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Author
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Topic: Help with dating Dobro
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Richard Argus
Member From: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
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posted 25 June 2005 06:42 PM
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I have a metal bodied Dobro with the serial no M 498 6.Is anyone able to date this instrument for me? What are the opinions on this instrument? Thanks, Richard |
Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA
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posted 25 June 2005 07:32 PM
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According to this site, it would have been made between 1935 and 1937.
Without seeing pictures or hearing samples of the instrument, I have no opinion.------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
Richard Argus
Member From: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
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posted 25 June 2005 08:42 PM
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Thanks Brad,
I actually bought it as a new instrument in the late 70's. Do you have any info on their coding system in the 70's?Regards,
Richard |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 25 June 2005 09:30 PM
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Richard, the coding seems to be a bit different from what I've read Dobro (OMI) used in the 1970s, but the "M" means a metal body, the "6" is 1976, and the 498 indicates its serial number ranking. [This message was edited by Russ Young on 25 June 2005 at 11:00 PM.] |
Richard Argus
Member From: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
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posted 25 June 2005 10:05 PM
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Thanks Russ.
How does this instrument compare to what is available now?
Richard |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 25 June 2005 11:05 PM
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I don't know much about metal-bodied Dobros -- but from what I read the consensus seems to be that guitars built by OMI (1970-93) are superior to those built since Gibson acquired the Dobro name. |
Colin Brooks
Member From: Lewes, East Sussex. UK.
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posted 26 June 2005 05:23 AM
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I'm with Russ on the dating. Does it have a spider or biscuit bridge cone? What are the decorations on the body?I owned one in the late 70's with the big biscuit bridge cone. I found the tone harsher and less complex than a single cone National, and didn't like the heavy curve on the fretboard. I traded it for a 30's metal Regal with spider which I liked better. National Resophonic do a replacement biscuit cone that should sound better than an OMI original. |
Bob Leaman
unregistered
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posted 26 June 2005 08:35 AM
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The guitar is an OMI. It is the 489th guitar built during 1976. The letter "M" means metal and "B" means brass. With respect to Gibson takeovers, anything that Gibson takes over and builds is patently inferior to whatever Gibson took over. One might be somewhat shocked to see Gibson's prices for Dobros that are made of plywood. Further shocks are available if one prices their metal body Dobros. A Model 1000 is available on special order for about $4700.I have an OMI square neck Model 35 engraved Dobro that was built during 1979. |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 27 June 2005 02:26 PM
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Brad, I went to that site, and lo and behold! In about the middle of the page, there is a guitar labled "A 1935 No.32 model. " that is the one made right before mine! One digit difference. Mine is an interesting-sounding guitar. Much mellower sound than a National single cone. Much more like a Tricone. Not real loud, but nice!
JB |
Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA
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posted 27 June 2005 03:39 PM
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Richard,
If you look further down that same page that I referenced, it gives serial number information for later model Dobro® guitars.
Again, without having seen or heard the instrument, I have no opinion on its worth, beauty, playability, tone, value or religious affiliation. 
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 28 June 2005 06:31 AM
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should I?......  |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 28 June 2005 07:22 AM
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Have we ever stopped you in the past?  |
basilh
Member From: United Kingdom
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posted 28 June 2005 07:37 AM
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Do it Howard !! |
James Quackenbush
Member From: Pomona, New York, USA
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posted 28 June 2005 08:39 AM
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We're waitng Howard .... |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 28 June 2005 06:37 PM
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Our 3rd date.....
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Serial # B 308 4 as written on the men's room wall...... 
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Gerald Ross
Member From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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posted 28 June 2005 06:45 PM
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Those are "F" holes, right? Ouch!------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 28 June 2005 at 06:49 PM.] |
Richard Argus
Member From: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
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posted 29 June 2005 02:13 AM
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Howard,
Please don't fret, but perhaps you are being strung along?Colin, my guitar does not have a spider. It has the "F" holes as Howard R's sleeping beauty has. The body is painted in a dark brown mottled finish. The guitar has always had a rattle within the body so I decided to strip it last night (down Howard!). The rattle was caused from loose fragments of lead solder which must have been there from manufacture. I found many pieces of excess solder still hanging from the central inside joint, and removed them. Its interesting that they didn't take the time to clean this material away! Regards,
Richard |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 29 June 2005 07:45 AM
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I bought this piece around 1978 from a guitar shop here in NY. The Case had the name The Country Drifters.I played this alot at the beach and would leave it there since it was metal. The plating is now dull from years of being out there and will not polish out with Noxon. Perhaps there's another product that would bring back the gleam. Anyhow, the tailpiece was not centered properly and ocassionally the strings would pop off saddle grooves when I picked hard. Today I would take the tailpiece off and drill but back then I was afraid to mess with it. I found out about a luthier on Long Island (where I frequent) and asked if he did repair work. He told me that he mostly builds acoustic instruments, and although he hadn't worked on any metal bodies, he would take a look a t it. I went to his shop and he repaired it. He was very nice and knowledgeable. He knew a lot about machines. He would buy them at auctions and refurbish them. This was before I was manufacturing, but I went to a lot of auctions at that time and we even knew some of the same auctioneers. He didn't charge me for the repair. That was John Monteleone. |
Gene Jones
Member From: Oklahoma City, OK USA
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posted 29 June 2005 09:18 AM
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*[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 05 April 2006 at 04:47 AM.] |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 29 June 2005 11:11 AM
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After the third chorus, I need to rest |
Colin Brooks
Member From: Lewes, East Sussex. UK.
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posted 30 June 2005 01:28 AM
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RichardWhat you have is a Dobro Model 30. I owned one years ago, and I thought it sounded better than the brass bodied OMI Dobros. Not so heavy either. The steel body appeared to be stove enamalled, a much nicer finish than National Resophonic use on their 'appliance finish' instruments these days. OMI instruments could be pretty hit or miss in elements of their manufacture, but respond well to fettling. I'm sure that it would be well worth getting a new cone and biscuit from National Reso. Remember that these use a 10.5" cone rather than the 9.5" in most single cone guitars.
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db
Member From: New Jersey
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posted 10 July 2005 12:57 PM
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I would have guessed a "G-string" instead of panties.------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3 |
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