace dobro pickup . I called them the other day and their customer
service was VERY helpful. They offered to let me try it and send it back
if not satisfied. ONE more thing any thoughts on amps electric or
acoustic?
Thanks hank jones
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#1337571 - 05/08/01 05:28 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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I'm afraid I can't help you out much with pickups. I'm buying my resonator pretty much for recording purposes, so I haven't really looked into them. You could try the Telecaster Discussion forum. Lots of country and blues players over there who love to talk gear. Those are the guys that turned me on to the Liberty guitars.
http://www.tdpri.com
This message has been edited by fuzzface30@hotmail.com on 05-08-2001 at 02:30 PM
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#1337572 - 05/08/01 06:34 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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BK_dup2
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Registered: 03/19/01
Posts: 113
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For a great $600 resonator all metal-
Check out Johnson.
BK
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#1337573 - 05/08/01 07:07 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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fantasticsound
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Registered: 04/07/01
Posts: 16614
Loc: Madison,TN, UNITED STATES
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The resonator is the most important part. I use a Dobro Model 90 for blues. It was actually the last Dobro made.
Not true. Dobro, or the trademark, is very much alive today. Lauren Ellis uses several dobro instruments, designed for play like a standard guitar. They sound wonderful. I believe she uses L.R. Baggs pickup systems. She's a luthier and services the instruments herself.
Check out her MP3.com address. The cover of her album has a dobro inspired by the Gibson ES-335.
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/31/lauren_ellis.html
Neil
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#1337574 - 05/09/01 02:40 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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lrbreez
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Registered: 04/08/00
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Loc: Walnut, CA, USA
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<< The resonator is the most important part. I use a Dobro Model 90 for
blues. It was actually the last Dobro made.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not true. Dobro, or the trademark, is very much alive today. >>
What I stated is DEFINITELY TRUE. I bought the last Dobro made by the company that Ed Dopera owned. In fact, the company had already closed after Ed Dopera's death and his widow called some employees in to make it for me from the parts that they had on-hand.
It is true that a company named Dobro exists and uses the trademark and they make very good guitars, but there were several years inbetween the Dobro company owned by Ed Dopera and the current company.
Buddy
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#1337575 - 05/09/01 02:46 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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fantasticsound
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Understood. But the fact remains that GuitarHank is investigating resonator guitars. To deny that the Dobro name is alive and well is tantamount to telling him not to look for dobros anywhere but used musical instrument stores. As you agreed, the new instruments are fine, indeed.  Just a clarification.
Neil
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#1337576 - 05/09/01 04:38 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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dave251
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Loc: Lawrence KS
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I have to agree with Neil...Orville Gibson sold his interest in his company and was dead by 1920....does that mean there are no real Gibsons being made?
Dave
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#1337577 - 05/09/01 09:29 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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jzbluze
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Registered: 05/03/01
Posts: 17
Loc: Salt Lake City,UT,UNITED STATE...
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I play a Jay Turser model acoustic-electric resonator. It sounds incredible. It's got a humbucker and a piezo. I had to dampen the resonator just a bit to cut down on feedback at stage volume. The best part is the price: just under $300. Of course the fit and finish aren't perfect, they're what you'd expect from an inexpensive guitar. But there ain't nothin' wrong with playing an inexpensive guitar when you're playing slide: just ask Hounddog Taylor and Elmore James
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#1337578 - 05/10/01 03:08 AM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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fantasticsound
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Registered: 04/07/01
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Loc: Madison,TN, UNITED STATES
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Thanks Dave. 
But I have to correct myself.
I spoke to Lauren Ellis today, and both her Dobro and Mosrite resonators are circa 1968! They are in fantastic condition. If anyone else told me they were vintage instruments I would never have believed them! My bad.
So now I admit I have no idea what a new Dobro sounds like, since I haven't heard one, to my knowledge.
How come I feel like I belong in GA? (Gearheads Anonymous)
(Stands up) My name is Neil.. and I need to check my facts before I spout off about other people's instruments...
Sorry.
Neil
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#1337579 - 05/10/01 03:04 PM
Re: dobros and Resonators?
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lrbreez
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Registered: 04/08/00
Posts: 675
Loc: Walnut, CA, USA
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<< To deny that the Dobro name is alive and well is tantamount to telling
him not to look for dobros anywhere but used musical instrument stores. >>
Actually I never said that Dobro's weren't made anymore. Everyone know that Gibson has the name and is making them. Most people know that when the last Dopyera brother died the company closed on the mid 80s. In fact when I found out that Dobro was closing I went to Performance Guitar in Hollywood because the owner of Performance Guitar (I'm sorry I can't remember his name-an excellent guitar repairman) was best frineds with Dopyera. He told me that he would check and see if there was a Model 90, but that he was sure all the guitars were gone. A few days later he called and told me that Dopyera's widow was calling in some employees to make me one.
Getting back to the original post question. If you are into blues the the Nationals would be the way to go. As far as the current resophonic guitar companies I'm only familiar with Dobro and National guitars. Both companies make superb (though expensive) guitars.
Buddy
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