Metropoulos Forum

So who are the dobro experts?

What are the favorites?

NY Chief wrote:So who are the dobro experts?
What are the favorites?

I've had a bunch of them, Chief, and I have 3 at this time. A real early steel bodied Style O, a Style 1 Tricone, and a strange LP shaped resonator with a Firebird neck pickup (a KILLA thru a good amp). I've had a few other Nats, and an early "fiddle-edge" Dobro, but I didnt really like the Dobro. Different design with the spider bridge and cone, which makes for a mellow tone. I like 'em when they howl like you stepped on a dogs tail. ( ) The steel Style O is a monster. Awesome, ripping dumpster-with-strings tone. The slide itself makes a big diff in tone as well. I've been using either brass or steel slides. I really dont care for glass or ceramic... again, too mellow for my tastes. I've played around with different types of strings too, and sorta settled on either Ernie Ball nickel wound "Not Even Slinky" set (12-56), or Elixir Phosphor Bronze light-mediums (12-56). Either of those give a great, biting whine. Slidin' around on a Nat is one of my favorite pastimes. (ALMOST up there with slidin' around on a brunette!!) / /

yah wanna look for a rosewood fret board lam neck which started in1937 i believe

fill, who's got a good selection to play in NY? Maybe I'll make a trip....

Wow lets hook up!!!

I may be $#*up but I still use EBalls I just change em alot

NY Chief wrote:fill, who's got a good selection to play in NY? Maybe I'll make a trip....

The last time I was down there, Matt Umanov on Bleeker St. in the village was just about the ONLY guy that had any Nats, but he usually does have quite a few of them. Lenny Gerthoffer (vintagenationals.com) has the biggest selection anywhere, and he's also in Santa Barbara, California. Very cool guy to deal with.

fillmore nyc wrote: he's also in Santa Barbara, California. Very cool guy to deal with.

ROAD TRIP!

Hey Cheif

Santa Barbra, thats a cool ride up there. I saw a nice Hollywood Bungalow
up there I would mind disapearing to for awhile.

No really, Fills right, playin a national in rythum, slidin/hittin it is so natural it touches the core of the soul. Its hard to record this!

You guys ever here od Eric Sardinas? Verrryyy Johnny Winter in his prime channelling!

So, brass, steel or wood to start?????

Yeah. I spent alot of time in houston, after i thought I knew how to play slide. While living down there I bought a Tele for slide and began to expand with the local scene. Nothing out of the ordinary but different in that it related to how I was living which was different. Then while living down there Katrina happen, which waS A REAL SOBERING EVENT

NY Chief wrote:You guys ever here od Eric Sardinas? Verrryyy Johnny Winter in his prime channelling!
So, brass, steel or wood to start?????

I saw Eric Sardinas at the North Fork Theatre (the old Westbury Music Fair). He played warm up for Steve Vai. He was good, and a real showman. I prefer steel body reso's cause of their rawness of tone, but brass is cool too. Brass is a little mellower and warmer. IMO, steel rules. A good steel Nat just howls in a very raw, almost primal kinda way. The very earliest Nats were made of German Silver (old Tricones, and VERY few Style O's) and they probably have the best tone of all, but they're WICKED expensive. A round neck Style 1 tricone will set you back at least 7k, and a GS Style O would be more than that. Lenny Gerthoffer has one he's asking 10k for!!
Wood body reso's are also cool, and have their own sound, which is mellower and "woodier" than steel or brass. As far as bang for the buck, newer National Resophonic Polychrome tricones, or Vintage Steel tricones sound great. They sorta combine the tonal complexity of a tricone with the raw edge of steel... very cool. As far as vintage Nats are concerned, Duolians are probably the best bet. Most, if not all of them are steel bodied, and they're one of the "cheapest" vintage Nats compared to Tricones, or Style O's, and those old Duo's wail.
I kinda have a love affair going with these reso guitars. Nothin' will give you that deep fried southern swamp jones like playing a resonator guitar with a slide.

He played warm up for Steve Vai

Shoulda switched that bill around, I'd much rather hear Sardinas -- he's a freaking slide beast.

Flames1950 wrote:

He played warm up for Steve Vai

Shoulda switched that bill around, I'd much rather hear Sardinas -- he's a freaking slide beast.

He IS a slide killer, but in his prime, Johnny Winter woulda kicked his ass. (but thats like saying in his prime, Muhammed Ali woulda kicked Mike Tysons ass... we'll never know).

fillmore nyc wrote:

Flames1950 wrote:

He played warm up for Steve Vai

Shoulda switched that bill around, I'd much rather hear Sardinas -- he's a freaking slide beast.

He IS a slide killer, but in his prime, Johnny Winter woulda kicked his ass. (but thats like saying in his prime, Muhammed Ali woulda kicked Mike Tysons ass... we'll never know).

Johnny invented it and woulda killed Sardinas. But, Sardinas is excellent.


I really like the Nat Tricone cutaway but even that's a couple of bucks...