Metropoulos Forum

Took my D41 down to Buffalo Bros on Sat. I picked it up at the Pomona Guitar show last year and haven't been happy with it, didn't sound right. When I compared it to other guiatrs at BB I was right. It was missing body. Then I spotted this Dobro. One note is all it took. This thing drips of old blues mojo.

Tag said it is a 1935-40 Dobro but the fading on the headstock looks like it had a National decal on it. fill, you out there? Waaddd I get here? Where's my Reso expert??

NY Chief wrote:Took my D41 down to Buffalo Bros on Sat. I picked it up at the Pomona Guitar show last year and haven't been happy with it, didn't sound right. When I compared it to other guiatrs at BB I was right. It was missing body. Then I spotted this Dobro. One note is all it took. This thing drips of old blues mojo.

Tag said it is a 1935-40 Dobro but the fading on the headstock looks like it had a National decal on it. fill, you out there? Waaddd I get here? Where's my Reso expert??

First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRO!!!!!!!!

Now... where's the pics???
The most telling sign as to whether its a Dobro or a Nat is the cone and the cone cover. To my knowledge, original Nats will have a biscuit bridge and usually a 9 1/2" cone, biscuit mounted directly to the cone, and a cross section of the cone will be basically shaped like a drum cymbal.

Again, to my knowledge, a Dobro will always have a 10 1/2" cone, with a spider bridge attached to the cone by a center screw, and the cone has a cross section shaped roughly like the letter "W".
There certainly are wood body Nats from that era.

Here are 2 from Lenny's shop, Vintage Nationals:

http://www.vintagenationals.com/nationa ... prefix.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.vintagenationals.com/nationa ... guitar.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Notice how the cone covers look very typical of Nationals from any era? The handrest is very pronounced, and is tack welded to the cover. The holes in the cover are almost always 4 sided sorta parallelogram shape, and on a wood bodied Nat of that era, there would be 9 sets of holes around the perimeter of the coverface. Also the cover itself has those 4 strengthening ribs pressed into it, after about 1930 or so, which if the year is correct, your wood body would have. Notice how the '33 El Trovador has the strengthening ribs, and the '28 wood body Triolian doesnt have 'em.
http://www.vintagenationals.com/nationa ... s_vintage/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Dobro has a very different looking cover, with 4 sets of "fanned out" hole patterns, and a handrest integral with the cover... its just machine cut and pressed out to make a handrest.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312 ... f60009.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anyway, Im sure its a blues mutha whichever one it is!! IF it is a Nat, and you wanna make it look mo-betta on the headstock, I still might have a couple of those decals left. PM me if so.
Best of luck with that thang, and have a cold one for me on your birthday!! Ill be doin' the same in your name, Chief!!

Big time correction alert!!!!
I thought you were talking about a wood body guitar, Chief. That guitar you posted pics of is definitely a Dobro. I had one just like it with a brass body. Sometimes they made them from aluminum, sometimes from brass. Those things sound friggin' great!!! A little mellower than a typical singlecone Nat, but IMO a more complex tone.
They refer to those as "Fiddle-Edge" Dobro's. Great guitars!!
Thats a REAL nice guitar, bro!!

Thanks, fill!!!

Yeah, it's a killer all right. Original case, too. God knows where that thing has been, eh? It only took one note and I knew it was going home!

Here is the one I used to have, on the right.
(Sorry its blurry... its a pic of a pic)

Happy Birthday, you sly dog you! Congrats on the dobro!

Clips! Clips!


george

Cool,errrrr......, KEWL!! Nice line up there, fill!

Thanks, G.

It's a milestone...even got this in the mail the other day....

Congrats!

Looks like a National to me. But who am I... Never tried one.

Do would like one though. Tricone or Style O, whatever. I just love the sound coming from them. Bob Brozman has been a joy for years.

You got yourself a guitar for life there, NYChief.
Enjoy!

Congratulations, Chief. On the birthday and Dobro. Would that be make you the age where, had you been a car you would have looked like this: (I´m trying to be diplomatic here..I´ll get there soon too..):



Or a Les Paul:



?

On the Dobro: Very cool! I did´nt know they made them out of aluminum...?

I sold a 30´s no-name wooden body resonator in a shop once: It had just gotten in, and I took it off the wall and played it. It sounded amazing: Very old school country in open G, and you could smell the Mississippi Delta when you whacked it in open E.
I did´nt have the money, but it sounded amazing, so I just sat there, and did´nt notice what was going on around me. Always a good sign.. Pretty and raw tone at the same time. It just sang.. Very easy to get a great tone out of. The store owner came over, and whispered: "Keep Playing! There´s a guy out front who is freaking out, he says it´s the slide tone he has been looking for all his life, and he´s buying it! I´ll cut you in.. Keep playing! Play something pretty! " So the guy walks up to me, and compliments me on my slide playing, and we talked about the guitar.. He did´nt even want to try it, he just took it home.. I got a few bucks out of it, but I still miss that tone...

Congrats again, Chief.

If that's a "1959" model LP you're right on the mark, Mac!

Great story, too. This one is heavy so I think it's a brass body. It was the same thing with me. I played one note and that was it. I figured I'd worry about details later.

Omn, Brozman is a KILLLER player. Love his stuff. He actually was in Buffalo Brothers just recently the salesman said. I have met Bob a few times at NAMM. Also has a moment to talk. Cool guy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIEF!!!
Nice score with the dobro. When I was hanging with Music Ground, Rick Harrison the old man owner, loved Nationals and dobros, I bought him a book on Nationals, he complained it was soft cover!! I expected no less. But I have been fighting off AARP for many years!!
A birthday couldn't happen to a nicer guy and many, many more of them..
Best Regards
yngwie Dave

Thanks, Dave!

Yup, the Paul is a ´59, and so is the Caddy. I fixed the link. Great year for Cars and Guitars, Motown was founded and Buddy Holly died...

Happy birthday, Chief, and may you have many more of them.

Please report on any changes in outlook on life, and any major malfunctions.... I need time to prepare mentally for it...

(I´ll be 50 in July.. )

MacGaden wrote:On the Dobro: Very cool! I did´nt know they made them out of aluminum...?

NY Chief wrote: This one is heavy so I think it's a brass body.

Chief, Im really glad that yours is made of brass. I didnt wanna say anything when you posted this, but the 2 that I've played that were aluminum sounded terrible!! No balls, no tone at all. I guess there are probably some aluminum Dobro's out there that sound nice, but I havent seen 'em. The brass bodied Dobro's blow them away.

You'd have known it was aluminum the second you picked it up--they're light as a feather, and before I played 'em, I thought they would have a cool tone, but they were really disappointing. I dont think there are too many made of aluminum.

Mine was brass (and heavy) like yours, and it sounded killer. The only reason I sold it was to fund my steel Style O. That guitar was pretty expensive considering I dont play it everyday, but GOD, does it have the juice!!

MacGaden wrote: Please report on any changes in outlook on life, and any major malfunctions.... I need time to prepare mentally for it...

(I´ll be 50 in July.. )

I REFUSE to allow any!!! (but, I'll keep ya posted....)